The development of a framework on information behaviour of SME managers when adopting emerging ICTs

A thesis submitted to the University of Bedfordshire in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy.Uncertainty and complexity related to emerging ICTs and unpredictable technology changes have put pressure on firms’ knowledge to gather, seek and scan the environment for information during their emerging ICT adoption decision-making process. Furthermore, unstable environment, changing government policy on information technology has contributed to, as well. Also, emerging ICTs have unlocked different and new opportunities and challenges for small businesses as well as open them to uncertainties and risks and their larger counterparts as well. As a result, information becomes significant during adoption decision-making process when adopting emerging ICTs, especially in SMEs because of limited resources. Even with the broad research and literature on adoption decision in SMEs, there is still limited research related to the information behaviours of SME owners when adopting emerging ICTs and factors that influence their information behaviours regarding information sources selection during this process. Therefore, the aim of this research is to explore the information behaviour of SME owners during the adoption decisions when adopting emerging ICTs. To advance our understanding in information behaviour when adopting emerging ICTs and show how SME managers can reduce uncertainty related to emerging ICT. This study is interpretive qualitative research, and semi-structured and unstructured face-toface interviews were conducted with twenty SME owners from UK service sector to achieve the objectives of this study. The interviews were recorded with the permission of the participants and the recordings were transcribed. Myers and Newman’s (2007) guidelines for qualitative interview research were used as a guide for the interview process and triangulation methods for the research rigour and quality. Nvivo 10 is used for data analysis. The results demonstrated the importance of information and seeking information on the emerging ICT during adoption decision-making. This study contributes to the development of knowledge and practice in numerous ways. The study proposed a conceptual framework that shows information behaviours of SME owners during emerging ICTs adoption using TOE model as a theoretical underpinning and the framework was validated using triangulation methods. The research findings also explained the contexts of technology, organisation, and environment as information behaviour trigger and perceived information needs during the adoption decision-making process in SMEs. This research contributes to the improvement of SME managers’ information needs, information seeking behaviours; and their information sources were explored; factors that influence their information behaviours were identified through empirical data using technology organisation environment model as theoretical underpinning. and the framework was validated using triangulation methods. The research findings also explained the contexts of technology, organisation, and environment as information behaviour trigger and perceived information needs during the adoption decision-making process in SMEs. This research contributes to the improvement of knowledge and practical at different stages. Theoretically, the study has taken academic research forward in the research area of information behaviour and ICTs adoption in SME in service industry using TOE model as theoretical underpinning. SMEs could use the practical contribution of the research result in the service industry in the UK, and any SMEs which are based in a related economy and environment, to have better information about emerging ICTs during adoption decision-making process. These findings gave further insight into IT adoption in SMEs through information behaviours and highlighted the significant of sources of information and pre-information gathering, and the factors that influence information sources such as herd event, information usefulness, and perceived information sources credibility during the decision-making for adopting emerging ICT

A framework on information behaviour of SME managers for decision-making on emerging ICTs

The aim of this study is to explore the perceived information needs and information behaviours of manager of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As technology advancement and innovation are changing rapidly affecting organisations in different ways, organization executives are introducing new technologies for their operations and business environment becomes more complex and dynamic, government introducing different policies to guide the use of these emerging ICTs. As a result, information becomes significant during adoption decision-making process for SME managers to make an inform decision. To achieve this aim, a framework is developed based on existing literature, using the technology organization environmental (TOE) model as the theoretical underpinning for empirical investigation on information behaviour of SME managers in this study. This study is qualitative in nature, and semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted with twenty SME managers in the UK service sector. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. Following Myers and Newman’s (2007) guidelines for qualitative interview and triangulation method were used to validate the conceptual framework and established the research rigour and quality. The research findings explained information behaviours of SME managers in the contexts of technology organisation environment as information behaviour triggered and perceived information needs during the adoption decision in SMEs. These findings provide further insight into ICT adoption in SMEs through information behaviours and highlighted the significant of sources of information and pre-information needed during the decision-making process. The research also contributes to theory in the information systems field by using relevant literature from information science field to explore information behaviours of SME managers. Future research can be done in other sectors of the economy to show more holistic behaviours of SME managers

REVISITING ICT ADOPTION THEORIES AND CHARTING A PROGRESSIVE PATH FOR FUTURE ICT ADOPTION RESEARCH IN SMES

This paper attempts to develop an integrated framework that aims to challenge researchers on a progressive path for future ICT adoption research especially in SMEs. The paper accessed major databases of a number of top IS journals in the field and reviews previous theories used to study ICT adoption, examine the progress made so far, and the limitations of these theories in an attempt to develop a framework, that aims to challenge researchers and aid further contributions in this IS field. The study developed a framework informed by three theories; Structuration theory (ST), Actors Network Theory (ANT) and Adaptive Structuration theory (AST) and argues that using such integrated theory to examine the process of ICT adoption will help to unveil the recursive nature, entities involved and the kind of research approach that may be applied. Hence, for research in this area to be progressive, entities in the framework must be considered amidst other influence. The framework also suggests adoption of ICT will be embraced faster by organizations especially small businesses if the entities involved are committed in conveying the right information thereby supporting SMEs in making adequate decisions. This work provides further insight into ICT adoption framework that may advance future research in the field of ICT adoption, assist SMEs in adopting and implementing ICT overtime. This is relevant given that the complexities associated with the adoption of ICT is becoming worrisome and SMEs have limited knowledge on issues relating to emerging ICTs. The framework may motivate SMEs in understanding diverse actors, factors and social structures affecting ICT adoption better and how to cope with them. The framework serves as an analytical instrument in explaining ICT adoption process and its outcomes characterized by conflicting views

