Examining emerging ICT's adoption in SMEs from a dynamic process approach

Purpose – This paper aims to advance information and communication technologies (ICT) adoption research and practice by examining and understanding the emerging ICT adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from a dynamic process perspective using actor-network theory (ANT). Design/methodology/approach – This study employs a qualitative approach to investigate how services SMEs are constantly engaging in ICT adoption for improving business performance. Two rounds of interviews were conducted with 26 interviewees. Data collected from the unstructured and semi-structured interviews were analysed to understand the dynamic adoption process, actors involved and their interactions. Findings – The findings reveal the recursive and dynamic nature of the emerging ICT adoption process and the constant interactions and negotiations of various actors. Underpinned by the key concepts of ANTand validated by the empirical data, a framework is developed to depict the stages of dynamic process of emerging ICT adoption, the actors involved and the associated key activities. Research limitations/implications – Qualitative research is interpretive in nature and the size of the sample used is limited. These limitations require caution for the generalization of the findings. The framework can be further validated across a wider population using mixed methods combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Practical implications – Emerging ICT adoption has moved from a simple adopters’ participation process to involving various actors that constantly interact and influence the process. SMEs manager can be influenced by and influence the technology advancement. As a result, SMEs need constantly interact with various human and non-human actors to keep up with the new ICT development and benefit from the emerging opportunities. Originality/value – The research focuses on the emerging ICT adoption in SMEs from the dynamic process perspective using ANT. It advances ICT adoption research and practice by developing a framework to depict the dynamic and interactive nature of ICT adoption process, and the actors involved and their interactions in the adoption process. Keywords Adoption, Technology adoption, Actor-network theory, Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) Paper type Research pape

The role of business models for technology innovation : a case study on Power-to-Gas

The thesis contributes to the understanding of business models as performative market devices for development and uptake of technological innovation in low carbon transitions. Transition studies are criticised for neglecting the role of business models as part of socio-technical transitions. Transition research agendas call for taking a pragmatic view on the role of business models. The thesis draws on a framework, based on the multi-layered perspective that views business models as performative market devices. Business models then act as intermediaries to develop and societal embed an emerging technology innovation into the regime. Using a qualitative approach, this thesis draws on an explanatory case study on the emerging Power-to-Gas technology. By conducting semi-structured interviews with actors from the Power-to-Gas niche community the findings confirm that business models can be used as performative market devices. Thereby they assist the development and uptake of technology innovation through supporting societal embedding. The business model serves as an intermediary for infrastructure matching, expectation and network building of a technology innovation. Further the findings recognise the interconnectedness of socio-technical transitions and extents the framework by incorporating cross-sectoral network building, also called sector-coupling

A framework for deriving semantic web services

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High-Tech Urban Agriculture in Amsterdam : An Actor Network Analysis

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How Online Social Networks Create Value for Organizations: A Resource-Based Perspective

Online Social Network (OSN) is an emerging communication technology which has increasingly been used. Todayorganizations are paying more attention to the importance of these networks and are trying to create value with theseemerging technologies. Current literature focuses on the information and network implications of these networks at theindividual and group levels, leaving the organizational level impact understudied. This study examines how these networkscreate value for organizations. We propose a model based on Sambamurthy et al. (2003) framework conceptualizing the OSNand explaining how OSN capabilities bring about customer agility through digital options of communication facilitation

Unsupervised Odometry and Depth Learning for Endoscopic Capsule Robots

In the last decade, many medical companies and research groups have tried to convert passive capsule endoscopes as an emerging and minimally invasive diagnostic technology into actively steerable endoscopic capsule robots which will provide more intuitive disease detection, targeted drug delivery and biopsy-like operations in the gastrointestinal(GI) tract. In this study, we introduce a fully unsupervised, real-time odometry and depth learner for monocular endoscopic capsule robots. We establish the supervision by warping view sequences and assigning the re-projection minimization to the loss function, which we adopt in multi-view pose estimation and single-view depth estimation network. Detailed quantitative and qualitative analyses of the proposed framework performed on non-rigidly deformable ex-vivo porcine stomach datasets proves the effectiveness of the method in terms of motion estimation and depth recovery.Comment: submitted to IROS 201

