Investigative study into the utilisation and adoption of the Smartphone Technology in

Developing Regions: Taking Saudi Arab as the case study

With an estimated future global market worth more than $300 Billion, the Smartphone industry
has a future which is expected of nothing but highs with exponential growth in sale (Daniels
2017). Other than the major mobile industry many other industries have the potential of
gaining many opportunities through the new invention of smartphone technology while these
opportunities will not be short of competitors and challenges. However, this wonder
technology although developing fast is quite new to the market and still has many
developments and advancements that it will go through.

in the adoption and acceptance of the smartphone in countries such as Saudi Arabia was largely
influenced by a social and cultural stigma around the topic with the technology being a very
critical factor in reflection of one’s lifestyle. A country such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has
a very large spectrum when it comes to the topic of social and cultural influences on many
materials and products such as a smartphone. There is relatively short research material on the
cultural and social influences which have lead the Arabian nation’s population in rapidly
adopting the smartphone as a daily tool. Hence, this study will focus on this topic with
extensive research on what were the different social and cultural causes which influenced the
Saudi Arabian people chose the smartphone to become a necessity.

Research Background

The industry of the smartphone is one which is rapidly developing and becoming better with
tougher competition than ever before which is also impacting the consumer and all of the
aspects of the consumers life such as daily interactions, education, gaming, tools, applications
and other aspects (Alwahaishi and Snášel 2013; Carayannis and Clark 2011; Rohm, Gao, Sultan, and
Pagani 2012). The technology of the smartphone has the potential to not only satisfy a customer
but also improve the productivity and efficiency of that consumer while all being at a low cost.
Other factors such as tourism, healthcare, finance, social media can also be greatly improved
for the customer through this wonder technology (Chun, Lee, and Kim 2012; Goldman 2010;
Saddik, Barakah, and Aldosari 2012). At the end of the year 2020 the smartphone technology is
expected to break the barrier of $300 billion in terms of market share and worth (Daniel 2017).
While the investment on advertisements and promotions spent by companies is expected to
double by the end of 2019 and reach a whopping 100 billion dollars (Alwahaishi and Snášel
2013). The current market condition with such fierce competition between rival companies is a
spectacle which has never been seen before. Device manufacturers such as Apple, Samsung
and LG are competing to gain market share. The big players in this market which provide the
major competition would be Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony and OnePlus (Kenney and Pon 2011;
Portal 2015).

It is very critical for both the researcher and the practitioners to study and research the success
of a specific product caused by major adoption in the public (Venkatesh 2000). The attitude of
the consumer in accepting and rejecting a new technology such as the smartphone can easily
be identified through research on the key influences that may make the technology appealing
and adoptable to the consumers. The rate of acceptance of a technology or product is the
detrimental factor which proves if the technology was successful at its objective or not (Dillon
and Morris 1996). While in the smartphone industry which has such rapid developments, and
changes it is also to critical these key factors to understand the needs of the consumers while
also reducing the factor of business risk and loss (Gilbert and Han 2005).

The studies on the user adoption of the technology of the smartphone have been quite a lot.
However, only the user satisfactory factors were taken into account by those studies while the
productivity and creativity aspects were completely ignored (Saber Chtourou and Souiden 2010).
Other studies were too specific for the global scale of the technology such as studies which
were focused on the integration and benefits of using the technology in the specific sector of
education (Kijsanayotin, Pannarunothai, and Speedie 2009). While there were also some studies
which took a very small population in to account such as studies on the adoption of
smartphones in students (Park and Chen 2007; Putzer and Park 2010).

Research Problem

A critical statement was made by (Hill, Loch, Straub and El-Sheshai 1998) which speculated that
any industry which has been invented or developed by a specific nation has a bias with that
nation and look for the sole benefit of that nation. Adding to speculation the researcher also
highlighted the fact that due to the differences in Arabic culture there were many different
aspects influencing the adoption of the smartphone (Hill et al. 1998). The factors which had
influenced smartphone adoption in a country such as China showed great differences with the
factors that influenced the Arab world in adopting the smartphone. The previous paragraph as
already mentioned that adoption of a technology in any part of the world is influenced by the
social and cultural factors in that part of the world. The country of Saudi Arabia is a country
which is experiencing rapid development and advancements and is one of the two most
influential Muslim nations in the world, the other being Pakistan and hence, has many different
social and cultural factors which can affect a consumer in adopting a new technology such as
the smartphone. Hence, it is quite detrimental due to the factors mentioned above that these
specific cultural and social factors are identified for the ultimate betterment of the industry
(Kang, Cho, and Lee 2011; Perozzo and Pereira 2008; Verkasalo, H., 2010). The lack of research on the
influential factors on adoption of the smartphone has been mentioned by a number of scholars
and researchers (Al-Meshal and Almotairi 2013; Alsenaid and Ahmad 2012; Seliaman and Al-Turki
2012). Research and investigation on the cultural and social factors which influence this rapid
adoption of the smartphone in the Saudi Arabian society is unprecedented. Hence, this paper
will mainly focus on the identification of these specific factors which can have such a major
influence on the market.

