ADOPTION OF BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION SYSTEMS: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESEARCH AND PRACTICE IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF END-USER SECURITY SYSTEMS

摘要

Recent security lapses have demonstrated the importance of augmenting authentication protocols in sensitive areas of the economy, such as financial services and banking. In addition, new legislative requirements for secondary authentication mechanisms have highlighted the use ofbiometric technology as a reliable, but not required, means of authentication. The focus of this study examines the factors that influence the adoption ofbiometric authentication in organizations. The research model measures the relative contribution that variables in three categories (External Pressure, Readiness, and Perceived Benefits) have in the intent to adopt biometric authentication in financial services institutions. Managers of these institutions were surveyed, and the resulting model indicates that, as expected, the intent to adopt is driven by competitive factors, an organization's financial resources, and the perceived benefits associated with the technology. An important unanticipated finding from this research is that managerial support was not shown to be significantly related to adoption intent, which may be attributed to the context ofbiometric systems adoption. This research advances our understanding of the adoption literature by demonstrating how structural factors can influence the decisions made by organizational actors and by applying theories of adoption to a new technology—biometrics.