Factors Affecting Enterprise Resource Planning Adoption on Firms’ Performance Among Medium-Sized Enterprises.

Empirical evidence suggests that the adoption of ERP facilitates organizational processes and activities including sales, billing, marketing, human resource management, quality control and production, which in turns, could ensure general performance. This study proposes a theoretical framework that identified factors that affecting ERP system adoption among medium-sized enterprise firms, such as organizational culture, technology infrastructures support / quality of internet and top management support. The present study also applied resource based value and contingency theories to explain the factors that affect ERP system adoption. In this study, the proposed theoretical framework has been formulated based on data obtained from a newly developed questionnaire. The sets of questionnaire were distributed to one hundred and four (104) medium-sized enterprises firms in Ogun State, Nigeria. CEO / director and managers were selected as the key respondents of the questionnaire. The empirical data were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling. The result obtained revealed that both organizational culture and top management support significantly influence the adoption of the ERP system to improve the performance of medium-sized enterprises firms. In this regard, technology infrastructure support has no significant relationship with ERP system adoption. The outcomes of this study are useful for firms adapting ERP as they would be able to strategize future ERP system implementation in different sectors, such as education, and large firms in general. One limitation of the study is its small sample size. Moreover, the author has not included other measures of medium sized enterprises performance outside of the procurement area despite these factors could provide further insights to medium sized enterprises performance, and will be an interesting topic for future research

The Performance Effects of Latent Factors on Assimilation of Commercial Open-Source ERP Software on Small-Medium Enterprises

This study tests a theoretical model developed to investigate the impact of assimilation of commercial open source enterprise resource planning software (COSES) in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the model explains how the top management team’s (TMT’s) information technology (IT) knowledge and experience impact both assimilation and firm performance. The hypotheses were tested using survey data from SMEs that have implemented COSES. Results from structural equation modeling suggest that SMEs benefit, through higher levels of assimilation and performance, from adopting innovative enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as COSES when they have a TMT that has experience with and is knowledgeable about technology. The study also highlights the importance of the TMT in facilitating IT assimilation

SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs

Virtual R & D teams in small and medium enterprises: A literature review

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the driving engine behind economic growth. While SMEs play a critical role in generating employment and supporting trade, they face numerous challenges, the prominent among them are the need to respond to fasting time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational problems. Towards that end, research and development (R & D) aspect deserves particular attention to promote and facilitate the operations of SMEs. Virtual R & D team could be a viable option. However, literature shows that virtual R & D teaming in SMEs is still at its infancy. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R & D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview on the structure and dynamics of R & D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the foundation and importance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R & D team and SMEs has been examined. It concludes with the identification of the gaps in the existing literature's and calls for future research. It is argued that setting-up an infrastructure for virtual R & D team in SMEs still requires a large amount of engineering efforts and deserves consideration at top level management.Virtual teams, small and medium enterprises, literature review

Virtual R&D teams in small and medium enterprises: a literature review

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the driving engine behind economic growth. While SMEs play a critical role in generating employment and supporting trade, they face numerous challenges, the prominent among them are the need to respond to fasting time-to-market, low-cost and rapid solutions to complex organizational problems. Towards that end, research and development (R & D) aspect deserves particular attention to promote and facilitate the operations of SMEs. Virtual R & D team could be a viable option. However, literature shows that virtual R & D teaming in SMEs is still at its infancy. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R & D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview on the structure and dynamics of R & D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the foundation and importance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R & D team and SMEs has been examined. It concludes with the identification of the gaps in the existing literature's and calls for future research. It is argued that setting-up an infrastructure for virtual R & D team in SMEs still requires a large amount of engineering efforts and deserves consideration at top level management

Effectiveness of HRD for developing SMEs in South Asia

Today South Asia is host to a large youth bulge which is entering the labor market every year posing challenging questions for the national governments in the context of employable skills, space for entrepreneurship, innovation and economic freedom. SME sector provides an opportunity for the young to exercise their ideas and ideals. However a prerequisite for the young to be innovate is the how countries produce and retain a high end human capital. This study provides a review of national socio-economic policies in South Asian region - which answer such challenges.human resource development, small and medium enterprises, economic growth, competitiveness

