Understanding Cloud Adoption Decisions in the Public Sector

Cloud computing is bringing significant changes in the way that public organizations interact with information systems. Existing research exploring cloud computing adoption in the public sector tends to privilege the technological factors. This paper contributes to the understanding of cloud computing adoption decisions in the public sector by also considering the organizational and environmental contexts of the adoption. By drawing on diffusion of innovation literature, we analyze the results of 21 interviews conducted across six European countries. The results of the study reveal that the adoption of cloud computing in the public sector is viewed with optimism and highlight that most of the factors that hinder the adoption are relevant to the environmental context.