IT Adoption in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: The Role of Knowledge Acquisition

The knowledge-based view of the firm has motivated a rich stream of research on how social factors impact knowledge acquisition by firms. More recently, information systems research has seen an increasing interest in the effect of social influences on software assimilation. This paper combines these two streams to examine the impact of social influences on software assimilation within the firm, using knowledge acquisition as a mediating variable. A square structural equation model using formative constructs is developed. In this study of small and medium firms, we investigate the assimilation of three different software systems that support manufacturing. Data has been collected and is currently being analyzed. Results would be discussed at the conference

Understanding the future of global software production : Investigating the network in India

The software industry in India that mostly exports information technology (IT) services has emerged in the last decade as an important constituent of the world software industry. The industry is organized into MNC networks, whose structural, relational, and territorial dimensions has been investigated. The quasi-disintegration and internationalization of MNC production activities, the commodification of services, the availability of highly skilled low cost personnel, and Indian IT services firms link with MNCs have aided in the emergence of IT services industry in India. The research elucidates that MNCs are key drivers in this complex and interdependent network that involve important Indian firms. This is the first study to investigate the Indian IT services industry in the context of global software production network.The past and the future of information systems: 1976-2006 and beyondRed de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Current Status of Technology Adoption: Micro, Small and Medium Manufacturing Firms in Boston

Examining the extent and nature of adoption of technologies by micro, small, and medium-sized manufacturing firms in the greater Boston area

IT Outsourcing Adoption by Small and Medium Enterprises: A Diffusion of Innovation Approach

The study investigates factors contributing to the adoption of IT services outsourcing (ITO) by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in western countries. The focus is on the process of diffusion and adoption of ITO as a management innovation. The paper is written from the perspective of ITO vendors from developing countries and seeks to identify steps that will help these vendors sell ITO services to SMEs in first world countries. The model is motivated by two research streams: diffusion of innovation theory and institutional theory. The model posits that vendors should exploit the fit among three factors (as it is this fit that determines the adoption rate of ITO services): (1) innovation profile, including features such as relative advantage and complexity of service offered; (2) innovator profile, including features such as prestige level of the firm, educational level, and firm size; and (3) field-level characteristics such as intensity of competition, density of inter-firm connections, service professionalization, knowledge codification in the field, and effort level by intermediaries in promoting legitimacy of ITO

Managing Information Technology for Service Quality: A Study from the Other Side

System quality, information quality, user IS characteristics, employee IS performance and technical support are identified as important elements that influence service quality. A model interrelating these constructs is proposed. Data collected through a national survey of IS departments in electric utility firms was used to test the model using regression and path analysis methodology. The results suggest that system quality, information quality, user IS characteristics through their effects on employee IS performance influence service quality while technical support influences service quality directly. The results also suggest that employee IS performance contributes more to service quality as compared to technical support. Implications of this research for IS theory and practice are discussed