Demographic Factor, Adoption of Technology and Competitive Advantage in Nigeria

Abstract

Purpose: The general objective of the study is to examine factors influencing the adoption of technology and competitive advantage in Nigeria. The specific objective is to ascertain the influence of demographic factors on a firm’s innovativeness.

Design/Methodology/Approach: The study adopted a correlational survey approach and questionnaire as instruments for data collection. Primary data were sourced from a sample of 257 people. The population of the study is made up of postgraduate (Postgraduate Diploma, Master’s and Doctorate) students in eight faculties at the Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO for the 2018/2019 academic session. A simple random probability sampling method was adopted in the distribution of the questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Pearson Correlation to test the relationship between the variables.

Findings/Originality: Findings revealed that demographic factors (educational level, income and internet experience) were found to have a significant positive influence on organizational innovativeness. The authors recommend the following; Federal Ministry of Education is advised to create a technology-enriched curriculum to provide equal learning opportunities to the working citizens to enable them to enrol in schooling. Government should prioritize investment in classroom technology as well as teachers training in tertiary institutions in the country. Previous studies did not investigate the influence of demographic factors on firms competitiveness at the Federal University of Technology. This study contributes to existing knowledge by identifying the research gaps in the literature and recommends areas for further studies.

Keywords: Adoption of Technology, Demographic Factor, Competitive Advantage, Innovativeness, Technology Acceptance Theory