Mobile apps usage and dynamic capabilities: A structural equation model of SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria.

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Significant knowledge exists regarding the application of dynamic capability (DC) frameworks in large firms, but their impact on smaller organisations is yet to be fully researched. This study surveyed 1162 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos in an effort to understand how SMEs in developing country contexts use mobile apps to enhance their businesses through DCs. Through the use of the covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) technique, the study explored the fitness of a conceptual formative model for SMEs. The model assembled 7 latent variables namely: mobile app usage, adaptive capability, absorptive capability, innovative capability, opportunity sensing ability, opportunity shaping ability and opportunity seizing ability. Subsequently, 15 hypotheses aimed at testing the relationships between the latent variables were developed and tested. The findings revealed that mobile app usage increases the adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities of SMEs. Absorptive capabilities help SMEs to maximise opportunities, while innovative capabilities negatively influence SMEs’ tendency to maximise opportunities. The results failed to establish a direct relationship between mobile app usage and SMEs’ ability to maximise opportunities. The research outcomes indicate that SMEs in Lagos respond to opportunities innovatively but they seldom exhibit innovation in order to create opportunities. The heterogeneous nature of SMEs complicates any clear-cut narrative as to how SMEs in Lagos should employ mobile apps to create and maximise opportunities. However, mobile apps could induce innovation and, as such, impact significantly when developed and applied to the contextual requirements of SMEs. The research revealed the untapped potential of SMEs’ mobile app usage in Lagos

What is digital transformation? Investigating the metaphorical meaning of digital transformation and why it matters

open access articlePurpose: This study used a visual research approach to investigate how small business (SB) entrepreneurs in Nigeria, a low-income country, perceive digital transformation (DT). The study aims to improve and broaden the understanding of DT by uncovering its metaphors. Making metaphorical sense of DT will increase its knowledge among populations who are unfamiliar with digital technology concepts, as well as communicating and collaborating with them to develop future research and strategies on the subject of DT. This study is significant because scholars have paid little attention to social imaginations of DT depicted through metaphors, more so when considered from a worldview of SBs in low-income countries. Design/methodology/approach: The uniqueness of the research objective motivated the use of social theory to frame the research approach, and picture-elicitation techniques to drive data collection through in-depth interviews with 17 SB entrepreneurs and business owners in Nigeria. Data were analyzed using a content analysis procedure known as metaphor analysis. Findings: The study revealed three metaphors of DT: a drama, a war and a pregnant elephant. A triangulation of the metaphors with English lexicon, extant literature and interview excerpts supported the war and drama perceptions of DT but opposed “DT as a pregnant elephant.” Practical implications: It argued that the social perception of DT can improve the sustainable, purposeful and successful execution of DT strategies for SB DT. As a result, this study pushes the boundaries of DT, particularly for SB entrepreneurs in low-income countries. Social implications: Metaphors pervade our daily lives, not only in our language and communications, but also in how we think and act; as such, they can play an important role in understanding and implementing DT, a concept that has received little attention in the SB settings. Originality/value: This is one of the first empirical studies to figuratively explain DT and its implications for literature and practice in SB entrepreneurship and information systems domains

The use of mobile apps to enhance SMEs in conditions of uncertainty: A case study from Lagos, Nigeria

While many cities are beginning to experience mass discontent from tough and declining economies, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos continue to survive despite existing mass discontent brought about by corruption, economic recessions, poor infrastructure, unemployment, poverty, and insurgency in Nigeria. This paper develops a conceptual model to make sense of how SMEs in Lagos use mobile apps as a means of survival in conditions of uncertainty. Underpinned by pragmatic philosophy, the paper draws on the theory of dynamic capabilities (DC) to develop the conceptual model. Whereas the theory of DC asserts that business could compete favourably despite unpredictable business environments through continuous sensing and seizing of opportunities, it also suggests that constructs for measuring DCs vary across contexts. The study adopted a qualitative approach to identify the absorptive, adaptive, and innovative capabilities used by SMEs in Lagos with a view to identifying the role of mobile apps. The key findings suggest that SMEs in Lagos manifest a higher degree of adaptive capabilities compared with their absorptive and innovative capabilities. Specifically, the SMEs are primarily information seekers with a flexible approach to opportunity seeking. The SMEs leverage on adaptive capabilities mainly through customer feedback and referrals, and manifest absorptive capabilities through repackaging and repricing of their offerings. The findings further reveal how SMEs primarily satisfice, and that there is a gap for better contextually appropriate apps that meet the needs of these SMEs. The paper makes a contribution to DC theory in identifying capabilities in conditions of uncertainty in an African and developing context

