Determinants of Information and Communication Technology Adoption by Religious Organizations: A Case of National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Member Churches in Nairobi

Authors

  • Joshua K. Kioko Kenyatta University
  • Prof. Felix Musau Kenyatta University

Abstract

The adoption of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have drastically changed the way people work, relate and communicate in the world today. The religious institution plays a key role in shaping the conduct of people and how they relate with one another. Likewise, technology changes how people relate to each other. As such, adoption of technology in religion is critical if the organization is to reach the surging numbers already hooked to various ICT platforms. This study was necessitated by the fact that technology itself is not value-free. It is presented to religious societies wrapped with cultural values that compliment, challenge or even repel religious attitudes. Hence, the purpose of this study was to investigate the factors determining adoption of ICT by religious organizations with a focus on National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) member churches in Nairobi. The specific objectives of this study were; to establish the congregation characteristics, leadership perception, size of membership and how ethical considerations affect adoption of ICT. Applying the Technology Acceptance Model, the study carried out a cross sectional survey in which various churches were studied. The sample size was 27 NCCK member churches and the target population was 324 church leaders. Simple random sampling was used to give each element of the target population an equal chance of being selected. The data was analyzed using a computerized statistical software and results presented in percentages and frequencies through tables and figures. The researcher conducted a multiple regression analysis to determine the relationship between the independent variable and dependent variable. The study found that the attributes of congregation, leadership perception of ICT, size of church membership and ICT adoption are positively and significantly related, whereas ethical considerations and ICT adoption are positively but insignificantly related. Based on the study findings, it was concluded that these factors influence the adoption of ICT in religious organizations. The researcher recommends that church leaders should take cognizance of their congregation characteristics and develop ICT programmes which serve them best. In addition, the church leadership should take deliberate efforts to change their perceptions on ICT owing to benefits that it may present.  These findings may be relevant to both new and existing religious organizations. It will also make pertinent contribution to the existing literature and inspire stakeholders of various faith based organizations to come up with policies and strategies on how to adopt ICT.

Keywords: Congregations' attributes, Leadership perception of ICTs, Size of membership, Ethical considerations, Adoption of ICTs, and NCCK member churches in Nairobi.

Author Biographies

Joshua K. Kioko, Kenyatta University

Graduate Student, Business Administration (Management Information Systems)

Prof. Felix Musau, Kenyatta University

Lecturer, Department of Management Science, School of Business

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Published

2020-07-10

How to Cite

Kioko, J. K., & Musau, P. F. (2020). Determinants of Information and Communication Technology Adoption by Religious Organizations: A Case of National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) Member Churches in Nairobi. Journal of Information and Technology, 4(1), 60–80. Retrieved from https://stratfordjournals.org/journals/index.php/Journal-of-Information-and-Techn/article/view/524

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