Corporate Entrepreneurship of Emerging Market Firms: current research and future directions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) of emerging market firms (EMFs) and provide direction for future research on the topic. Design/methodology/approach – The authors specifically review the recent literature between the years 2000 and 2019 on CE with the keywords “corporate entrepreneurship,” “emerging economies” and “emerging countries” published in the Australian Business Deans Council list journals. The authors review the existing literature about CE in emerging markets, summarize current achievements and present an agenda for future research. Findings – Based on the review, the authors categorized the macro and micro contexts of CE and summarized the current articles on CE in emerging markets within each macro and micro context. The authors conclude that despite the abundance of research on CE that investigates the three prongs of CE in terms of innovation, strategic renewal and new venturing in developed market contexts, there is a scarcity of literature that focuses on CE in emerging markets from a holistic perspective. Originality/value – While there is an abundance of literature review on CE in general in terms of the drivers of the construct, the contexts contributing to it and the outcomes, the reviews are lacking about CE specifically within the context of emerging markets. Emerging markets vary from developed markets institutionally, economically, culturally, socially and technologically. However, the questions of how these differences impact the CE activities, as it relates to innovation, venturing and strategic renewal in EMFs, and how these differences provide incentives or hinder the activities that contribute to CE remain mostly unanswered. This paper reviewed the research on CE and emerging market contexts from 2000 to present. It targets to provide a better understanding of the current achievement on this topic and what to be done in the future

SMEs; Virtual research and development (R&D) teams and new product development: A literature review

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are indeed the engines of global economic growth. Their continued growth is a major subject for the economy and employment of any country. Towards that end, virtual research and development (R&D) could be a viable option to sustain and ease the operations of SMEs. However, literature shows there has not been a great deal of research into the diverse characteristic of virtual R&D teams in SMEs. This article provides a comprehensive literature review on different aspects of virtual R&D teams collected from the reputed publications. The purpose of the literature review is to provide an outline on the structure and dynamics of R&D collaboration in SMEs. Specifying the rationale and relevance of virtual teams, the relationship between virtual R&D team for SMEs and new product development (NPD) has been examined. It concludes with identifying the gaps and feebleness in the existing literature and calls for future research in this area. It is argued to form of virtual R&D team deserves consideration at top level management for venturing into the new product development within SMEs.Virtual teams, small and medium enterprises, new product development, R&D

Constructs of Successful and Sustainable SME Leadership in East Africa

Despite the markedly increased foreign investment, East African economies remain characterized by low levels of investment and capital formation with high level of attrition amongst indigenous small and medium enterprises. While there is a high failure rate amongst these SMEs, some are beginning to turn the corner and are exhibiting signs of robustness, innovativeness and sustainability. Relying on narrative accounts of successful SMEs leaders in Kenya and Uganda obtained through interviews and focus group discussions, this study sought to construct an account of leadership practices and ascriptions of success for SMEs that had succeeded. The study identified eight leadership constructs characteristic of successful SME leaders in Kenya and Uganda grouped into visioning, building commitment, social capital, personal values, anticipation and resilience, resourcefulness, responsiveness, and entrepreneurial orientation. While these results, on the face value, are apparently not unique, it was in the nuances of the leadership practice that difference was made. In conclusion, the study highlights implications for these findings in relation to policy and leadership practice among SMEs

Empowering Small Enterprises by Driving Value and Flow Through Systemic Strategic Planning: An exploratory study into the strategic planning of Small Enterprises in the Canadian Provinces of Ontario and Quebec

The journey takes us at the heart of strategic planning in small enterprises (SEs). We explore the role of strategy and business models in SEs and how the two are adopted by SE managers, the level of involvement of their employees, and the outcomes on the enterprise. In the increasingly fast-paced and highly competitive business landscape systemic strategic planning provides small enterprises (SEs) with valuable opportunities to understand and thoroughly examine their enterprises’ internal and external environments, and identify ways to enhance the likelihood of steering the company towards a preferred future. In this in situ research initiative, which focuses on enterprises in the Provinces of Ontario and Quebec, we seek primarily to gather a better understanding of small enterprise managers’ views on strategic planning. Secondly, we explore tools, techniques, and practices used. Thirdly, we explore the growing trend of business modeling and how it is welcomed by SEs. Our research team has uncovered a limited use or absence of systemic strategic planning amongst SEs. As a result, many SE managers have a preconceived notion that strategic planning is not for them and thus, at a cost, turn their attention to what is inherently most intuitive to them: operational planning. SE managers often focus on an isolated aspect of the process, such as sales or financial performance, rather than the integrated process, and thus fail to close the loop. Our research findings have identified a combination of key factors that impact the adoption of strategic planning. To that affect, several recommendations are proposed to the stackeholders as means of increasing the systemic adoption of strategic planning in SEs