Performance and internationalization effects of the use of ICT in diversified companies

Abstract

The relationship between Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and business performance has been a topic of great importance for academics from different areas for several decades. In this sense, this study analyzes the impact of the use of ICT on the diversification strategy of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). From a sample of 95 companies in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, it is evident that diversified companies show a higher level of use of ICTs and that ResumenLa relación entre las Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación (TIC) y el rendimiento empresarial ha sido un tema de gran importancia para los académicos de diferentes áreas durante varias décadas. En este sentido, este estudio analiza el impacto del uso de las TIC en la estrategia de diversificación de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME). De una muestra de 95 empresas de la Comunidad Autónoma del País Vasco, es evidente que las empresas diversificadas muestran un mayor nivel de uso de las TIC y que este recurso afecta positivamente el grado de diversificación internacional y el rendimiento empresarial. Para el análisis estadístico descriptivo y correlacional de las variables, se utilizó el software SPSS.Palabras clave: TIC, diversificación, internacionalización, rendimiento.

Does infrastructural development foster export upgrading in Africa?

“…This result is corroborated by Lapatinas (2019), who also shows that internet access favors exports of sophisticated products. Using open access data collected from the China Labor Dynamics Survey Project, León et al (2018) show that ICT adoption exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on diversification. This result is shared by Gnangnon (2020), who uses a panel dataset containing 131 countries over 1995-2014 and shows that greater Internet access is positively associated with diversification of service exports.…”

Delimitation of the experience factor in the decision to select international markets by Spanish SMEs: The influence of psychic distance

“…The analysis focuses on SMEs, as it is not considered desirable to combine all types of companies within the same study due to the differences between large companies and SMEs in terms of availability of resources, since it is assumed that large firms have a greater ability to overcome the limitations imposed by the construction of psychic distance when selecting international markets (Monreal-Pérez & Sánchez-Marín, 2017). The accumulation of resources and experience, a priori, may allow larger companies to focus exclusively on specific business objectives in their export decisions without taking other considerations into account (León et al, 2018). The fact SMEs tend to lack, to differing degrees, this availability of resources means that they tend to select international markets based on different criteria.…”