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21 – 30 of 109This study aims to examine the extant E-commerce performance literature to derive a coherent framework to further the understanding, identify research gaps and suggest potential…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the extant E-commerce performance literature to derive a coherent framework to further the understanding, identify research gaps and suggest potential future study directions.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on theoretical sampling (Corbin and Strauss, 2008), this study followed Greenhalgh et al. (2009) for the paper sample collection and used exploratory methods before the snowballing technique to identify key sources to uncover the E-commerce performance themes and prior findings systematically.
Findings
By reviewing and synthesizing 155 recent articles, this study proposed an integrated framework of E-commerce performance to organize the complex literature parsimoniously. This study found that E-commerce performance exhibits three key dimensions and is influenced by market E-commerce environment, organization E-commerce environment and the dynamic and interactive relationships in between.
Practical implications
The proposed framework offers industry practitioners opportunities to understand determinants and be updated with current practices of E-commerce performance. The findings of this study further point practitioners to directions that can lead to better E-commerce performance.
Originality/value
This study produced a cohesive framework of E-commerce performance based on an extensive review of the literature in both the mainstream and hospitality and tourism fields, addressing the issue of the currently fragmented understanding on E-commerce performance in hospitality and tourism.
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Tendani Mawela, Hossana Twinomurinzi and Nixon Muganda Ochara
This paper aims to understand the conceptualisation of the notion of transformational government that is emerging within the electronic government domain. It reviewed how…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to understand the conceptualisation of the notion of transformational government that is emerging within the electronic government domain. It reviewed how transformational government is manifest in the policy and strategic commitments of government departments in South Africa. The study focused on understanding the role of public sector planning towards the attainment of transformational government.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is interpretive and qualitative in nature. It provides the outcomes of a deductive thematic analysis conducted on strategic documents of government departments to explore their alignment and support for transformational government.
Findings
The paper argues for the need for public sector planning that is focused on citizen benefit realisation. The results highlight the significance of strategic plans for developmental transformation. However, the planning instruments were found to have an inconsistent orientation towards transformational government.
Originality/value
The study is significant in light of the implications of public policy and the associated strategic plans for citizens. This paper also contributes to research on the nascent area of transformational government.
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Deepali Bhatnagar and Kajal Yadav
This research examines Indian women entrepreneurs’ endeavours to keep their undertakings above water amid the COVID-19 emergency in 2021–2022. This study centers around…
Abstract
This research examines Indian women entrepreneurs’ endeavours to keep their undertakings above water amid the COVID-19 emergency in 2021–2022. This study centers around female-possessed endeavours in Rajasthan, with a particular spotlight on how artificial intelligence (AI) assists them in getting by. It examines how Indian women entrepreneurs used social media to stay in business during the pandemic and adds to information collection by inspecting women-claimed micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and their use of AI through social media during COVID-19. We administered a questionnaire to a sample of 100 female entrepreneurs who use social media platforms to manage their businesses. The researchers found that the pandemic fundamentally affects women entrepreneurs, especially those who run MSEs, using an anti-tactical approach to deal with survey information from 100 respondents. Women have seen a drop in pay because of lower deals, hindered supply chains, and the inconvenience of paying credit portions. Regardless of how women entrepreneurs are especially delicate to monetary shocks, most need to approach government or private-area help. The significance of virtual entertainment through AI in saving women’s ventures is featured in this review. Web-based entertainment has become famous for helping women sell their businesses, contact new clients, and keep current clients. Women entrepreneurs have reduced their losses as a result of forceful advancements supplemented by appealing offers like limits, various administrations, and advertising. We infer that during an emergency, women entrepreneurs embraced innovative methods to keep their businesses reasonable.
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Riccardo Spinelli, Romano Dyerson and G. Harindranath
– The aim of the paper is to explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper is to explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach taken was a questionnaire administered to small manufacturing business owners in the Liguria region of Italy. Data were analysed using factor and cluster analysis.
Findings
IT readiness concept appears valid with the emergence of three constructs: strategic vision; project management capability; and IT application infrastructure. The date analysis yielded four distinctive and varying profiles of small business owners.
Research limitations/implications
This quantitative study exploring a cross section of small firms suggests antecedents to change have been ignored relative to IT adoption decisions.
Practical implications
Provision of policy and support services requires a much more nuanced approach to small businesses.
