Information Technology Adoption in Digital Marketing: A Field Study of Libyan Organizations Using the UTAUT2 Model and Structural Equation Modeling

Authors

  • Abeer Farag Alnayer Higher Institute of Science and Technology, Tarhuna, Libya. Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65419/albahit.v5i3.147

Keywords:

Information technology adoption, Digital marketing, UTAUT2 model, Linear equations, PLS-SEM structural equation modeling, Libya

Abstract

This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the adoption of information technology in digital marketing within Libyan organizations, based on the extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) developed by Venkatesh et al. (2012). The study employed a quantitative descriptive–analytical approach and collected primary data from 384 managers and marketing officers working in small, medium-sized, and large organizations in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, and Sirte. Data were gathered through a 32-item questionnaire measured on a five-point Likert scale.

The proposed model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) through SmartPLS 4. The findings supported all ten hypotheses. Performance expectancy (β = 0.31), habit (β = 0.27), social influence (β = 0.22), and effort expectancy (β = 0.18) were found to be the strongest predictors of behavioral intention. The model explained 78.7% of the variance in behavioral intention and 74.1% of the variance in actual use behavior. These values were higher than those reported in comparable studies conducted in Jordan (60.4%) and Lebanon (66.7%).

This study represents the first detailed application of the UTAUT2 model in the Libyan marketing sector. It recommends integrating the resulting linear equations into the planning of training programs for marketing personnel and into the governance of digital transformation in Libya’s private sector.

References

1. Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.

2. Akhmaaj, A., & Sharif, M. (2024). Determinants of digital banking adoption in Libya: A UTAUT2 perspective. Journal of Open Innovation: Technology, Market, and Complexity, 10(2), 100256.

3. Al-Adwan, A. S. (2020). Investigating the drivers and barriers to MOOCs adoption: The perspective of TAM. Education and Information Technologies, 25(6), 5771–5795.

4. Alalwan, A. A., Dwivedi, Y. K., & Rana, N. P. (2017). Factors influencing adoption of mobile banking by Jordanian bank customers: Extending UTAUT2 with trust. International Journal of Information Management, 37(3), 99–110.

5. Alaskar, T. H., & Alsadi, A. K. (2023). Drivers of digital marketing adoption in Saudi SMEs: A UTAUT2 extension. Future Business Journal, 9(1), 87.

6. Alshammari, K., & Alkhwaldi, A. F. (2025). Understanding consumer engagement with AI-driven digital marketing in the Gulf region. Scientific Reports, 15, 4582.

7. Alzaidi, M. S., & Shehawy, Y. M. (2022). Cross-national differences in mobile shopping adoption: Extending UTAUT2 with national culture. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 68, 103004.

8. Barman, A., & Mahanta, P. (2025). Antecedents of social-media marketing tool adoption among emerging-market entrepreneurs: A UTAUT2 application. IRJMS — International Research Journal of Management Sciences, 13(1), 22–41.

9. Buvár, Á., & Gáti, M. (2023). Digital marketing adoption of micro-businesses in an experiential learning context: Behavioural intentions and habits. Journal of Innovation & Knowledge, 8(3), 100366.

10. Chaffey, D., & Smith, P. R. (2022). Digital Marketing Excellence: Planning, Optimizing and Integrating Online Marketing (6th ed.). Routledge.

11. Chicha, J., & Phiri, J. (2024). Hedonic motivation and digital tool adoption in African SMEs: An extended UTAUT2 study. Cogent Business & Management, 11(1), 2316542.

12. Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340.

13. Davis, F. D., Granić, A., & Marangunić, N. (2020). The Technology Acceptance Model 30 years of TAM. Springer.

14. Fishbein, M., & Ajzen, I. (1975). Belief, Attitude, Intention, and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research. Addison-Wesley.

15. Fornell, C., & Larcker, D. F. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(1), 39–50.

16. Hair, J. F., Hult, G. T. M., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2017). A Primer on Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) (2nd ed.). SAGE.

17. Henseler, J., Ringle, C. M., & Sarstedt, M. (2015). A new criterion for assessing discriminant validity in variance-based structural equation modeling. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 43(1), 115–135.

18. Kotler, P., Kartajaya, H., & Setiawan, I. (2021). Marketing 5.0: Technology for Humanity. Wiley.

19. Limayem, M., Hirt, S. G., & Cheung, C. M. K. (2007). How habit limits the predictive power of intention: The case of information systems continuance. MIS Quarterly, 31(4), 705–737.

