Small Business Strategies for Information Technology Implementation in Developing Countries

Leaders of small businesses need dynamic capabilities created through careful implementation of information technologies (ITs) to enhance efficiency, performance, and output. The purpose of this multicase study was to explore strategies leaders of small businesses used in developing countries to implement ITs for improved business performance. The framework for this study was the technology, organization, and environment model. The sample population consisted of 10 leaders of small businesses located in the Accra region of Ghana. The study participants had at least 5 years of experience working with small businesses that implemented IT. Data were collected from semistructured interviews and review of companies\u27 strategic and project plans. The data analysis process included methodological triangulation, coding, the identification and congregation of themes, and the interpretation of inferences. Five themes emerged: top management support for IT implementation, investment in appropriate IT infrastructures, engaging in appropriate IT knowledge and skills training, creating an organizational culture of IT acceptance, and embracing legal and regulatory frameworks for IT. Findings from this study might assist leaders of small businesses in gaining insights into key IT strategies required for improving small business survivability. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to facilitate employment generation and reduce poverty in developing countries by improving small business performance

Modernization of Legacy Information Technology Systems

Large enterprises spend a large portion of their Information Technology (IT) budget on maintaining their legacy systems. Legacy systems modernization projects are a catalyst for IT architects to save cost, provide new and efficient systems that increase profitability, and create value for their organization. Grounded in sociotechnical systems theory, the purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore strategies IT architects use to modernize their legacy systems. The population included IT architects in large enterprises involved in legacy systems modernization projects, one in healthcare, and one in the financial services industry in the San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas metropolitan area in the United States. The data collection included interviews with eight IT architects, reviewing 12 organizational documents and pertinent artifacts. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Prominent themes included collaboration in modernization projects, systems and process documentation, and resources upskilling and technical training. A key recommendation is for IT architects in large enterprises to ensure that team collaboration, system documentation, and resource technical training are built into all aspects of the legacy systems modernization projects. The implications for positive social change include the potential to bring together individuals with diverse backgrounds and different perspectives and skills to develop trust and build positive relationships during legacy systems modernization projects