Although there are several benefits to the adoption of emerging technologies
by Small, Medium, and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs), not many studies have been
performed on inhibiting Data as a Service (DaaS) adoption factors in SMMEs. This
study, therefore, explores Data as a Service (DaaS) adoption factors in Small, Medium,
and Micro Enterprises (SMMEs). The study adopted a systematic literature review and
TOE framework as a lens to explore the possible factors. The study results suggest that
within the technological context, the complexity, network bandwidth, and availability
were considered the most important factors that affected the adoption of DaaS in
SMMEs. Furthermore, within the organizational context, cost, support, and
infrastructure demand were considered the highest factors affecting DaaS adoption in
SMMEs. Lastly, within the environmental context, the results indicate that customer
demand was considered an environmental factor. In conclusion, the study results
suggest that the adoption of DaaS in SMMEs is affected by several TOE factors.
Despite limitations associated with convenient sampling and non-empirical data, the
study contributes to the body of knowledge on DaaS adoption factors by SMMEs.
Further studies may address the mentioned shortcomings by using empirical data.
Keywords: Big data, Data as a service (DaaS), Digital transformation, Everything as a service (XaaS), ICTs, SMMEs, TOE framework.
