Electronic Commerce Technologies Adoption by SMEs: A Conceptual Study

The use of Electronic Commerce (EC) technologies enables Small-to-Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs) to improve their efficiency and competitive position. However, there is a lack of a comprehensive framework that gives a multi-faceted account for the phenomenon of EC technologies adoption by SMEs. This paper therefore develops a theoretical framework of EC technologies adoption which is composed of four dimensions: perceived organisational readiness (micro level), perceived industry readiness (meso level), perceived national readiness (macro level) and the perceived environmental pressure. The proposed framework is then used to develop a more specific research model to guide future study in exploring EC technologies adoption by SMEs. The proposed framework and research model will be empirically validated by administering a survey questionnaire among SMEs in a number of developing countries

Inter-Organizational Systems (IOS) for Supply Chain Management (SCM): A Multi-Perspective Adoption Framework

There has been no framework developed, to date, that has been found to examine an Inter- Organisational System (IOS) for Supply Chain Management (SCM) from supplier and customer perspectives. This paper proposes such a framework and then uses four theories, namely resource dependency theory, organisational theory, actor-network theory and negotiated order theory, to understand how the framework supports management collaboration and interaction in the adoption of an IOS. This adoption framework is proposed to better study how senior management staff, from both supplier and customer perspectives, collaborate and interact in the IOS adoption process. The framework has been constructed from the literature identifying six major aspects for consideration namely: inter and intra organisational collaboration; strategic management approaches; supply chain design (SCD); business process redesign/reengineering (BPR); information systems (IS)/information technology (IT) architecture and external environmental factors. Understanding the interaction of management from customer and supplier perspectives in the adoption of an IOS for SCM, makes a significant contribution to knowledge in this area

Organisational change and the computerisation of British and Spanish savings banks, 1965-1985

In this article we explore organisational changes associated with the automation of financial intermediaries in Spain and the UK. This international comparison looks at the evolution of the same organisational form in two distinct competitive environments. Changes in regulation and technological developments (particularly applications of information technology) are said to be responsible for enhancing competitiveness of retail finance. Archival research on the evolution of savings banks helps to ascertain how, prior to competitive changes taking place, participants in bank markets had to develop capabilities to compete

An Integrated Model of the Factors Influencing the Adoption and Extent of Use of E-Payment Systems by SMEs in Nigeria

This paper investigates the factors influencing the adoption and extent of use of e-payment systems by SMEs in Nigeria. The paper develops an integrated model following a comprehensive review of literature in IS/IT adoption and diffusion in organisations. The paper used primary data culled from a survey conducted in Lagos state of Nigeria in 2012 for a PhD thesis. 239 SMEs were involved. Results of the  logistic regression analysis show that three technology attributes (perceived benefits, perceived trust and perceived security), one organisation factor (firm IT infrastructure), one environmental factor (favourable government support policy), and two individual characteristics factors (IT knowledge and educational level) facilitated EPS adoption by SMEs in Nigeria. Furthermore, perceived complexity and age inhibited e-payment systems adoption by SMEs in Nigeria. With regard to the extent of use, perceived benefits, age, and perceived trust facilitated volume of use while perceived complexity and age influenced the breadth of use. Keywords: E-payment adoption, e-payment in Nigeria, IT/IS adoption by SME

Internet sales as a new mode of internationalization

The way that organizations explore the Internet has been the focus of a substantial body of scientific studies and non-academic reflection. The main goal of this study is to analyze the potential of the internet as a mode of internationalization and the factors that influence the results of the adoption of this mean to access foreign markets. For this purpose, we examine the determinants of the level of international sales made via internet estimating an ordered probit model. The results show that the importance of previous experience in using the internet and developing international activity, together with the level of internet marketing budget , the level of investment on internet sophistication, the firm dimension, the business age and the type pf activity are variables that determine the results obtain in the international sales trough the internet.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

In search of the drivers of high growth in manufacturing SMEs

Though considerable attention in the extant literature has been devoted to growth and performance of firms, there is a dearth of research on high growth firms. Furthermore, the majority of literature in this area focuses on large firms while research on high growth small firms is underdeveloped. This paper investigates the drivers of high growth in manufacturing SMEs. Following a number of focus group interviews with six managing directors of manufacturing firms, a number of drivers of high growth were identified and investigated in a sample of 207 manufacturing SMEs. The results of this study indicate that high growth firms place a greater emphasis on external drivers such as strategic orientation, their operating environment and the use of e-commerce compared with firms having static or declining sales. The analysis shows that high growth firms compete largely on the basis of price. While high growth firms have increased their sales by over 30% during the past three years or longer, it is questionable if manufacturing firms can sustain their competitive advantage without recourse to greater research and development, and innovation in the longer term

The adoption of interorganisational information systems by South African firms: a technological, organisational and environmental perspective

Thesis (M.Com. (Information Systems))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Commerce, Law and Management, School of Economic and Business Sciences, 2017Interorganisational information systems (IOIS) are automated systems which allow one or more firms to connect to their suppliers or customers in order to exchange data and information. Previous literature has suggested that the adoption of interorganisational information systems presents several benefits and challenges. IOIS is assumed to offer organisations the capability to improve business processes and provide better working relations with business partners. Despite this advantage that IOIS offers, adoption of IOIS presents complexities such as those associated with compatibility with a firm's IT infrastructure, lack of available skills, and concerns over data security and system failures. Through a review of existing IOIS literature, this study identified that four types of IOISs are available in South African, namely dyadic, multilateral, community, and hub and spoke. In addition, the technological, organisational and environmental (TOE) factors influencing the adoption IOIS were identified. A model exploring the effects of the pre-determined TOE factors on the adoption of IOIS was developed and tested. The TOE framework provided a theoretical contribution and addressed a gap in the literature into the barriers and determinants of the adoption of interorganisational information system (IOIS) across various organisations. A quantitative study was carried out and survey data was collected from a sample of 119 organisations across different sectors in South Africa. Data was collected using a structured questionnaire instrument administered online to a single key informant from each sampled organisation. The results revealed that multilateral IOIS are the most adopted systems while Hub and spoke IOIS are the least used. Furthermore, from the elven technologies which were identified in the literature review, the study revealed that groupware technologies, electronic payment system/online banking, video conferencing and electronic data interchange were the most adopted IOIS technologies within the sampled organisations. Adoption of IOIS was defined in two ways. First, IOIS adoption was measured as the number of implemented IOIS technologies. Second, as the extent which IOIS is used as communication medium with business partners and supports an organisation in decision making, business operation and replaces legacy technologies. Correlation analysis was used to test the model’s hypotheses and multiple regression was used to test the overall TOE model. The results showed that perceived compatibility, competition, and IS technical skill and education and training are most correlated with the adoption of IOIS, where adoption is measured as the extent of IOIS used as communication medium with business partners and used as support within an organisation. Top management support, trading partner pressure and perceived relative advantage of IOIS were also positively correlated with adoption, where adoption is measured as implemented IOIS technologies. Perceived complexity was found to be a barrier to IOIS adoption. This study serves as a guide for assessing factors contributing to interorganisational information system adoption and provides organisations with greater insight into the factors likely to enable and inhibit IOIS adoption. Keywords: IOS, IOIS, Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) Framework, information technology, IS department.GR201