Adoption of Electronic Knowledge Repositories: Influencing Factors in the Indian Software Industry

Abstract

Purpose: This study intends to examine the factors that impact the intention and actual usage of Electronic Knowledge Repositories (EKR) by knowledge seekers in the Indian software sector. The study examines how perceived utility, perceived output quality, resource availability, and perceived organisational structure support influence the adoption of EKR. Design/methodology/approach: The data were gathered from 505 employees in 27 software engineering companies in the National Capital Region (NCR) of India using a self-administered survey. The study employed structural equation modelling (SEM) to examine the connections among the variables. Findings: The findings suggest that perceived usefulness, perceived output quality, resource availability, and reported organisational structure support have a favourable impact on the desire to adopt EKR. Using EKR favourably influences its utilisation by knowledge seekers in the Indian software sector. Research limitations/implications: The study focussed exclusively on the software sector in the NCR area of India, perhaps restricting the applicability of the results. Future studies should examine more variables that impact EKR adoption and study various organisational contexts. Practical implications: The research indicates that organisations should prioritise improving the perceived utility of EKR, assuring high output quality, allocating sufficient resources for EKR access, and maintaining supporting organisational structures to encourage EKR adoption among knowledge seekers. Originality/value: This study experimentally investigates the characteristics that influence EKR adoption in the Indian software sector, contributing to existing literature. The results offer useful insights for firms looking to enhance their knowledge management strategies by effectively utilising EKR.