| Advances in grid technology have enabled some organizations to harness enormous computational power on demand. However, the prediction of widespread adoption of the grid technology has not materialized despite the obvious grid advantages. This situation has encouraged intense efforts to close the research gap in the grid adoption process. In this study, the technology acceptance models were successfully tested and used to understand the factors that affect the acceptance or rejection of innovative grids. In Spring 2010, using the online survey engine - Survey Monkey, data were collected from individuals (242 respondents) in schools, businesses and government in USA. The multiple regression technique was used to determine the relationship between the intent to adopt grids and the behavioral factors: perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude (competition from alternative technology) and trust (security). The research established a valuable model to predict acceptance or rejection of grids. In fact, 82.6% of the variation in the behavioral intent to adopt grids can be explained by the modeled factors. Individuals from schools were found to be more inclined to accept grids, while corporations remained largely unenthusiastic about grids. Corporations recognized the perceived usefulness of grids, but expressed doubts in the other three factors -- perceived ease of use, attitude and trust. In all, understanding the technology acceptance factors is important for the developers and users in the efficient implementation of grid technology. |