Enhancing small business through mobile apps: a case study from Lagos, Nigeria

This thesis draws on the framework of dynamic capability (DC) in an effort to make sense of how small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) use mobile apps in Lagos, Nigeria. There exists significant knowledge regarding the application of the DC framework in large firms but its application in smaller organisations has scarcely been researched. The knowledge of how SMEs use mobile apps is important at this time because it could help these SMEs compete favourably, despite unpredictable environments. Based on pragmatic philosophy and a mixed-methods research approach, the research was conducted in two phases. The first phase of the research used qualitative methods to identify the absorptive, adaptive and innovative capabilities of SMEs in Lagos with a view to discover the extent to which mobile apps are used as enablers and/or drivers of these capabilities. The findings from 20 SMEs identified 15 DC constructs whose impact on SMEs could be enhanced using appropriated mobile apps. The SMEs manifest adaptive capabilities, mainly through using appropriated mobile apps. The SMEs manifest adaptive capabilities, mainly through customer feedback and referrals, and demonstrate absorptive capabilities through the repackaging and repricing of their goods and/or service offerings. The innovative capabilities of SMEs became evident through the imitation and adaptation of offerings. The second phase of this research surveyed 1 162 SMEs in Lagos in an effort to validate the identified constructs through quantitative methods. Descriptive statistics of survey responses affirm the use of mobile apps by SMEs and it also indicated the underutilisation of mobile apps as a DC enabler. Further analysis, using covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) techniques and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), explored the fitness of a conceptual SME model. The model assembled seven latent variables namely: mobile app usage, adaptive capability, absorptive capability, innovative capability, opportunity sensing ability, opportunity shaping ability and opportunity seizing ability. Subsequently, 15 hypotheses aimed at understanding the relationships between the variables were developed. The findings from the quantitative analysis revealed that mobile app usage increases the adaptive, absorptive and innovative capabilities of SMEs. The results failed to establish a direct relationship between mobile app usage and opportunity sensing, shaping and seizing abilities. Furthermore, the use of the adaptive capability in taking advantage of opportunities could not be generalised in SMEs’ context. The research findings imply the existence of an untapped potential as far as the use of mobile apps by SMEs in Lagos is concerned. The findings suggest that SMEs in Lagos respond to opportunities by becoming innovative and they seldom exhibit innovation in order to create opportunities. Based on the heterogeneous nature of SMEs, it is difficult to suggest a clear-cut narrative as to how all SMEs should employ mobile apps to create and maximise opportunities. However, mobile apps could induce creativity when developed and applied to the contextual requirements of SMEs. The outcome of this research reflects a multidisciplined research experience. The study contributed to IS through the creation of a model for investigating mobile app usage by organisations from a DC perspective. The conceptual model designed in this study could be adapted to investigate the way in which mobile app usage influences organisations in other contexts. The study contributed to the area of Information Systems by revealing the application of the DC framework to SMEs in contrast to the usual practice of researching DC with large organisations in mind. This research work suggests implicit ways of enhancing SMEs which could aid policy makers. This study was limited in that it gathered data from SMEs in Lagos alone as Lagos represents the commercial centre of Nigeria. Considerations for future research include the comparison of DC of large and small organisations in Lagos to examine if similarities and/or contrasts exist. Furthermore, due to the evasive and heterogeneous nature of SMEs, it would be beneficial to delimit future research on SMEs along specific domains of interest.Iqoqa Lolu cwaningo lususelwa ohlakeni lokuthiwa ngamandla aphilayo (dynamic capability [DC]) emzameni wokuba umuntu aqonde ukuthi amabhizinisi amancane namaphakathi (ama-SME) awasebenzisa kanjani ama-apps ahanjiswayo eLagos, eNigeria. Lolu lwazi lubalulekile ngoba lungasiza la mabhizinisi ukuba ancintisane namanye ngokunempumelelo, noma izimo akuzo wona zingaqondakali kahle. Ucwaningo lwenziwa ngezigaba ezimbili. Isigaba sokuqala sahlonza ama-DC ama-SMSE eLagos, ngenhloso yokuthola ukuthi ngabe ama-apps ahanjiswayo asetshenziswa kangakanani ukukhuthaza kanye/noma ukuqhubela phambili la mandla aphilayo. Okwatholakala kuma-SME angama-20 kwaba ukuhlonzwa kwezinhlelo zama-DC ithonya lazo kuma-SME elalingase liphakame ngokusebenzisa ama-apps ahanjiswayo afanele. Ama-SME afakazela ama-DC ikakhulu ngokushiwo ngamakhasimende nalabo abathintiwe, nokuba kubonakale ngokuba impahla ekhishwayo ipakishwe kabusha, ifakelwe intengo entsha, noma kube yimpahla engukulingisa eyokuqala noma ilungiswe ifane neyokuqala. Ibanga lesibili lalolu cwaningo lwahlola ama-SME ayi-1 162 eLagos ukuzama ukuqinisekisa ngezinga lezinhlaka ezihlonziweyo. Izimpendulo ezavezwa ucwaningo zakwesekela ukusetshenziswa ngama-SME kwama-apps ahanjiswayo, zakhomba nokuthi awasetshenziswa ngokugcwele ama-apps ahanjiswayo njengokunika i-DC amandla. Okunye ukuhlaziya kwakhombiisa ukuthi ukusebenzisa ama-apps ahanjiswayo kwakungasiza ama-SME ngokwandisa amathuba awo. Nokho phela ukusebenzisa amathuba avelayo kwakungeke kwenzeke yonke indawo kuma-SME. Okuvezwa ucwaningo kukhombisa ukuthi kukhona ukusizakala okukhulu okungakafinyelelwa kukho mayelana nokusetshenziswa ngama-SME kwama-apps ahanjiswayo eLagos. Ucwaningo luphonsa itshe esivivaneni enkundleni yezinhlelo zokusebenza ngezolwazi ngokwembula ukusetshenziswa kohlaka lwe-DC kuma-SME uma kuqhathaniswa ngokuphambene nalokhu, okungukucwaninga okwejwayelekile nge-DC ezinhlanganweni ezinkulu. Lolu cwaningo luveza izindlela ezingekho obala zokuthuthukisa ama-SME, okungaba usizo kulabo ababhekene nokusungula imigomo yezwe.School of ComputingPh. D. (Information Systems

