This document discusses a research project investigating the adoption of cloud computing technologies by firms and the impact on business operations and performance. The study will conduct a comparative analysis of firms in Greece, Switzerland, and the Netherlands, examining how organizational factors, ICT infrastructure, collaboration practices, and firm characteristics influence propensity to adopt cloud computing. Initial results have been presented in papers at international conferences. Going forward, the researcher plans to expand their dataset through a questionnaire and international collaborations, and explore topics like the relationship between cloud adoption and suppliers, models of cloud computing's business impacts, and differences in utilizing various cloud service models.

1. Cloud Computing and Impact Factors – An Empirical
Investigation
Niki Kyriakou • nkyr@aegean.gr

2. Research Objective
• The adoption of the various types of Cloud Computing (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) by firms
• Their impact on various aspects of business operation and performance, such as:
o ICT support cost and quality
o Exploitation of new ICTs
o Product/service innovation
o Process innovation
o Business agility
o Overall business performance
• Comparative study in three countries with different levels of economic and technological
development: Greece, Switzerland, the Netherlands
• The effects of the ongoing economic crisis in Greece on CC adoption and impact

3. …the Road so Far

4. ORGANIZATIONAL FACTORSAFFECTING
PROPENSITY TOADOPT CLOUD COMPUTING
Relative Frequencies & Correlations
Relative Frequency (%) Pearson Correlation
Prosp_Cloud 12.4 1
d_large 12.6 .101
d_medium 33.6 .055
ICT_invest_red 23.2 .165
Prodinn 36.5 .115
ICT_pers 26.5 .160
ICT_ous 16.4 .124
ICT_Infr_Soph .191
ERP 32.0
SCM 13.5
CRM 23.5
SRM 12.1
Estimated Models of Propensity to Adopt
Cloud Computing
Model 1 Model 2
d_large 2.089 1.225
d_medium 1.511 1.193
Prodinn 1.619 1.395
ICT_invest_red 2.268 1.867
ICT_pers 1.612
ICT_outs 1.735
ICT_Infr_Soph 3.079

5. OPERATIONALAND INNOVATION COLLABORATION
AND CLOUD COMPUTING (1/2)
Whole Sample
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
Operational Collaboration
Geographic Scope of Sales .011 .013
Geographic Scope of Procurement .016 .018
Electronic Operational Collaboration
Use of SCM systems .190 .190
Electronic sharing of information on
inventory levels with suppliers
.052 .052
Electronic Orders from customers .053 .054
Electronic invoicing .124 .131
Innovation Collaboration
Involvement of other firms in product/service
innovations
.130 .131
Involvement of other firms in process
innovations
.162 .166
Electronic Innovation Collaboration
Use of software applications to collaborate
with other firms for product/service or
process innovations
.153 .153
Small Firms
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
Operational Collaboration
Geographic Scope of Sales -.069 -.084
Geographic Scope of Procurement -.003 -.004
Electronic Operational Collaboration
Use of SCM systems .110 .110
Electronic sharing of information on
inventory levels with suppliers
.090 .091
Electronic Orders from customers .113 .117
Electronic invoicing .190 .208
Innovation Collaboration
Involvement of other firms in product/service
innovations
.117 .118
Involvement of other firms in process
innovations
.216 .220
Electronic Innovation Collaboration
Use of software applications to collaborate
with other firms for product/service or
process innovations
.119 .120

6. OPERATIONALAND INNOVATION COLLABORATION
AND CLOUD COMPUTING (2/2)
Large Firms
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
Operational Collaboration
Geographic Scope of Sales .041 .044
Geographic Scope of Procurement .014 .015
Electronic Operational Collaboration
Use of SCM systems .216 .217
Electronic sharing of information on
inventory levels with suppliers
.009 .009
Electronic Orders from customers -.008 -.007
Electronic invoicing .043 .045
Innovation Collaboration
Involvement of other firms in product/service
innovations
.112 .113
Involvement of other firms in process
innovations
.093 .095
Electronic Innovation Collaboration
Use of software applications to collaborate
with other firms for product/service or
process innovations
.159 .160

