Regional Adoption of Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce in China: Role of E-Readiness

Adoption of B2B e-commerce is a powerful driver of economic success in developed and developing countries. However, adoption rates in developing countries lag far behind. This paper draws on the Perceived eReadiness Model and research on the influence of inter-organizational relationships and economic-cultural contexts to explain the importance of three factors—inter-organizational power dependence, cooperativeness, and regional economic-cultural differences—for achieving higher levels of Internet-based Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) in the developing country of China. We employ survey data to empirically test both the individual and joint influence of these factors. The findings suggest that beyond intra-organizational and external factors, managers and policy makers wanting to promote Internet-based EDI adoption in developing countries must also account for the inter-organizational relationships of firms and the economic and cultural circumstances of the regions in which they operate

EXPLORING THE NATIONAL CONTEXT IN ELECTRONIC COMMERCE ADOPTION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

In this era of globalisation, Electronic Commerce (EC) has been promoted as a tool for bridging the gap between the developed and developing countries. However, despite the promises made by various international organisations, the developing countries are encountering difficulties in realising the EC benefits. To address this issue, numerous studies have been carried out in various developing countries in an attempt to identify the keys to EC\u27s successful adoption and diffusion in the developing countries. However, despite the significant differences between developed and developing nations, most studies carried out in developing countries employed the same study frameworks used in developed nations. This paper recognises the unique national context of the developing countries and argues that the national context factors can have significant impact upon EC adoption by organisations in developing countries. As a result, we modified the well tested Technology-Organisation-Environment framework to focus on the national context. By examining the national context together with the technological, organisational and industrial context of an organisation, it is expected that the extended framework will be able to provide a more complete picture of EC adoption in developing countries

Measuring the level of lean readiness of the Hong Kong's manufacturing industry

Increasingly competitive business environments have forced manufacturing organisations to continuously seek improvements in their production processes as an alternative to achieve operational excellence. Lean manufacturing principles and techniques based on the elimination waste have been widely used by manufacturing organisations around the world to drive such improvements. The purpose of this paper is to present an empirical study that evaluates the readiness level of the Hong Kong’s manufacturing industry to provide a foundation for the successful implementation and/or sustainment of lean practices. To conduct this study, the paper adapts an assessment framework developed by Al-Najem et al. [16]. Thus, the lean readiness assessment is based on six quality practices (i.e. planning & control; processes; human resources; customer relations; supplier relations; and top management & leadership) related to lean manufacturing. One research question and three hypotheses were formulated and tested using a combination of inferential statics (i.e. Levene’s test and t-test) and descriptive statistics. Data were collected through a survey questionnaire responded by 9 manufacturing organisations with operations in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that the Hong Kong’s manufacturing organisations surveyed do not currently have a well-developed foundation to implement or sustain lean manufacturing. In particular, these organisations present important opportunities to further develop some quality practices such as processes, planning & control, customer relations, supplier relations, human resources, and top management & leadership. The improvement of these quality practices will ensure, according to Al-Najem et al.’s [16] framework, a more effective implementation and sustainment of lean manufacturing in their operations

Improved E-Business Through Effective Knowledge Management Using The Business-To-Consumer E-Business Model