Purpose Statement

The aim of a complete perspective will be lost in studying only one or two factors which can
influence the adoption of a smartphone; hence, it is vital to review and research all of the
factors. Theimportance of social and cultural influences in the adoption of a new technology
have been highlighted by quite a few researchers and investigators (Al-Gahtani, Hubona, and
Wang 2007; Straub, Keil, and Brenner 1997; Van Everdingen, and Waarts, 2003). There are different
social and cultural factors and context of Saudi Arabia due to the Arabian origin and the rapid
development of the country. The Saudi Arabian society is one which is quite close and can be
labelled as collectivist as the links between the people are quite strong with high influences
between them on each other (Al-Gahtani, Hubona, and Wang 2007). The adoption of the
technology of the smartphone in Saudi Arabia and the other services that are integrated with
the smartphone such as gaming, internet, social media and video services have been studied by
a number of researchers. A number of factors, facilitations, social influences and language were
some of the factors influencing the adoption of the smartphone in the region. However, little or
no effort has been made in studying and reviewing these factors which influence the adoption
of the smartphone in rapidly developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. The smartphone
industry and telecommunication industry which have the novice experience of less than 6 years
in the open competitive market is rapidly and extensively expanding and is being supported by
the constantly growing Saudi Arabian economy (Omar 2016). Hence, specially for the creators of
these mobile wonder devices it is essential to understand the specific factors which influence
the adoption of the technology in this specific area of Saudi Arabia not only to better
understand the need of the consumer but also to better the product, service and industry
(Al‐Ghaith, Sanzogni, and Sandhu 2010). However, as mentioned above there has been a
disappointing low in the context of the effort put in this line of research.

Hence, this research will attempt to establish a research model and effective research
questions which will assist in identifying the key and detrimental factors towards the adoption
of the technology of the smartphone with such a rapid pace in the region of Saudi Arabia.

Research aim and Objectives

The following paper is primarily concerned with investigation and research for gaining a better
knowledge on the different cultural and social factors which influence the population of the
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in adopting the new wonder technology of the smartphone.The
following major goals can completely summarize the main objective and outline of this study:

To investigate the important factors that might relate with common users’ adoption of
Smartphone technology in developing regions of Saudi Arabia

To propose future trends and oppurtunities related with Smartphone technology in the
developing regions of Saudi Arabia

Research Questions

By analysing the research aim of this study following research questions have been developed

Question 1: What are the common factors that relate with common user’s adoption of
smartphone technology?

Question 2: What are the potential trends and opputunites linked with smartphone technology
for the industries and people of developing regions in Saudi Arabia ?

Literature Review

There has been constant development and evolution in the interests and the objectives of
scholars in the studies on adoption of new information technologies (IT) on organizational-level
as well as individual-level (Moore and Benbasat 1991). For the better understanding of the new
IT, there have been a number of new theories and methods that have been developed as the
industry develops as well. The willingness of consumers when in user groups to employ a
technology in performing a task which it is capable and designed for was defines as acceptance
of a technology for a consumer by Dillon and Morris (1996).

Research Related to the Adoption and Use of Smartphone

The technology of the smartphone has not only gained the interests of the scholars in the
context of academia but also industry as the technology of the industry has gained rapid
popularity and is the fasted developing form of IT. The importance of studying the adoption and
the use of the smartphone is evident through the factor of increasing number of studies on the
adoption and the use of the technology of the smartphone (Aldhaban 2012). Many different
methods, techniques, processes, approaches and tools have been used by many different
scholars and investigators for the purpose of better understanding and gaining knowledge on
the hottest industry if the century which is the smartphone.
In order to identify the different factors influencing the adoption of the smartphone, the TAM
model was adopted by Kang et al. (Kang, Cho, and Lee, 2011). Wireless internet, design,
multimedia, application, and after service were the primary attributes that were included in this
research model. The researcher also highlighted the lack of the research in this line of research
with it either being too specific such as only focused on one specific field such as education or a
very specific population such as students. The importance study of the attitude of the consumer
and the usage of this technology of the smartphone was also highlighted by the researcher.

