Factors Affecting Cloud Computing Adoption and Continuance Intention of Students in Thailand

Abstract

An increasing number of higher education institutions have embraced Cloud Computing Services (CCS) to better respond to the issues arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. Cloud computing has helped to ease the process and lower the cost of offering online education and hybrid learning. However, some universities in Thailand face cloud computing adoption challenges because students lack awareness of the benefits and risks of CCS. Therefore, it is vital to identify the critical factors affecting the initial and continuance adoption of CCS by students in less developed countries. This study adopts a trade-off lens to assess the impact of the perceived usefulness and perceived risks regarding students’ attitudes toward the initial and continuing adoption of CCS. Using a survey of CCS from a large public university in Thailand, we found that performance expectation and effort expectation positively affect perceived usefulness, and that authentication risks positively affect perceived risks. We also found that perceived usefulness rather than perceived risks is a deciding factor in adopting CCS. Higher education institutions in Thailand can accelerate the adoption of CCS by improving students’ perceived performance and reducing the perceived risks.