One size does not fit all:Website Content of Australian Community Based Organisations

Community based organisations (CBOs) are non-profit, non-government organization which serve a local community’s needs. CBOs resemble non-profit small businesses in many ways. However, their special service characteristics and looser support structures make them a group to categorise separately for the purposes of this study. The issues facing CBOs and their development of web sites can differ from those of typical small businesses. There is little research available on the use of websites by CBOs and even less in relation to the content of their websites. This project reports on the analysis of the content of websites of three categories of CBOs. It is known that a similar set of barriers to the successful use of information technologies (and the Internet) as those facing small businesses can be identified for CBOs. Reporting on a study of the websites of 45 CBOs, this paper reflects on the differences between the website content of CBOs and small businesses and classifies the content of their websites according to four areas: identification and image; promotion and contract; relationship enhancement and transactional interactivity. Whilst a number of differences were discovered between the types of website features adopted by different categories of CBOs, the differences are not as stark when CBOs of the same category are compared

Blending Audience Response Systems into an Information Systems Professional Course

Many higher education institutions are moving towards blended learning environments that seek to move towards a student-centred ethos, where students are stakeholders in the learning process. This often involves multi-modal learner-support technologies capable of operating in a range of time and place settings. This article considers the impact of an Audience Response System (ARS) upon the ongoing development of an Information Systems Professional course at the Masters level in the College of Business at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. The course allows students to consider ethical issues faced by an Information Systems Professional. Given the sensitivity of some of the topics explored within this area, an ARS offers an ideal vehicle for allowing students to respond to potentially contentious questions without revealing their identity to the rest of the group. The paper reports the findings of a pilot scheme designed to explore the efficacy of the technology. Use of a blended learning framework to frame the discussion allowed the authors to consider the readiness of institution, lecturers, and students to use ARS. From a usage viewpoint, multiple choice questions lead to further discussion of student responses related to important issues in the unit. From an impact viewpoint the use of ARS in the class appeared to be successful, but some limitations were reported

Factors Influencing Knowledge Protection Strategies in Small Businesses

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are major contributors to economies. SMEs depend on upon knowledge sharing and collaboration with business partners and suppliers, which makes the protection of their knowledge (known as knowledge protection or ‘KP’) critical. KP assists an organisation to sustain competitive advantage, as well as protect organisational knowledge from leakage outside the business. However, specific KP strategies are often not considered in SMEs as the tools required are often costly and difficult for SMEs to use. This study develops a theoretical framework to identify the factors that influence the use of KP strategies by SMEs and the roles that information and communications technologies play in these strategies. The study will examine the extent that SMEs adopt KP strategies; the strategies they use to protect their knowledge, the role of ICTs in KP strategies and, most importantly, the factors that influence the adoption of KP strategies

Digital responses by small businesses during COVID-19: the role of entrepreneurial success factors

Small businesses’ revenues worldwide were affected drastically when governments introduced lockdowns to mitigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. As a response, many small businesses introduced digital technology initiatives. This article examines digital responses introduced by 68 small businesses that have been sourced from Google News. The news stories were analysed according to how small businesses behaved across different phases of their pandemic response (initial impact, digital response and evaluation of the response). The results, which used entrepreneurial success factors as an analytical lens, suggested that success factors were front of mind for small business owners throughout all phases of their responses. These involved traditional measures of financial success (such as measures of turnover or profit) and owner/managers’ personally oriented measures (such as wanting to assist the local community and taking care of employees and customers during the pandemic). The paper proposes new entrepreneurial success measures

Understanding ICT strategy of women small business owners in developing countries: Linking social media use, business strategy and well-being

Micro and small businesses (1-20 employees) comprises more than 70-95% of all business globally, provide important contributions to social and economic development and have been at the forefront of job creation (OECD, 2017). The use of mobile internet technology such as social media by small businesses has been receiving much attention, particularly for its potential in reaching wider customer base. The research aims to explore the use of social media by women small business owners in relation to business strategies and objectives from human development perspective. In doing so, we are guided by the interrelating concept of personal value, business strategy and well-being perceptions. This paper reports a preliminary result of the study based on three interviews with women small business owners. The findings show social media strategy are directed towards fulfilling business objective and at the same time achieving valued goals around family commitments and other social well-being

An Innovation Diffusion Approach to Examining the Adoption of Social Media by Small Businesses: an Australian Case Study

Whilst many studies have examined social media use from a consumer perspective, relatively few have examined its use by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), a group for whom it is becoming increasingly important. This study aims to provide a deeper understanding of an under-researched area, the experience of SMEs during the process of adopting social media, by identifying the factors that influence SMEs to either adopt social media or not and, if they adopt it, how they use it and evaluate its usefulness. The study involves analysis of in-depth interviews with 42 Australian businesses. Roger’s innovation decision process is used in an innovative manner to classify SMEs into five key stages of adoption of social media and identify the factors that influence the progression of SMEs across the various stages of adoption. The results show that the story of social media use is richer than just whether SMEs adopt it or not. Most participants used Facebook, suggesting it has become the de facto platform of choice to engage with social media. However, opinions of its perceived usefulness for SMEs varied widely across users. There was confusion surrounding the role of Twitter, its value, and concern about the amount of time needed to use it. YouTube was used by some SMEs to showcase their products or services. The study contributes to the literature by identifying key facilitators which appear critical to the decision by SMEs to continue use of social media – namely increased sales; brand development and a feeling of pressure that they ‘have to be there’. It also identifies some inhibitors to sustained use by SMEs, typically a lack of compatibility to industry sector; insufficient followership; and limited return on investment compared to effort required. Finally, the study shows how SMEs differentiate between social media platforms. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol9/iss3/2

The nature of small business digital responses during crises

Small business revenues worldwide were drastically affected by lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, many small businesses introduced new functionality through the adoption of digital technologies. However, little is known about the nature of these digital technology innovations, including whether they differed across industry sectors. Through a modified case study approach, we examine digital technology responses to the pandemic by small businesses that were identified in Google News. We introduce a new framework designed to describe the nature of the responses. Most small businesses that were examined introduced digital responses by offering new e-commerce facilities and/or converting their existing services to ‘e-services’, with some important cross sector exceptions. Practical suggestions for small businesses are provided