The Adoption of Geographic Information Systems in the Public Sector of Saudi Arabia: A Conceptual Model

The development of fuzzy sets in geographic information systems (GIS) arose out of the need to handle uncertainty and the ability of soft computing technology to support fuzzy information processing. Fuzzy logic is an alternative logical foundation coming from artificial intelligence (AI) technology with several useful implications for spatial data handling. GIS has been found to have a crucial role in the performance of public sector organizations (PSO). However, the literature shows no universal model to support and shed light on GIS adoption, which lessens the chances for effective GIS adoption and usage. Therefore, a new model is needed for successful adoption and eventual enhanced organization’s performance. Thus, there is a need to investigate the factors that can bring about GIS adoption. Models for GIS adoption in literature are few and far between, and the few that exist are not applicable as they do not cover all the significant factors that can contribute to adoption success. Hence, this paper brought a GIS adoption model for PSOs to promote their performance. The model was developed through the extension of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) in addition to the DeLone and McLean’s Success Model. The study involved interviews with ten experts in ranking the extracted factors, and data was analyzed through thematic analysis. On the basis of the obtained analysis findings, the fundamental factors were found to be significant in their effects, and GIS adoption sufficiently related to the overall performance. Thus, the study contributes to the body of knowledge by filling the gap in the literature.