Organizational and human factors influencing the acceptance of technologies in supply chains: Conceptual framework

Abstract

Contemporary supply chains are increasingly confronted with the necessity to adopt advanced technologies such as blockchain, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence in order to enhance efficiency, traceability, and sustainability. However, the success of these initiatives does not rely solely on the expected technical performance, but also on their acceptance by stakeholders, which is strongly influenced by organizational and human factors.

This conceptual article relies on a narrative approach to describe and critically analyze the main theoretical models of technology acceptance. Drawing primarily on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and its extensions, while also integrating alternative frameworks such as UTAUT and TOE, the study proposes an integrative conceptual framework that identifies the key enablers and barriers. These factors include perceived usefulness, ease of use, managerial support, training, and resistance to change.

By synthesizing insights from recent literature and adopting a critical stance toward existing models, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the dynamics of technological adoption in supply chains. Theoretically, it clarifies the complementarities and limitations of current approaches. Practically, it provides managers with guidelines to anticipate organizational and human obstacles and to foster the successful integration of digital innovations.

Keywords: technology acceptance, TAM, UTAUT, TOE, organizational factors, human factors, adoption, supply chain.

Classification JEL : O33, L23, M15, O32, D8

Paper type: Theoretical Research