## 6 Discussion  
The study aims to identify the determinants of cloud computing adoption for HEIs in least developed countries, particularly in Yemen. Three possible determinants were examined namely technological, organizational, and environmental factors, based on the Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) model. In addition, the study contributes to the body of knowledge in IS adoption by investigating the moderating effect of culture on the relationship between the identified factors and cloud computing adoption. A model was proposed, based on the extended TOE model by including culture as the moderating factor; which was then examined and validated using the PLS-SEM analysis. In particular, this study examined the influence of the independent factors in the technological (i.e., relative advantage, compatibility, security, reliability), organizational (i.e., top management support, technology readiness), and environmental (i.e., regulatory policy, competitive pressure, culture) contexts on the dependent variable (CCA). Out of the nine factors identified, eight were found to support CCA positively (i.e., relationship between security, relative advantages, compatibility, reliability, competitive pressure, top management support, technology readiness, regulatory policy, and CCA). The study also found that culture moderates the relationship between CCA and the following factors: compatibility, reliability, security, relative advantage, and regulatory policy. Other moderators (competitive pressure, top management support, technology readiness, and culture) were found to be insignificant in relation to CCA. Majority of the existing cloud computing research has focused on the cloud adoption in developed and developing countries [10; 11; 12]. However, very little is known about factors that influence cloud computing adoption by HEIs in the LDCs. This study has made an important knowledge contribution that can facilitate researchers in understanding the historical, societal, organizational, and cultural factors that can influence the cloud computing adoption by HEIs in the LDCs such as Yemen. As noted, Yemen is one of the first of the LDCs to show an interest in cloud computing adoption. Accordingly, the present study focuses on the cultural factor that might influence CCA in Yemeni HEIs. The area of technology uptake at the institutional level using the TOE framework remains under-researched, particularly in the university contexts. Other studies have explored the uptake of ICT by organizations in developed and developing countries, primarily on e-government, e-readiness and adoption of technology as proposed in the TOE framework [71; 72; 73; 74]. Thus, this study is significant for many reasons. From a theoretical point of view, it investigates CCA at the institutional level and in the context of least developed countries, as well as in a Yemeni cultural and educational environment. It offers Yemeni HEIs the knowledge that can guide their managers or  
Figure 8: Interaction Effect of regulatory policy (RP) and culture (CUL) on cloud computing adoption (CCA). decision makers as they go forward with plans to use digital technologies extensively in the updating of their educational facilities and program. The findings from this study are also significant because they add to the existing knowledge in the discipline of educational theory and technology adoption, highlighting the distinctive cultural context of Yemen, and stressing the serious challenges the country faces in attempting to change educational practices. Consequently, this research adds to the growing body of literature on the adoption of organizational innovation by investigating the influence of three key elements: technological, organizational and environmental.