This paper was focused on establishing the relationship between effective Knowledge Management practices and improved e-business. The use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve Knowledge Management has gained recognition, the main factors being the push for successful innovation, having devoted and motivated individuals, and paying attention to a wide range of management activities and attitudes such as the ability to scan, predict and respond to the dynamic business environment. In the last twenty years, the importance of Knowledge Management in the business world has been ignored. This paper, therefore, aims to establish the effect of Effort Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Relative Advantage, Complexity, Compatibility, Observability, Collaborative System, Management Software, Human Capital, and Relational Capital on effective Knowledge Management in the Business-to-consumer (B2C) e-business retail industry in Nairobi County, Kenya. The study was based on the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology and the innovation diffusion theory. It entailed a descriptive cross-sectional research design. A total of 138 Information Technology employees of online retailers in Kenya respondents were sampled. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection. The data was then analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was then used to validate the model.  The study found that all the factors have a significant and positive relationship with knowledge management in retail online stores. It was found that there was a significant effect of complexity, compatibility, effort expectancy, relational capital, human capital, management software, collaborative system, facilitating conditions, performance expectancy, social influence, relative advantage and information systems success factors with knowledge management in the retail industry. The results also show that all the factors explain 72.6% of the proportion in knowledge management in retail online stores in Kenya, as the overall R2 value was 0.726. The study concluded that there were factors that influenced e-business adoption for knowledge management in the retail industry. These factors included e-business facilitating and individual factors, organizational usage factors, organizational structure factors and information systems success factors. The study also concluded that these factors all had a significant influence on knowledge management. The study recommends an awareness and training policy for all staff in the retail industry, which will emphasize the importance of e-business factors that were found to contribute to knowledge management.  Keywords: e-business, Business-to-consumer (B2C), Knowledge Management (KM), organization, retai

RFID adoption in healthcare organizations in UAE

Radio frequency identification (RFID) is currently regarded as one of the most promising technologies, and considered as one of the sixteen key technologies in the coming decade, specifically in terms of its use, pervasiveness, market demand and commercial availability. RFID is perceived as critical technology for many purposes and applications, such as improving the efficiency and effectiveness in business operations and improving customer service. This research therefore has a hedonic motivation in developing an incorporated view of theoretical framework to identify factors that affect RFID adoption in healthcare and providing an empirical analysis of the effect of both organizational and individual factors on the diffusion of RFID based on the health care industry. Unlike other studies, the current study places more attention on individual factors in addition to the organizational factors and technological factors in an attempt to better understand the phenomenon of RFID adoption in health care, which is described as a complex and a very demanding work environment. This study serves to fill a gap in the existing literature through explaining of how user factors can contribute to the adoption of RFID in healthcare and how such factors might lead to better understanding of the benefits, use and impacts of RFID in health care sector

GITAM: A Model for the Adoption of Green IT

Over the last decade, an increasing number of businesses are undertaking initiatives to reduce their environmental footprint and improve their “green” credentials. As information technology (IT) has permeated most, if not all, business processes and supply chains, it offers an important means to tackle the climate problem. On the other hand, IT managers are pressed to reduce the total cost of IT operations and run energy efficient IT shops. Greening IT has therefore become one of the latest considerations to improve a business’s environmental sustainability whilst reducing the cost of IT operations. A growing number of consulting reports speculate the benefits of greening IT for both IT vendors and mainstream businesses that use IT. While the opportunities and potentials of Green IT might be attractive, the extent of Green IT adoption and the actual realization of the benefits that Green IT aficionados allude to remain unknown. Indeed, unless business organisations incorporate Green IT into their operations, the potential benefits of Green IT remain potential and not reality. Currently, there does not appear to be a model to systematically investigate Green IT adoption. This paper proposes such a model called the Green IT Adoption Model (GITAM). The model defines Green IT from four distinct but interrelated perspectives. It posits that the technological, organisational and environmental contextual variables, dynamic Green IT readiness dimensions and strong order Green IT drivers can predict the intention and the breadth and depth of Green IT adoption

Exploring sources of competitive advantage in e-business applications: A cross-industries case study in mainland China