Key success factors influencing SME managers’ information behaviour on emerging ICT (EICT) adoption decision-making in UK SMEs

Purpose – While a substantial number of studies have examined information behaviour, most centred on choice of information source, student information behaviour, information behaviour of women, environmental uncertainty and scanning behaviour of top-level hotel executives. However, little is known about how the small and medium enterprise (SME) managers scan, seek, gather, document and use information relevant for emerging information and communication technology (EICT) adoption decision-making. This paper aims to examine the key success factors influencing SME manager’s information behaviour on EICT adoption decision-making. Design/methodology/approach – This study deploys a qualitative approach to exploring 16 key success factors shaping SME managers’ information behaviour on EICT adoption decision-making. More specifically, the study adopted both unstructured and semi-structured interviews with 20 small business managers drawn purposeful from Crunch Database. Findings – This study develops an extended technology, organisation and environment framework by incorporating the information context which helped to unravel 16 key success factors influencing small business managers’ information behaviour on EICT. From the technology context, uncertainty driven, compatibility, replacement of legacy technology, relative advantages, lack of technical know-how and perceived affordability fit for purpose influence SME managers’ information behaviour. Users’ acceptance information, efficiency driven, owner’s support shape the organisation context of perceived information need; competitor’s intelligence gathering, customer’s information gathering provider credibility and government policy influence the environmental context of perceived information need; and finally, perceived information sources credibility, herding event, testimonial and openness to other people’s ideas and experiences are shaped by the information context. Research limitations/implications – Qualitative research is normally subjective, interpretive and limited on the sample used. Because of the limited number of interviews, the generalisation of the framework and the finding is difficult. Therefore, the finding and the framework need to be established across broader population. The findings are vital considering the fact that small business managers are limited in knowledge and the study may improve the way and manner they go about seeking and gathering information relevant in adopting new ICT

Determinants of perceived information need for emerging ICT adoption: A study of UK small service businesses

Purpose – Most studies in information behaviour have focussed on information behaviour aspects such as environmental uncertainty, scanning behaviour of top management executives, student and women information behaviour, information source and credibility, while little is known about the information behaviour of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) when the need for emerging information and communication technology (EICT) adoption decision-making arises. This paper, therefore, aims to explore the major determinants of AQ: 1 perceived information need for EICT adoption by UK small service-oriented businesses. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopted qualitative method to explore 13 key determinants of SME managers’ information behaviour for EICT adoption decision-making by using both unstructured and semi-structured interviews at two different stages with 20 participants drawn purposeful from Luton directories. Findings – The study developed an extended technology, organisation and environment (TOE) framework by identifying and incorporating the information context which helped to unveil 13 key determinants of perceived information need and their impact on EICT adoption decision-making in SMEs. This further provided insight into understanding SMEs’ information behaviour. While the determinants associated with TOE and information contexts influence SMEs’ perceived information need for EICT adoption, the extent at which these four constructs shape SMEs’ perceived information need for EICT adoption decision-making differs. Research limitations/implications – The limitation of this study emerged because of the use of qualitative methodologies in relation to the research design, rigour in the collection and management of the large volume of the raw data, the data analysis and the credibility of the findings. This may lead to unforeseen respondent – and research – bias in the data analysis, which may lead to limited understanding of alternatives and insights into the key determinants of perceived information need for EICT adoption decision. Hence, other measures and approaches such as case study and mix-method could be deployed to further validate the findings. Also, one of the limitations of qualitative study has been the issue of theoretical generalizability of the framework. The generalizability of the formwork needs to be established across a wider range of population. Future studies may apply a confirmatory statistical techniques to test and ascertain the validity J_ID: BL ART NO: 10.1108/BL-01-2019-0059 Date: 25-April-19 Page: 1 Total Pages: 26 4/Color Figure(s) ARTTYPE="ResearchArticle" ID: sameer.jadhav Time: 21:27 I Path: //mbnas01.cadmus.com/home$/Sameer.Jadhav$/EM-BLJJ190009 Information need Received 24 January 2019 Revised 15 March 2019 Accepted 3 April 2019 The Bottom Line © Emerald Publishing Limited 0888-045X DOI 10.1108/BL-01-2019-0059 The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: www.emeraldinsight.com/0888-045X.htm and reliability of the framework across a wider population. Such studies may be used as a benchmark for the theoretical constructs and the factors that may lead to success or failure of mobile marketing technology adoption. Originality/value – The study has further enriched TOE framework and provided an analytical dimension for exploring key determinants of SMEs’ perceived information need for EICT adoption decisionmaking. It also demonstrates the capacity to provide a reliable explanation of the determinants and serves as a tool for evaluating the benefits or challenges of SMEs’ information behaviours when the need for EICT adoption arises

Children who have received no routine polio vaccines in Nigeria : who are they and where do they live?

Nigeria has made remarkable progress against polio, but 2 wild polio virus cases were reported in August 2016; putting an end to 2 y without reported cases. We examined the extent of geographical disparities in childhren not vaccinated against polio and examined individual- and community-level predictors of non-vaccination in Nigeria. We applied multilevel logistic regression models to the recent Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey. The percentage of children not routinely vaccinated against polio in Nigeria varied greatly and clustered geographically, mainly in north-eastern states, with a great risk of spread of transmission within these states and potential exportation to neighboring states and countries. Only about one-third had received all recommended 4 routine oral polio vaccine doses. Non-vaccinated children tended to have a mother who had no formal education and who was currently not working, live in poorer households and were from neighborhoods with higher maternal illiteracy rates