Developing a framework for successful adoption and effective utilisation of ICT by SMEs in developing countries : a case study of Nigeria

In recent years there has been an increase in the adoption of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in organisations, as the use of ICT causes some form of revolution in business practices. All over the world, ICT has greatly transformed the manner in which companies conduct business. However, there is considerable evidence to show that Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, particularly those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), are yet to reap the full benefits offered by ICT as compared to their counterparts in the developed countries. Although the contribution of SMEs’ is of notable importance to many countries’ economy, yet those in developing countries lag far behind. For SMEs to survive and remain competitive in the current highly competitive business environment there is a need to adopt and use ICT effectively, in order to attain some level of competitive advantage. This research investigates factors affecting the adoption and effective utilisation of ICT, with particular emphasis on SMEs in Nigeria. It is presumed that SMEs’ adoption of ICT in Nigeria will provide opportunities to accelerate the country’s socio-economic growth as it will offer Nigeria the chance to ‘leapfrog’ some stages of development. The methodology adopted in undertaking this study is the qualitative research approach although a survey was used at the initial stage, to provide an exploratory snapshot of the SMEs in context. This research has empirically identified key factors motivating ICT adoption in Nigerian SMEs, and benefits resulting from the use of ICT in their organisational performance. Factors affecting the adoption and effective utilisation of ICT in Nigerian SMEs were also identified. Following this, strategies were proposed which led to the development of a framework that will assist to increase the adoption and effective use of ICT amongst SMEs in Nigeria and also, aid the further deployment of more sophisticated ICT solutions by these SMEs. The framework was validated via a survey and analysed with the aid of SPSS software. The findings obtained from the validation procedure indicated that the framework is valuable and suitable for use in practice since the research shows that the majority of respondents accepted the research findings and recommendations for success. This research offers recommendations that will assist the Nigerian government, stakeholders such as ISPs, as well as owners/managers of SMEs, in resolving the problems confronting SMEs in Nigeria.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

A study of e-commerce adoption using TOE framework in Saudi retailers: firm motivations, implementation and benefits

There are many companies in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia, that are yet to adopt e-commerce and those that have, are mostly at the very basic levels of implementation. The objective of this study is to explore the factors that influence the process of adoption and effective utilisation of e-commerce at different stages of implementation, with a particular emphasis on large companies in the retail industry in Saudi Arabia. Four multiple qualitative case studies involving mainly in-depth interviews were used for the data collection and analysis. The four companies in this study were chosen based on different levels of e-commerce usage. The study identifies a number of factors as important motivations for the adoption and implementation of e-commerce. Firstly, it identifies improved operational efficiency and the enhancement of marketing as motivators for e-commerce adoption and implementation. Ultimately, the objective was to expand market reach, reduce the cost of physical infrastructure while increasing sales. Secondly, Saudi retailers were interested in providing an easier and culturally compatible shopping environment for women. Considering the socio-cultural restrictions placed upon women in their public movement, e-commerce, particularly at the retained was considered a way of breaking this restriction thus allowing more women to undertake shopping more frequently. Thirdly, e-commerce generally seems to be a business response to the growing tech-savvy young population in Saudi Arabia. The study however shows that although retailers are willing to adopt e-commerce, and that most organisations have a good management approach to handling the internal constraints and challenges of the process of change associated with e-commerce implementation. However, the progress of implementation in the country is slow and only at a very early stage. This is mostly based on contextual impediments. A number of inhibiting environmental factors, including the lack of government initiatives, legal frameworks, inadequate external ICT infrastructure, low e-readiness among local trading partners, poor physical infrastructure, and lack of e-payment methods were identified. Furthermore, the socio-cultural belief systems were found to constitute a major influence on the slow progress towards the implementation of the technology. Moreover, the study found that family affiliations and the tribal system in the country has a significant influence on organisational structure and culture. This research contributes to our understanding of the nature of the Saudi business environment, and constitutes an important theoretical contribution to the development and application of the TOE framework to understand e-commerce adoption in order to assist with and the reasons for the observed successes and failures. It is envisaged that this understanding maybe drawn upon to explain similar observations in like economies in the region and the developing world at large