7. THE EFFECT OF ICT INFRASTRUCTURE
SOPHISTICATIONAND INTERCONNECTION ON THE
PROPENSITY FOR CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION
Independent Variable Sig of X2 test Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
Sophistication of administrative
support ICT Infrastructure
.000 .144 .163
Sophistication of production support
ICT infrastructure
.003 .081 .091
Electronic Interconnection with
suppliers
.000 .133 .139
Electronic Interconnection with
customers
.001 .141 .143

8. FIRM CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPENSITY FOR
CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION (1/2)
Whole Sample
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
IT Investment Reduction Strategy .162 .166
Product/Service Innovation Strategy .106 .113
Process Innovation Strategy .091 .099
Multiple Production Location .033 .035
International Scope of Sales .003 .003
International Scope of Procurement -..028 -.029
Use of Telework .068 .074
Sophistication of IT Infrastructure .144 .163
Electronic Interconnection with
Suppliers
.133 .139
Electronic Interconnection with
Customers
.141 .143
Interest in Data Warehousing .280 .294
Interest in Mobile Services .185 .205
Employment of IT Personnel .158 .164
IT Outsourcing .123 .123
Small Sample
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
IT Investment Reduction Strategy .180 .186
Product/Service Innovation Strategy .087 .097
Process Innovation Strategy .134 .152
Multiple Production Location .015 .015
International Scope of Sales -.039 -.040
International Scope of Procurement .053 .056
Use of Telework .074 .082
Sophistication of IT Infrastructure .115 .129
Electronic Interconnection with
Suppliers
.156 .165
Electronic Interconnection with
Customers
.135 .135
Interest in Data Warehousing .448 .460
Interest in Mobile Services .309 .348
Employment of IT Personnel .210 .217
IT Outsourcing .087 .088

9. FIRM CHARACTERISTICS AND PROPENSITY FOR
CLOUD COMPUTING ADOPTION (2/2)
Large Firms
Independent Variable Sommer’s D Kendall tau-b
IT Investment Reduction Strategy .120 .123
Product/Service Innovation Strategy .092 .096
Process Innovation Strategy .013 .013
Multiple Production Location -.012 -.013
International Scope of Sales -.002 -.002
International Scope of Procurement -.108 -.108
Use of Telework .001 .001
Sophistication of IT Infrastructure .123 .136
Electronic Interconnection with
Suppliers
.090 .093
Electronic Interconnection with
Customers
.113 .115
Interest in Data Warehousing .155 .163
Interest in Mobile Services .049 .053
Employment of IT Personnel .085 .088
IT Outsourcing .128 .129

10. 1. N.Kyriakou, E.Loukis,TheEffectofICTInfrastructure
Sophistication andInterconnection onthePropensity for
CloudComputingAdoption. European, Mediterranean &
MiddleEasternConference onInformation Systems 2014
(EMCIS2014), October 2014,Doha, Qatar
2. E.Loukis,N.Kyriakou, Organizational FactorsAffecting
Propensity toAdoptCloudComputing. Hawai,January
2015,Grand Hyatt Kauai
3. E.Loukis,N.Kyriakou, K.Pazalos,Operational and
Innovation Collaboration andCloudComputing. European,
Mediterranean &MiddleEasternConference on
Innovation Systems2015(EMCIS2015), June2015,
Athens, Greece
4. N.Kyriakou, E.Loukis,FirmCharacteristics andPropensity
forCloudComputingAdoption.Twenty-FirstAmericas
Conference onInformation Systems, PuertoRico,2015,
August2015, PuertoRico
Papers

11. From Now On…
• Data Collection
 Questionnaire to Greek Firms
 Cooperation with ETH Zurich and Delft
University to expand the dataset
• Thoughts…
Cloud and Suppliers relation
Cloud Computing Impact Models
Use of different types of Cloud
Computing

12. Thank You!!!
Niki Kyriakou • nkyr@aegean.gr