20. Lukitaningsih, A., Hutomo, A. P., & Suyanto, S. (2024). Price value and effort expectancy as drivers of SME digital adoption in emerging markets. Journal of Asian Finance, Economics and Business, 11(1), 145–158.

21. Mhlanga, D., & Ndhlovu, E. (2023). Digital transformation of marketing in developing economies: A UTAUT2 perspective. African Journal of Business & Economic Research, 18(2), 211–235.

22. Ngo Hai Quynh, T., & Truong, D. (2023). Behavioural intention to use digital marketing tools among Vietnamese SMEs: A UTAUT2 application. Asian Journal of Business Research, 13(2), 88–109.

23. Paramita, W., & Cahyadi, A. (2024). Social influence and digital marketing technology adoption: Evidence from Indonesian micro-entrepreneurs. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 34(1), 55–72.

24. Pham, L., Williamson, S., Lane, P., Limbu, Y., Nguyen, P. T. H., & Coomer, T. (2023). Technology readiness and purchase intention: Extending UTAUT2 in the digital marketing context. Cogent Business & Management, 10(1), 2186037.

25. Rogers, E. M. (1995). Diffusion of Innovations (4th ed.). Free Press.

26. Sritong, C., Sawangproh, W., & Teangsompong, T. (2024). Factors influencing the adoption of digital-marketing technology among Thai SMEs: An extended UTAUT2 model. PLoS ONE, 19(4), e0301472.

27. Tamilmani, K., Rana, N. P., Wamba, S. F., & Dwivedi, R. (2021). The extended Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2): A systematic literature review and theory evaluation. International Journal of Information Management, 57, 102269.

28. Tarhini, A., Alalwan, A. A., Al-Qirim, N., & Algharabat, R. (2019). An analysis of the factors influencing the adoption of online shopping. International Journal of Technology Diffusion, 9(4), 68–87.

29. Venkatesh, V., Morris, M. G., Davis, G. B., & Davis, F. D. (2003). User acceptance of information technology: Toward a unified view. MIS Quarterly, 27(3), 425–478.

30. Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., & Xu, X. (2012). Consumer acceptance and use of information technology: Extending the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology. MIS Quarterly, 36(1), 157–178.

31. Wasiq, M., Bashar, A., Akmal, S., Rabbani, M. R., Saif, M. A. M., & Nasir, N. (2022). Adoption and applications of blockchain technology in marketing: A retrospective overview and bibliometric analysis. Heliyon, 8(11), e11457.

32. Delegating the Purchase: Consumer Trust and Adoption of Agentic AI Shopping Assistants. (2026). Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences, 5(2), 155-167. https://doi.org/10.65419/albahit.v5i2.146

33. عياد جمعة عياد رمضان. (2025). دور التسويق الإلكتروني في تسويق الخدمات السياحية الالكترونية: دراسة ميدانية على شركة المسافر لخدمات السفر والسياحة - طرابلس- ليبيا. Journal of Libyan Academy Bani Walid, 1(3), 424–443. https://doi.org/10.61952/jlabw.v1i3.135

34. ناصر الرفاعي محمد. (2025). The Impact of Internal Marketing on the Contextual Performance of Teachers. Journal of Libyan Academy Bani Walid, 1(4), 113–125. https://doi.org/10.61952/jlabw.v1i4.260

35. Arias Masoud Abdulhamid Faraj. (2026). Determinants of Entrepreneurial Project Success in the Digital Economy: An Analytical Study of Influential Internal and External Factors. Journal of Libyan Academy Bani Walid, 2(3), 184–198. Retrieved from https://journals.labjournal.ly/index.php/Jlabw/article/view/580

36. Dawoud Ali Wanis, & Jumaa Saad Mohammed. (2021). The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the Development of Small Enterprises. Journal of Libyan Academy Bani Walid, 1(4), 178–190. https://doi.org/10.61952/jlabw.v1i4.312

Downloads

Published

2026-07-26

Issue

Section

Articles

How to Cite

Information Technology Adoption in Digital Marketing: A Field Study of Libyan Organizations Using the UTAUT2 Model and Structural Equation Modeling. (2026). Albahit Journal of Applied Sciences, 5(3), 01-14. https://doi.org/10.65419/albahit.v5i3.147