The Influence of Managerial Attitudes and Dynamic Capabilities on E-Marketing Adoption Among Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises

Abstract

This study examines how managerial attitudes and dynamic capabilities shape e-marketing adoption among Small and Medium Tourism Enterprises (SMTEs) in Zanzibar, using PLS-SEM on survey data from 216 SMTEs in the Urban-West and South Regions. Drawing on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behaviour and Dynamic Capabilities Theory, the study finds that perceived ease of use and perceived security significantly increase adoption, while perceived usefulness and compatibility significantly decrease it suggesting that recognising a technology's value is insufficient without the operational capacity to act on it. Supporting this, dynamic capabilities significantly strengthen the usefulness–adoption and compatibility–adoption relationships, but show no moderating effect on ease of use or security. These findings extend DTPB by showing ease of use and security can independently drive adoption in resource-constrained settings, and highlight dynamic capabilities as the mechanism converting perceived value into actual uptake. Managers should invest in user-friendly, secure digital tools; policymakers should prioritise capacity-building that strengthens SMTEs' ability to sense, seize, and reconfigure resources for e-marketing adoption.