An exploratory study of radio frequency identification (RFID) adoption in the healthcare industry

Abstract

This study examines the radio frequency identification (RFID) adoption decision process and proposes a model predicting the likelihood of adopting RFID within organizations in the healthcare industry. A considerable number of studies have been conducted regarding organizational information technology (IT) adoption, but the nature of the organizational IT adoption process is still not well understood. Especially, although there are a number of variables and categories that have been found empirically to be related to adoption behavior, there is little in the way of evidence to suggest the origin or motivation behind the adoption. Thus, this study investigates the underlying motivations and driving forces behind the adoption of RFID using the theory of technology-push and need-pull. In this study, an organizational RFID adoption model is proposed and empirically tested by a survey using a sample of 126 senior executives in U.S. hospitals. The model posits that three categories of factors, technology push, need pull, and presence of champions, determine the likelihood of adopting RFID within organizations. This study also found that the relationships between those three categories and the likelihood of adopting RFID are strengthened or weakened by organizational readiness.