Central European Business Review X:X

Breaking Barriers: An Expanded TOE Framework for Identifying Main Barriers in Digital Technology Adoption within the Service Sector

Ottó Csiki, Rebeka Pop, Máté Baksa, László Seer

Babeș-Bolyai University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Cluj-Napoca,

The process of digitalization varies across organizations, with many encountering significant barriers that hinder them from fully using the benefits of digital technologies. This limitation is primarily attributed to a lack of knowledge and expertise. This study aims to answer the following research question: what are the most important factors that affect technology adoption in the service sector? Drawing from the literature findings, a semi-structured interview protocol was applied to facilitate exploratory discussions. Six service companies were analyzed. Based on the interviews conducted, organizational factors emerged as the most prevalent barriers and drivers, underscoring the importance of aligning digitalization with organizational goals. Furthermore, based on the interviews, we propose the extension of the TOE (Technology–Organization–Environment) framework to TOBE: this extension incorporates a dedicated behavior (B) dimension, which is crucial as it captures the nuances of employee actions, attitudes, and cultural influences that directly affect technology adoption and implementation. The addition of the behavior dimension allows the framework to better address the human element in digital transformation, ensuring that both technical and interpersonal dynamics are considered in strategic decision-making. During this research, 37 unique drivers and 27 barriers were identified. In both cases, organizational factors are the most frequent, followed by behavioral factors, highlighting the importance of aligning digitalization with organizational structures and considering behavioral aspects as well.


Implications for Central European audience: A key insight from our research is the critical role of strategic alignment in overcoming barriers; organizations in the CEE region often lack a coherent digital strategy or face misaligned priorities, which hinders effective implementation. Policymakers and industry leaders in CEE countries should prioritize initiatives that guide businesses in formulating actionable digital strategies, supported by leadership training and management development programs that enhance strategic clarity.

Keywords: digitalization; barriers; drivers; service sector

Received: November 29, 2024; Revised: April 25, 2025; Accepted: June 9, 2025; Prepublished online: February 4, 2026