Commons People: Additive Manufacturing Enabled Collaborative Commons Production (by design)

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead In a post industrial age the current model of mass manufacture characterized by integrated organizations and economies of scale, a new production paradigm is emerging. Due to technology advances especially in the field of additive manufacturing (AM) small scale de-centralized production is again a possibility. Where once the tools to produce goods were seen as large capital investment beyond the means of most small enterprises, it is now possible for individuals to access tools that are capable of producing consumer goods. This shift had led to the emergence of a social phenomenon that until now was bound to the digital world. Networks of individuals are coming together to collectively design, develop, manufacture and distribute goods through a network under the banner of the open hardware movement. This paper presents a case study of one such network designing and distributing open source prosthetics using a collaborative approach enabled by AM technology. It takes a contemporary definition of commons production as a framework to describe the network and assesses the role AM technology plays within it. Moreover, it discusses the potential role for design (both as a discipline and a profession) within this emerging socio-industrial system

From Block to TOE: Analyzing Opportunities of Blockchain Technologies in the Automotive Industry

Through the lens of the technology-organization-environment framework, this study aims to identify the relevant influencing factors and future opportunities for blockchain technology (BCT) adoption in the automotive industry. By applying an exploratory qualitative empirical study with semi-structured interviews with blockchain experts from the German automotive industry, a revised TOE framework is proposed in this context, confirming previous findings while also incorporating the newly discovered contextual factors of education & skills and sustainability. The analysis of a subsequent quantitative study reveals that while all factors affect BCT adoption, not all context factors have an equally strong impact. The most emphasized emerging BCT opportunities are autonomous driving, decentralized network, digital identity management, and traceability of the supply chain. The findings of this study provide guidance to organizations, politicians, consultants, and managers for defining strategies that aid in the successful adoption and value creation of BCT applications

Geographic features of zero-emissions urban mobility: the case of electric buses in Europe and Belarus

This article reviews the emerging phenomena of electric buses’ deployment in Europe and Belarus within the general framework of the concept of sustainable and electric urban mobility. The author offers a brief overview of electric bus technologies available on the market and a spatial analysis of fleet deployment in Europe. The analysis of the spatial structure of the distribution of e-buses in Europe indicated that, in terms of the number of vehicles in operation, the UK and the Netherlands are the regional leaders, while in terms of the number of cities testing e-buses – Germany, Sweden, and Poland are the leaders. The analysis showed that the main factors supporting the distribution of innovative technology and public support are legislative and regulative framework as well as clear strategic planning and cooperation between local administrations and transportation authorities. Other important aspects, such as network building features, and the location of the charging infrastructure were also discussed. The analysis of the case study of Minsk (the first city to introduce electric buses in Belarus) outlined the typical limiting factors for all types of markets: high battery costs and dependency on infrastructure; recommendations are given to emphasise bus fleet replacement (instead of trolleybus) and to develop a comprehensive sustainable urban mobility strategy

Strategies of Minority Female Technology Entrepreneurs to Obtain Venture Capital Funding

Less than 1% of minority women receive venture capital funding for technology enterprises. The purpose of the multiple case study was to explore the strategies used by Black female entrepreneurs to obtain venture capital funding for their technology businesses in the United States. The conceptual framework for the study was the social network theory of entrepreneurship. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 5 Black female entrepreneurs who founded technology ventures in the United States. Journaling before and after each interview aided the methodological triangulation, which ensured validation. Yin\u27s data analysis process was used, and the data were reviewed, codes determined, emerging themes noted, and iterative explanation building undertaken. The main themes emerging from the analysis of the data were the participation in pitch competitions, the importance of networks, and communication. The findings may contribute to social change because other minority female, technology entrepreneurs can use the strategies of the participants as a model in their quest to receive venture capital funding. An increase in the number of minority women who receive venture capital funding and engage in high-growth entrepreneurship may result in an improved standard of living for the women and their families. Society could also benefit from a more diverse pool of technological innovations