Adoption of Electronic Resources Among Academic Staff in Public Universities in Tanzania: An Examination of Influencing Factors

Abstract

This paper examines factors that influence the adoption of electronic resources for the provision of academic activities by faculty members in public universities in Tanzania. A quantitative research design based on a cross-sectional survey of academic staff members in four public universities was used. A sample of 292 academic staff members was obtained through a combination of stratified and proportionate random sampling. Factors found to increase the probability of adopting e-resources include: awareness of e-resources through the availability of ICT policies in universities; coercive pressure on the use of ICT for teaching and research; and perceived adequacy in infrastructural support and capacity built in the use of ICT and e-learning system. The findings show that predisposing factors €”age, experience, academic rank and educational level €”and triggering factors €”like expectation for promotion and increased income €”do not have statistically significant influence on adoption. The main implications of the findings are that the use of e-resources in academic institutions can be enhanced through effective communication of ICT policies; creation of awareness on ICT policies and regulations; proper training and other capacity building initiatives to academic staff on the use of ICTs, infrastructure and systems; and applying some form of institutional coercive pressure in terms of enforcing the use of e-resources to spur the adoption of e-resources