A review of existing literature revealed that little theoretical framework exists to capture e-business-enabled value creation through an integrated approach that includes the environmental view and resource-based view (RBV). Furthermore, little empirical research has been conducted to test these theoretical frameworks, in particular in the Chinese business context. The aim of this research is to extend the theoretical and practical understanding of e-business-enabled sources of competitive advantage (SCA) in China. The value chain (VC) concept, virtual value chain (VVC) framework and RBV were identified from the literature as the key constructs to underpin the theoretical basis. The research design used a qualitative research methodology consisting of indepth case studies of nine leading Chinese companies in three industries - housing development, manufacturing, and B2C. The principle finding is the formulation of a theoretical framework for investigating ebusiness value creations which integrates the key constructs of the VVC, online information capabilities (OIC), value system and RVB. This research also proposes a typology of five generic types of key e-business applications which states clearly the relationships between key e-business applications and SCA. Finally, this research demonstrates that e-business value creation features differently between two groups: Internet pragmatist and Internet pioneers. The research offers a number of contributions to the field of e-business value creation. Firstly, it introduces the concepts of OIC and value system to the VVC. It also provides empirical test of the analytical framework. In addition, this research provides an indepth understanding of the relationships between types of e-business applications and key SCA. Finally, this research identifies and explains the key differences and similarities between the three industries, within each industry, and between the two key groups

Assessing regional digital competence: Digital futures and strategic planning implications

Understanding strategic decisions aimed at addressing regional economic issues is of increasing interest among scholars and policy makers today. Thus, studies that proffer effective strategies to address digital futures concerns from social and policy perspectives are timely. In light of this, this research uses strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis tool to frame a regional strategy for digital futures to enhance place-specific digital connectivity and socio-economic progress. Focus group discussions and a structured questionnaire were conducted to examine a SWOT for a digital economy strategy in the Southern Downs Region in Queensland, Australia. The findings show that while the proposed regional strategies for digital futures are susceptible to internal and external forces, strategic planning makes them manageable. The study’s findings also reveal that adaptive strategic planning can help regulate the effects of internal and external factors that shape individual and organisational responses to digital transformation, and that these factors promote regional competitiveness

