The effects that cloud services offered by small accounting firms have on client satisfaction among older adults: a means-end chain approac

Cloud services have had a tremendous impact on the accounting industry and many firms are adopting these innovative technologies in order to maximize efficiency. The effects of client satisfaction and loyalty regarding this adoption, however, are not clear and misconceptions about cloud accounting, such as security, cost, and lack of perceived benefit must be explored, especially among older adults, who naturally tend to be more averse to the adoption of new technologies. This allows firms to successfully adopt cloud technologies by implementing proper marketing campaigns that address client concerns. A means-end chain approach was used to explore the diffusion of innovations theory and social exchange theory in this qualitative study by interviewing clients of small U.S. accounting firms regarding cloud computing technologies. This study included 20 participants, which were clients of several southern Utah accounting firms, and data was collected from semi-structured interviews including open-ended questions. A hierarchical value map was created from the findings, resulting in several dominant values, such as simplicity, security, and accuracy. Results show that the diffusion of cloud services are positively affecting client satisfaction among older adults of small accounting firms as long as certain items are communicated well. Most participants were able to realize the perceived usefulness of cloud services by identifying the time-saving measures that they provide and the value of simplicity they offer. Implications and recommendations for accounting firms include three strategic decision-making and marketing areas, including educating older clients on scanning documents, uploading documents to a client portal, and using paperless processes. Future research should conduct studies of older adults from different regions with other demographic variables.