Predicting e-readiness at firm-level: An analysis of technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) effects on e-maintenance readiness in manufacturing firms

This study predicts the impact of technological, organizational and environmental (TOE) determinants on e-maintenance technology readiness in manufacturing firms. Survey responses of 308 managers from a wide spectrum of manufacturing firms have been validated and analyzed by means of structural equation modelling. The findings indicate that dimensions of e-maintenance technology readiness in manufacturing firms are mainly influenced by technological and organizational determinants involving technological infrastructure and competence, expected benefits and challenges of e-maintenance, and firm size and ownership. Surprisingly, there is no significant effect of competitive pressures on e-maintenance readiness. This study offers managers and vendors a frame of reference to analyze firm's situation before initiating new innovations. In case of e-maintenance technology, adoption strategies should be built around fostering level of employees' technological knowledge and skills, technology infrastructure as well as sustaining potential benefits and encountering potential challenges associated with e-maintenance technology. This paper is one of the early studies that predict dimensions of technology readiness index (TRI) through the determinants of technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. Also, it is among the first attempts to link prominent technology adoption models to e-maintenance technology as a novel form of enterprise innovations. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.