Predictors of modern technology use for sustainable garment production among medium and large-scale firms using a multi-group analysis

Despite growing investments in modern production technologies, the effective utilisation of these technologies within Ghana’s garment industry remains limited, constraining productivity, sustainability, and competitiveness. Existing studies have focused largely on organisational adoption decisions, with limited attention to workers’ actual technology use and potential differences across firm sizes. Drawing on the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, this study examined the predictors of workers’ use of modern technology for sustainable garment production in medium- and large-scale garment firms in Ghana. A descriptive analytical survey design was employed, and data were collected from 516 production workers in garment firms in the Greater Accra Region. The data were analysed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) and multi-group analysis. The findings revealed that compatibility was the most consistent predictor of technology use across all groups (β = 0.162–0.325, p < 0.05). Environmental context significantly influenced technology use among medium-scale firms (β = 0.275, p = 0.001), whereas complexity was significant among large-scale firms (β = 0.207, p = 0.002). Across the full sample, compatibility, complexity, and environmental context significantly predicted technology use, while organisational context and relative advantage were not significant. The study demonstrates that the determinants of technology use vary according to firm size and operational context. The findings extend the application of DOI and TOE frameworks within sustainable garment production and suggest that managers and policymakers should prioritise technology-workplace compatibility, and strengthen enabling environmental conditions to enhance sustainable technology utilisation within the garment sector.