Originality/value
There are very few studies of IT readiness in the literature, making the paper original in its intent. The construction of the IT readiness concept appears robust when subjected to empirical testing and yields a number of specific small business profiles with respect to IT.
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Omar Ali, Anup Shrestha, Valmira Osmanaj and Shahnawaz Muhammed
The significance of cloud services in information technology (IT) is increasing as a means of achieving enhanced productivity, efficiency and cost reduction. Through cloud-based…
Abstract
Purpose
The significance of cloud services in information technology (IT) is increasing as a means of achieving enhanced productivity, efficiency and cost reduction. Through cloud-based service, the reliability and scalability of an organization’s systems can be enhanced since organizations such as local governments are able to concentrate on their main business strategies. This research seeks to identify critical factors that may have an impact on the acceptance of cloud-based services, where the organizational context is based on local governments in Australia.
Design/methodology/approach
To formulate a more comprehensive IT innovation adoption model for cloud technology, factors from the technology-organizational-environment framework, desires framework and diffusion of innovation model were integrated. Data was obtained from 480 IT staff working in 47 local government organizations.
Findings
The research results show that the factors which had a statistically significant and positive impact on the adoption of cloud-based services in local governments were compatibility, complexity, cost, security concerns, expected benefits and organization size. It is likely that the outcomes from this research will provide insights to any organization seeking to make investment decisions on the adoption of cloud-based services.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations include generalizability of the findings since the data is restricted to local government areas in Queensland, Australia. Further, the sample mostly included individuals with managerial positions and may not completely capture the cloud adoption factors relevant for front line IT employees. Another limitation is the possible omission of factors that may be relevant but not considered due to the selected theories. Lastly, this research did not differentiate between different types of cloud adoption such as private, public, community and hybrid models that are possible in this context.
Originality/value
The paper provides a combination framework of cloud-based service adoption based on a literature review on cloud adoption from an IS perspective. It adapts integrated model to establish a more comprehensive innovation adoption framework for cloud technology.
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Romano Dyerson, Riccardo Spinelli and G Harindranath
– Drawing from the literature, the purpose of this paper is to offer an empirically validated framework for examining information technology (IT) readiness in small firms.
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing from the literature, the purpose of this paper is to offer an empirically validated framework for examining information technology (IT) readiness in small firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual framework of IT readiness for small firms is developed and validated empirically using a quantitative survey of 117 UK manufacturing small firms to identify distinct clusters of firms according to their states of IT readiness.
Findings
The survey responses are grouped according to three distinct profiles that display varying degrees of IT readiness depending upon their strategic motivation, IT processes, project management and technology complexity.
Research limitations/implications
Prior studies examining IT readiness in small-and medium-sized enterprises have not offered a differentiated understanding of small firms that is grounded in quantitative data. The varying profiles of small firms discovered indicate potential paths of IT readiness which offers a basis for further research using longitudinal case studies.
Practical implications
Managerial motivation is not a sufficient condition for achieving IT readiness; it requires both strategic and operational capabilities that have significant implications for training and skills development in small firms. Understanding the level of IT readiness of their organisation can help managers identify areas needing improvement in their use of IT.
Social implications
Findings suggest differentiated policy support is required for various small business clusters identified in the study.
Originality/value
The novelty of the conceptual model differs from the prior literature on IT readiness by explicitly recognising the potential effect of IT maturity on the capability of the firm to respond to opportunities in its external environment. The paper also distinguishes between internal IT processes and project management skills.
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Angelica M. Sanchez-Riofrio, Nathaniel C. Lupton and John Gabriel Rodríguez-Vásquez
Prior research has found that firms' adoption of digital technologies (i.e. digitalization) enhances transaction efficiency and improves firm performance. However, this finding is…
Abstract
Purpose
Prior research has found that firms' adoption of digital technologies (i.e. digitalization) enhances transaction efficiency and improves firm performance. However, this finding is based on the assumption that firms respond to consumers' adoption of digital technology (market digitalization) in a timely fashion. The study investigates the impact of market digitalization on firm performance in Latin America, where resistance to change is often higher, despite the positive impact on performance when companies respond to the environmental shock of digitalization by restructuring.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from seven Latin American countries from 1997 to 2018 (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela and Mexico), fixed-effects panel regression robustly supports the results.
Findings
Most Latin American firms fail to capitalize on the benefits of market digitalization, and their performance declines as a result. The authors extend research on digitalization by incorporating theoretical insights from the restructuring literature, finding that implementing a substantial restructuring strategy is a viable way to overcome market digitalization.