The Case of Mongolia

학위논문(석사) -- 서울대학교대학원 : 공과대학 협동과정 기술경영·경제·정책전공, 2021.8. Jorn Altmann.Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered key players in any country's social and economic development. Adopting innovative technologies such as Big Data Analytics (BDA) can bring better performance and competitive advantage for SMEs, which is important for a country's economic growth. This study aims to assess the main challenges and potentials of BDA adoptions in SMEs and examine the impacts of its adoption into business performance for SMEs in developing countries aspect. To achieve the study's goal, a systematic literature review (SLR) is conducted regarding the adoption of BDA in SMEs. The most common SLR method among the researchers in information system research, which was initiated by Kitchencham et al. (Kitchenham, Budgen, & Brereton, 2015) and Okoli et al.(Okoli & Schabram, 2010), is adapted in the study. In doing so, the SLR is focused on defining SMEs within various aspects and is directed to determine the most common influencing factors in BDA adoption in SMEs. In the result of the SLR, widely discussed 34 distinct influencing factors are identified in the adoption of BDA in SMEs from the previous literature. In addition, the hypotheses are developed based on the influencing factors, which show consensus among the researchers. After that, a conceptual framework is developed for developing the country aspect and control variables, and the moderating variables’ effect is also estimated. To evaluate hypotheses and the conceptual framework, an online questionnaire is conducted among Mongolia SMEs which run businesses in various industries. The online questionnaire is distributed to decision-makers and information technology specialists in the firm. In total, 170 respondents participated in the online survey. Based on the survey result, hypotheses are tested. As a consequence, the collected data and proposed framework are analyzed by using Partial Least Squares (PLS). This is a method of Structure Equation Modeling (SEM) that allows investigating the inter-relationship between the latent and observed variables. In terms of statistical software tools, Smart PLS v3.3.3 was employed, which is one of the useriv friendly tools for data analysis. Finally, policies and recommendations are deployed based on the findings.중소기업 (SME)은 모든 국가의 사회 및 경제 개발에서 핵심적인 역할을 하고 있는 것으로 간주된다. 빅 데이터 분석 (BDA)과 같은 혁신적인 기술의 채택은 국가 경제 성장에 중요한 역할을 하는 있는 중소기업에 더 나은 경영 성과와 경쟁력을 가져올 수 있다. 본 연구는 중소기업에서 BDA 채택하는 데에 있는 주요 과제와 잠재력을 평가하고 개발 도상국 측면에서 BDA 채택은 중소기업의 경영 성과에 대한 영향을 조사하는 것을 목표로 한다. 본 연구의 목표를 이루기 위해 우선 SME에서 BDA 채택과 관련한 문헌검토(systematic literature review (SLR))를 하였다. 정보 시스템 연구자들 중에 Kitchencham et al [1]과 Okoli et al. [2]에 의해 시작된 정보 시스템 연구는 가장 일반적인 SLR 방법이라고 할 수 있다. 이 방법은 본 연구에 적용됩니다. 본 연구는 문헌 검토를 통해서 다양한 측면에서 SME를 정의하는 데 초점을 맞추고 있으며 SME에서 BDA 채택의 가장 일반적인 영향 요인을 밝혔다 . 문헌 검토한 결과를 보면, 선행 연구에서 SME의 BDA 채택에 있어서 34 개의 뚜렷한 영향 요인을 논의했다는 것을 확인되었다. 본 연구의 가설은 연구자들의 일치한 관점을 보여주는 영향 요인을 기반으로 설정하었다. 그 다음에 개발 도상국을 위한 개념의 체계를 세우고 통제 변인과 조절 변인의 영향도 추정하였다. 가설과 개념 체계를 평가하기 위해 본 연구는 몽골의 다양한 사업을 운영하고 있는 중소기업을 대상으로 온라인 설문조사를 실시하였다. 온라인 141 설문조사의 참여자는 회사의 주요 의사 결정자 및 정보 기술 전문가였다. 이를 통해 수집 된 데이터와 제안 된 체계를 PLS (Partial Least Squire)를 사용하여 분석하였다. 이 방법은 잠재 변수와 관찰 변수 간의 상호 관계를 조사 할 수있는 구조 방정식 모형 (SEM) 방법이다. 통계 소프트웨어 도구 측면에서는 접하기가 쉬운 데이터 분석 도구 중 하나인 SmartPLS v3.3.3 을 이용하였다. 마지막으로, 본 연구는 분석한 결과를 기반하여 정책 및 제안을 제시하였다.Chapter 1. Introduction 1 Chapter 2. Background on Big Data Analytics Adoption 6 2.1 Defination of Big Data 6 2.2 Defination of Small and Medium enterprises 9 2.3 Role of Big Data 10 2.4 Charateristics of developing countries 11 Chapter 3. Methodology and Model Design 13 3.1 Methdogology fused for analyzing Big Data Analytics in Small and Medium Enterprises in Developing countries 13 3.2. Model design 26 3.2.1 Factors 26 3.2.2. Theories 28 3.2.3. Classification of factors into categories 36 3.2.4. Impact on developing country 46 3.2.5. Impact on different industries 50 3.2.6. Theoritical background and hypothesis development 51 3.2.7. Technological context 54 3.2.8. Organizational context 58 3.2.9. Environmental context 61 3.2.10. Moderating variables 63 3.2.11. Control variables 65 Chapter 4. Framework for Mongolian case 67 4.1. Mongolia 67 4.2. Data collection 68 4.3. Basic understanding on moderating effect 70 4.4. Data analysis 71 4.5. Results 74 4.5.1. Reliability and validity 74 4.5.2. Structual model analysis 78 4.5.3. Moderating variables 82 Chapter 5. Conclusion 85 5.1. Discussion 85 5.1.1. Technological context 85 5.1.2. Organizational context 88 5.1.3. Environmental context 88 5.2. Contrubitions 89 5.3. Policy implication 90 5.4. Limitation and outlok 91 Appendix.1 93 Appendix.2 110 Bibliography 115 Abstract in Korean 140석