The factors which affected the consumer in adopting the technology of the smartphone were
studied and identified through a qualitative approach involving interviews conducted by
researchers in their study (Kargin, Basoglu, and Daim 2008). Social factors (social influences and
user characteristics) and Service characteristics (content, cost, enjoyment and mobility) were
the two primary factors that were identified by the researcher as influential in the adoption of
the smartphone. Through research on the different factors which influenced adoption of the
smartphone in different countries and then comparing them with each other to analyse and
identify the cultural differences between countries the researcher investigated the effect of
national cultural factors on adoption of mobile phone services (Swar, Kim, Lee, and Moon 2009).

The adoption and use of the smartphone was attempted to be understood by other
approaches. A model known as MobiTrack was introduced by a researcher named Verkasalo
(2010) which essentially collected real-life data to analyse user behaviour. For the purpose of
monitoring and collecting data on service usages users would download MobiTrack. This app
monitored and collected many types of social services such as: multimedia usage, apps usage,
internet traffic and communication usage. The researcher further added that for better
development of product and recognizing market demand it was essential to research and
investigate further data on consumer behaviour towards the products as well as the different
experiences of the consumers with the product. This approach however, was also quite specific
as it mainly focused on monitoring and collecting data from users that were already owners of
smartphones and not the ones which were considering the possibility of adopting the
technology or had rejected the aspect of the smartphone as a basic need.

The key factors that were involved in influencing the consumer in adopting the mobile wireless
technology (MWT) were attempted to be studied by the researchers (Kim and Garrison 2009).
The purposes of surfing social media, the internet, performing commercial activities and text
messaging are all done through this technology known as MWT. Perceived reachability,
perceived ubiquity and job relevance were three additional variables added in an expanded
TAM model. In simpler words the need for further research and investigation was needed in
order to study the new factors which could influence the adoption of another new technology
such as MWT.
Research related to Smartphone technology in Saudi Arabia

In context of the subjects relating to the smartphone technology in Saudi Arabia there have
been quite a number of studies. The acceptance of the smartphone technology in terms of the
female consumers in Saudi Arabia involving all the factors such as perceived value, personal
attachments, providing information and sharing content were studied in a research by Al-
Meshal and Almotairi (2013). Another study by Alwahaishi and Snasel studied the major factors
which influenced the customers in adopting the use of the technology of mobile internet
(Alwahaishi and Snášel 2013). Their study also provided some numerical data in the form of the
fact that a total of almost 90 percent of all handset related traffic is through a smartphone. The
intention of users indulging in mobile internet were found to be primarily influenced by the
factor of expected performance as revealed by the study. Mobile learning in Saudi Arabia were
studied by Seliaman and Al-Turki (2012). This was another duo of researchers which didn’t
make short of mentioning the fact of shortage of research on the influential technology of the
smartphone in the context of the region of Saudi Arabia. This study also further mentioned the
need of studying the different aspects of the smartphone and its benefits such as the improved
productivity and creativeness all at a low cost, specifically in the educational sector of the
country.

Proposed Methodology
A research problem will be clarified in a much better and insightful way through the adoption of
the case study design of research as this design enables a researcher to view all the aspects and
subjects of the study in their natural light. A network of stakeholders in a research process was
advised by Dappert and Farquhar (2009) as shown in Figure 1. The table shows that many
different stakeholders can influence the research design of a study. The completion of the
research project may be influenced by the roles of these stakeholders.
 Fig 1: Stakeholders in research (Dappert and Farquhar 2009)

When the boundaries between context and phenomenon are not clearly evident, an empirical
inquiry that investigates a contemporary phenomenon in depth and within its real-life context is
known as a case study as defined by the researcher (Yin 2013). A problem can be easily
identified and fixed in the context of a real-life situation by a researcher through the
employment of the case study design as is evident through the definition. Hence a qualitative
data approach will be adopted in order to determine the social and cultural factors which
influence the adoption of smartphone in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The different dimensions
and aspects of the study while a better understanding of the research problem will be gained
through this.