Originality/value
The authors demonstrate that the digitalization–firm performance relationship is more complex than has been described in studies using samples from developed economies. The authors establish restructuring as an effective adaptation strategy in Latin America, although the institutional environment's characteristics may constrain or discourage firms from adopting it.
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Amit Singh, Jitesh Thakkar and Mamata Jenamani
The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated gray-decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (Grey-DEMATEL) framework to evaluate the ICT adoption barriers in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated gray-decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (Grey-DEMATEL) framework to evaluate the ICT adoption barriers in manufacturing small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) running in developing countries. The proposed model is also tested for Indian MSMEs.
Design/methodology/approach
The model consists of 16 potential ICT adoption barriers selected from existing literature and refined based on discussion with domain experts. While DEMATEL analyses causal relationship and prioritizes them, Grey approach tackles individual biases and data insufficiency.
Findings
The authors conclude that lack of awareness about benchmarking and lack of management vision are the most critical ICT adoption barriers in the case of Indian MSMEs.
Research limitations/implications
Outcomes of the present research are based on the experts’ inputs which are subject to the biases related to their experience and exposure. In India practices adopted by SMEs have geographical and political influence that is also neglected.
Originality/value
This study provides a model consisting of 16 ICT adoption barriers for MSMEs in developing country and a framework to analyze causal relationships among the barriers with the flexibility of data input from their own domain experts. The framework is also capable of dealing with expert biases and data insufficiency.
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David Barnes, Fintan Clear, Romano Dyerson, G. Harindranath, Lisa Harris and Alan Rae
The paper aims to report on an exploratory study into how small businesses use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) to work collaboratively with other small…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to report on an exploratory study into how small businesses use Web 2.0 information and communication technologies (ICT) to work collaboratively with other small businesses. The study had two aims: to investigate the benefits available from the use of Web 2.0 in small business collaborations, and to characterize the different types of such online collaborations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research uses a qualitative case study methodology based on semi‐structured interviews with the owner‐managers of 12 UK‐based small companies in the business services sector who are early adopters of Web 2.0 technologies.
Findings
Benefits from the use of Web 2.0 are categorized as lifestyle benefits, internal operational efficiency, enhanced capability, external communications and enhanced service offerings. A 2×2 framework is developed to categorize small business collaborations using the dimensions of the basis for inter‐organizational collaboration (control vs cooperation) and the level of Web 2.0 ICT use (simple vs sophisticated).
Research limitations/implications
A small number of firms of similar size, sector and location were studied, which limits generalizability. Nonetheless, the results offer a pointer to the likely future use of Web 2.0 tools by other small businesses.
Practical implications
The research provides evidence of the attraction and potential of Web 2.0 for collaborations between small businesses.
Originality/value
The paper is one of the first to report on use of Web 2.0 ICT in collaborative working between small businesses. It will be of interest to those seeking a better understanding of the potential of Web 2.0 in the small business community.
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Eva Martínez‐Caro and Juan Gabriel Cegarra‐Navarro
The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of the influence of different e‐business technologies on capital productivity (CP). Productivity measurement is a useful tool to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence of the influence of different e‐business technologies on capital productivity (CP). Productivity measurement is a useful tool to gauge business performance. However, currently there is little empirical evidence to support the impact of e‐business technologies on productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, an empirical investigation of 132 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the UK telecommunication sector was carried out, using a hierarchical regression. In doing so, three different types of technologies that may be associated with e‐business (i.e. internet‐based applications, groupware applications, and collective systems) were considered.
Findings
The main findings are that any improvement in CP is significantly influenced by groupware applications and collective systems. Therefore, the UK SMEs and other large companies might be over‐investing in the development of web sites to support their internet presence, while under‐investing in promoting awareness and the use of these services to customers (i.e. groupware applications and collective systems).
Research limitations/implications
Measuring the payoff is more difficult in e‐business environments because applications cut across boundaries thereby affecting multiple parties. Hence, alternative metrics to measure payoff from multiple perspectives could be necessary. Productivity measurements were conducted in the SME UK telecommunications sector, and hence findings are valid within this specific context.
Originality/value
The results of this paper provide interesting insights on the performance drivers of companies using e‐business technologies. The findings can guide managers in focusing their energies on e‐business technologies and represent an approach to determine which e‐business technologies are more likely to lead to a boost in productivity.
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