Cloud computing: A social cognitive perspective of ethics, entrepreneurship, technology marketing, computer self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on behavioural intentions

Cloud computing is one of the most important trends in technology innovation but its widespread adoption by individual's remains unexplored. The main purpose of this paper is to examine behavioural intentions towards cloud computing in an educational setting through the use of social cognitive theory. A survey questionnaire was tested amongst a sample of young consumers to develop an understanding of entrepreneurial inclination, ethical tendencies, technology marketing, computer self-efficacy and outcome expectancy on behavioural intention and learning effectiveness of cloud computing technology. The results indicated that ethical tendencies and technology marketing are indicators of behavioural intention to adopt cloud computing as an educational learning resource. The statistical analysis conducted supports the view that social cognitive theory can help to understand the main internal and external drivers of increasing an individual's intention to adopt cloud computing as a learning instrument. This paper contributes to the interactive technology, educational and technology marketing literature by integrating social cognitive theory with cloud computing services to highlight the importance of individual's learning about innovations and adopting them in a higher educational setting. (C) 2013 Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.