A combination of thee following will be used by the proposed research design:

 A well-structured literature review design which will help in establishing past literature
on the topic of research
 Interviews which will give the study the route of the qualitative approach
 Discussion and analysis of the different aspects and themes regarding the topic of study.
The views, perception and feelings of the consumers will be better understood by the
researcher through the qualitative approach which will help the researcher in solving the
research problem much more effectively. As pointed out by Creswell and Clark (2007), different
insights about a research problem, can be gained through direct contact with the target
population of the study. Therefore, such a design will help the study greatly as the research
problem is related to the consumers in the market of Saudi Arabia. A well-structured literature
review using all the modern sources available on the internet will also establish a theoretical
framework for the study. The relevant studies which will provide relevant and purposeful
insights on the utilization and adoption of the technology of the smartphone will be selected by
the researcher.

Sample Size

A number of management and organizational factors will determine the sample size for this
study such as factors of time available to both the participants (i.e. the interviewees) and the
researchers in the context of this study, as both have study and/or work commitments. For the
purpose of the interviews further preparations will be necessary in order to set up the interviews
while the intensity, time and location of the interview will all be pre-determined and agreed upon
beforehand.

Validity and Reliability

Creswell and Clark (2007) describe reliability as, when a measurement taken in the same

scenario with all the same values produces the same answer every time it is taken; while, the

extent of accuracy of the answer obtained from the measurement is known as validity. Hence, all

questionnaire drafts will be submitted to a specialist to ensure accuracy, validity and reliability.
Limitations

The lack of regulation in research is the major obstacle for this research. The topic could

be covered as a whole due to its vastness. However, limitations and obstacles are faced by every

project. Differences in user styles can also influence several different factors. Therefore,

different scenarios with different kinds of people involved in them will have different causes of

adoption and implementation of Smartphones. Although, the focus of this research will be the

developing regions based in common and assumed settings. Therefore, all these obstacles and

limitations will be kept in mind when conducting this research.

Ethical Concerns
There are certain laws and regulations that need to be followed by every research and study.
The academic regulations of the University will completely be adhered to in completion of this
particular project. No intervention which will impact the environment or human life are the
objective of this study. There will be no use of harmful substance in this study while no loss or
injury to any human or animal is guaranteed completely by the research. The participants which
will be providing interviews to the researcher will be asked a fairly simple set of questions to
determine what social and cultural factors influenced their decision in adopting the smartphone
as a basic necessity. There will be no consequences for the participant in the case of any
participant withdrawing and they will also be informed of their right to withdraw in the case of
any discomfort. There will be no collection of personal details of the participants and their
answers will only be used for the sole academic purpose of the study. There will be no
incentives offered to the participants for taking part in the study in order to keep the study free
of bias and the participants will be informed of this beforehand. There are no potential hazards
posed by the researcher in terms of the risk factor by the study. All the participants will remain
anonymous and confidentiality of all the answers is also guaranteed by the research. Safety and
health will also be a major concern for the study and all rules and regulations will be followed
regarding this factor.
Key Milestones and Time Plan
The use of the case study design for the research has been mentioned above. The major
purpose of this project is to identify the causes of adoption of the smartphone in the specific
region of Saudi Arab while another purpose which will be fulfilled is the recognizing of the
needs of the industry and the consumer in this specific region. Accompanied with a brief
description, there are different milestones that have been mentioned in the table below. To
explore the subject of the project in more detailed and due to time constraints only two major
companies in the markets of Saudi Arabia will be focused on. Although the researcher hopes
that the main purpose of the study which is to identify key factors influencing the adoption and
use of the smartphone will easily be recognized through such a case study design such as the
one adopted by this study.

Task Description Start Finish

Project Plan Agreeing on the project title, Nov 2017 Dec 2017
description and objective with the
supervisors through detailed
discussion of the plan of the
upcoming project
Project Form and Submission of the project form with Dec 2017 Jan 2017
Ethics Application complete ethical considerations
accompanied by well-structured
and clear aims and objectives
A complete project A detailed problem statement, Jan 2018 Jan 2018
proposal methodology, aims and objectives
for the submission of a complete
 project proposal
Literature Review Using the complete range of various Feb 2018 Feb2018
different sources available on the
internet for a detailed literature
review for the purpose of a well
established theoretical framework
and vital insight on the topic
Data Collection Collection of primary data in the Mar 2018 April 2018
Techniques case study design through
development of a data collecting
tool
Interim Report An interim report of a total of 6000 April 2018 April 2018
words informing the current state
and progress of the project as well
as the future plans for the project
Data collection and Conducting analysis of the data April 2018 May 2018
Analysis after the collection of all the
relevant data
Discussion The limitations and different May 2018 May 2018
findings of the study outlined in a
proper discussion section
Writing up final A poster and neat presentation Jun 2018 Jun 2018
Report accompanying the final complete
project report