A contextual design artefact for the dynamic capabilities of SMEs in Nigeria : a critical realist study

Text in EnglishThe tendency of SMEs to focus on their core business activities often results in them overlooking competences to maximise ICT usage which, in turn, leads to the escalation of costs and the diminishing of investment returns. This study, situated within a critical realist philosophy, seeks to explore and design a new ICT artefact for SMEs using the dynamic capabilities framework and mixed method approach. Dynamic capabilities (DCs) refer to an organisation’s ability to continuously renew internal resources towards ensuring business success and market competitiveness. The use of content analysis and retroduction enabled the initial qualitative study to analyse the interview responses gained from 16 SMEs situated in five of the most economically active states in Nigeria. The study then developed and evaluated the ICT artefact amongst 20 SMEs in similar contexts using the elaborated action design research method. The key findings revealed how SMEs in Nigeria use ICTs (in the real domain) to carry out their business processes (in the actual domain) using their DCs (in the empirical domain). The findings suggest that, despite the existence of government support for SMEs across Nigeria, these programmes are generally inaccessible using ICTs. This study identified a critical need for the creation and evaluation of a contextual ICT artefact (i.e. mobile app) suited to Nigeria and in probably other SMEs operating in similar low-income contexts. The evaluation results confirmed the usefulness of the artefact as a suitable tool which would assist SMEs in enhancing their DCs and thus maximise opportunities. This thesis presents a theoretical contribution to IS theory through the identification of absorptive, adaptive and innovative DCs which enhance the competences of SMEs to seize business opportunities. The other theoretical contribution to IS lies in using critical realism to reveal the causal powers of mobile apps and the events generated in SMEs. The findings also contribute to practice by outlining a way in which SME owners can effectively use ICTs to maximise their business capabilities. The thesis recommends that contextually designed ICTs should serve as the bedrock for policy development. Policy makers should continuously sensitise SME owners as to the benefits of ICTs by reinforcing ICT education and creating environments which enable ICT growth.School of ComputingPh.D (Information Systems

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

Designing for Context versus the Lock-In Effect of Free Global Digital Platforms: A Case of SMEs from Nigeria

This paper reports on the design and evaluation of an app that was designed using the newly created elaborated action design research method and critical realism to overcome the social and economic structural challenges that SMEs in Nigeria face. The results show that even though the app took into account the full range of SME dynamic capabilities and proved valuable, SMEs remained dependent on the affordances of the existing global digital platforms. The findings point to the lock-in effect of freely available digital platforms and that SMEs tend to default to their path dependency (and therefore the existing global digital platforms) rather than explore local digital innovations. The paper suggests that intentional efforts from powerful actors such as government might be necessary to overcome the path dependency and lock-in effect of freely available global digital platforms. The paper identifies the extra efforts required to sustain local digital innovation in the face of well-resourced global digital platforms. The paper further reveals the utility of the newly elaborated action design research method for designing for context. Six (6) design principles for designing for SMEs in resource-constrained contexts were also elicited

Nurturing the digital transformation aspirations of micro-businesses in Nigeria: A strategy formulation approach using photo-elicitation

Micro businesses in developing countries are increasingly adopting digital technologies to improve their operations and competitiveness. However, the process of digital transformation is unstructured, lacking a clear strategy. In countries like Nigeria, micro businesses play a critical role in the economy, therefore it is important to consider a structured approach to support micro business digital transformation (mbDT) aspirations, to ensure that they can fully benefit from the advantages that technology can bring. This study proposed a strategy formulation approach for mbDT using the photo-elicitation technique and in-depth interviews. In this study, 18 micro business owners in Nigeria were interviewed using photographs to gather insights on their perspective of digital transformation. This approach helped researchers to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by these businesses and to develop strategies that are tailored to their specific needs. The analysis of the pictures and interview data revealed the figurative meaning of digital transformation and what it represents. Key contributions of the study are twofold: first, it communicates digital transformation in metaphors, in a way that aligns with the social structure of micro-businesses, taking into account language, experience, and level of literacy. Second, it proposed an inclusive and tailored approach to strategy formulation, addressing the barriers faced by micro businesses. These contributions will help to foster a culture of innovation and experimentation among micro businesses in Nigeria, encouraging them to explore new digital technologies and business models, identify new opportunities and remain competitive in the ever-changing digital landscape

How do digital technologies influence the dynamic capabilities of micro and small businesses in a pandemic and low-income country context?

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.It is not clear how extreme disruptions like COVID-19 pandemic affects the dynamic capabilities (DCs) of micro and small businesses (MSBs) in the context of low-income countries. Therefore, this study makes sense of how MSBs leverage DCs through digital technologies (DTs). Using mixed-method and interpretive research approaches, the first phase of the study applied a deductive coding technique to analyze interviews from 30 MSB managers in Ghana. Coding activities revealed 21 DC constructs of MSBs in Ghana. Next, we contextualized and simplified the DC framework by proposing an interpretive blueprint of DC framework applicable to Ghana and other low-income countries. The second phase, through a questionnaire, progressed the research by assessing how DTs influence the 21 DC constructs. Findings suggest that collective DCs of MSBs as a business sector did not change in a pandemic situation; nonetheless, the extent to which MSBs demonstrate DCs increased by up to 82%; and the use of DTs such as mobile payment and social media tools increased significantly. Interpretive reflections on the research outcomes argued that whilst the collective DCs of MSBs remain the same, each MSB uniquely explored opportunities by manifesting different combinations of DC constructs and DTs, at varying extents, and the knowledge of how MSB combines DCs could promote MSB management and digital innovation as low-income countries seek to recover from the COVID-19 economic downturn. Consequently, this research extends literature and progresses the UN sustainable development goals 8.3 as it helps to enhance policies that promote digital innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth of MSBs