Determinants of E‐Waste Urban Mining Technology Adoption in Sri Lanka: Exploring Micro, Meso, and Macro Factors
Amila Kasun Sampath Udage Kankanamge, Michael Odei Erdiaw‐Kwasie, Matthew Abunyewah
Abstract
ABSTRACT E‐waste generation is escalating in developing countries, yet collection and recycling remain minimal, leaving most e‐waste unattended. Technology adoption in e‐waste urban mining is increasingly seen as a key strategy to address this issue. However, the adoption of e‐waste urban mining technology has been slow in developing countries, particularly in Sri Lanka. Despite numerous studies on e‐waste urban mining, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive understanding of e‐waste urban mining technology adoption in Sri Lanka. This study employs an interview method to explore the factors influencing the adoption of e‐waste urban mining technology in Sri Lanka. The present study reveals 16 factors, which are broadly categorized into five thematic areas and further grouped into three analytical levels: Micro level (technological know‐how, and psychological readiness), meso level (organizational readiness), and macro level (external pressure and collaborative effort) are interrelated and jointly influence e‐waste urban mining technology adoption in Sri Lanka. Consequently, the findings help to illuminate the interplay between e‐waste urban mining and technology adoption at the organizational level, which has implications for research, management, practice, and policymaking.