Maximising opportunities using mobile apps: an exploratory factor analysis of service sector micro and small enterprises in Nigeria

With the fourth Industrial Revolution highlighting the increased importance of the service sector, this research sought to understand how mobile apps influence the dynamic capabilities of service sector micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Lagos, Nigeria. The study analysed data from 388 service sector MSEs in Lagos, using exploratory factor analysis. Five factors were extracted through the maximum likelihood extraction method: mobile app usage, absorptive capability, opportunity-sensing ability, opportunity-shaping ability and opportunity-seizing ability. The resultant model suggests that mobile app usage barely increases the absorptive capability of MSEs; rather, mobile app usage strongly influences the ability to seize opportunities. In addition, absorptive capability has a strong impact on the ability to shape opportunities. The result implies that mobile app usage by service sector MSEs in Lagos deviates from the conventional views on the micro-foundations of the dynamic capability framework, which argues that sensed opportunities are first analysed (shaped) before deploying resources towards their maximisation. These findings suggest that the service sector MSEs in Lagos seldom scrutinise opportunities before deploying resources to seize them. This study contributes to information system (IS) knowledge by revealing a contextual model for investigating the use of mobile apps in service sector MSEs. It also extends IS literature on how mobile apps help MSEs to exploit business opportunities in Lagos, Nigeria. These findings can probably be generalised to other developing countries

