A study of the cause-effect relationship of factors hindering the adoption of an electronic document management system using Grey-based DEMATEL approach: A case study of an autonomous state-owned university

Abstract

The objective of this research was to study the cause-effect relationship between factors that hindered the adoption of an electronic document management system (EDMS). This research applied a quantitative method using the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach. The gathered data were analyzed using the DEMATEL technique based on the framework of grey system theory. An autonomous state-owned university served as a case study for data collection. Seven experts with knowledge and experiences of EDMS provided the required data through questionnaires. The following conclusions could be drawn from the results obtained. Firstly, through an extensive literature review and expert confirmation, twelve hindering factors were identified. These factors included a lack of process integration, a lack of knowledgeable staffs, an absence of standardized processes, an employee resistance, a lack of driving policies, insufficient project management capabilities, a lack of a collaborative digital culture, a lack of cooperation between departments, a limited employee involvement, insufficient top management commitment, inadequate resource allocation, and a lack of ICT infrastructure. Secondly, the twelve hindering factors could be classified into two groups: causal and effect. Among them, four factors were categorized as causal, while the remaining eight factors were classified as effect. Thirdly, the top three most important hindering factors were as follows; (i) a lack of driving policies, (ii) an absence of standardized processes and (iii) insufficient top management commitment respectively. This research is beneficial to both academic and practical use. From an academic perspective, it is the first study to propose a framework for identifying cause-effect relationship of factors hindering the adoption EDMS system within an organization. From a practical standpoint, the managerial staff of the case study university can use the findings from this study to set guidelines for prioritizing solutions to alleviate hindering factors in a systematic way.