Factors influencing risk acceptance of Cloud Computing services in the UK Government

TL;DR

This study develops a theoretical framework to understand factors influencing risk acceptance of cloud computing services in the UK Government, highlighting perceived benefits, organizational risk culture, and security concerns.

Contribution

It introduces a novel interpretive phenomenological analysis approach to identify key factors affecting cloud adoption decisions in government organizations.

Findings

Perceived benefits and opportunities increase risk acceptance.

Organizational risk culture influences cloud adoption decisions.

Perceived risks and security concerns are major barriers.

Abstract

Cloud Computing services are increasingly being made available by the UK Government through the Government digital marketplace to reduce costs and improve IT efficiency; however, little is known about factors influencing the decision-making process to adopt cloud services within the UK Government. This research aims to develop a theoretical framework to understand risk perception and risk acceptance of cloud computing services. Study subjects (N=24) were recruited from three UK Government organizations to attend a semi- structured interview. Transcribed texts were analyzed using the approach termed interpretive phenomenological analysis. Results showed that the most important factors influencing risk acceptance of cloud services are: perceived benefits and opportunities, organization risk culture and perceived risks. We focused on perceived risks and perceived security concerns. Based on these results, we suggest a number of implications for risk managers, policy makers and cloud service providers.