What did we do Right? Reflections on Web-programming Labs and Students’ Engagement During COVID-19 Pandemic

The file attached to this record is the the Publisher's final version. Open access journalThis paper documents my personal reflections on how web programming lab module was adapted to online learning and asynchronous delivery

Rethinking methods and ethics of small business research in Africa

This study presents practical guides on how to traverse the suspicion and resentments researchers deal with when conducting research on small businesses in Africa. This draws from ongoing research in Nigeria that is interacting with about 200 small businesses to make sense of small business digital transformation during COVID-19, and in low-income country settings. Findings suggest that traditional research methods and ethics are no longer suited for contemporary research. Researchers should communicate simplicity and evidence value in a way that is clearly understood by small business owners/managers. Small business research is pivotal to solving perennial low-income country problems such as unemployment, insecurity, poverty, and hunger. Rethinking methods and ethics of small business research could enhance the validity, reliability, and impacts of contemporary research

Employment 5.0: the work of the future and the future of work

Additional research group involved: Centre for Computing and Social Responsibility open access articleThis systematic review brings together the collection of recent scholarly outputs on the disruptive impact of digital transformation on the work. This paper draws from a sample of 68 outputs from 2011 to 2022. We identify three key theoretical perspectives: socio-technical systems theory, skill-biased technological change, and political economy of digital transformation. The articles provide complementary insights on cross-cutting themes of technological unemployment, wage inequality and job polarisation. They also highlight often conflicting views about technology ownership, work-less utopia, education reforms and the imperative of human-centricity in appropriation of technology. Drawing on the findings across the whole spectrum of theoretical and analytical perspectives, we offer critical reflections about the factors that will define the work of the future, in terms of skills, creativity and opportunities for autonomous workers. We also discuss the political and institutional processes that will shape the future of work. Finally, we offer recommendations for future research and policy interventions

Digital transformation in the financial service sector: implications for sustainable development in Nigeria

Digital transformation is a novel and frequently misinterpreted phenomenon. Several institutions, companies, customers, and regulators in the financial services sector are currently grappling with digital transformation, especially with the advent of financial technologies (Fintech). In recent times, the upsurge in the application of Fintech has had a tremendous impact on how financial services are provided to society. Yet, there exists a gap in the literature as to the actual meaning and nature of digital transformation in this sector. In this study, data from semi-structured and unstructured interviews with experts and practitioners in the financial services sector in Nigeria will be qualitatively synthesized to inductively build a theoretical framework and model for digital transformation. From the model and framework, an expanded knowledge on the digital transformation of the financial services sector in Nigeria will be derived. The insight will succinctly make sense of factors that drive digital transformation, capabilities that are digitally transformed, and processes of transformation, including tangible and intangible impacts resulting from the transformation. Furthermore, the implications of the digital transformation of financial services will be evaluated in terms of how sustainable development is framed and understood in Nigeria. Researchers can apply the framework to structure their work and have a clearer picture of digital transformation’s extensive scope and impacts or replicate the study in other contexts or industries to decipher its applicability. In addition, regulators, and practitioners (e.g., banks, insurance, and Fintech companies) may also apply the model to formulate policies and refine their products/services respectively

Toward Improved Data Quality in Public Health: Analysis of Anomaly Detection Tools applied to HIV/AIDS Data in Africa

The study examined the data quality efficiency of the WHO Data QualityReview (DQR) toolkit and PyCaret anomaly detection algorithms. The tools were applied to the African HIV/AIDS data (2015-2021) extracted from a public data repository (data.pepfar.gov). The research outcome suggests that unsupervised anomaly detection algorithms could complement the efficiency of the WHO DQRtoolkit and improve Data Quality Assessment (DQA). In particular, the study showed that anomaly detection algorithms through python programming provide a more straightforward and more reliable process for detecting data inconsistencies, incompleteness, and timeliness and appears more accurate than the WHO tool. Consequently, the study contributed to ongoing debates on improving health data quality in low-income African countrie