Trends in Information Technology in Small Businesses

Doukidis, Georgios I.; Smithson, Steve; Lybereas, Takis

doi:10.4018/joeuc.1994100102

Cited by 33 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 11 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The concern for generalisabiltiy is also brought about by the relatively small sample sizes of IT adoption studies in the SME domain. The 126 valid responses obtained in this study is comparable with sample sizes of 50 [15], 68 [11], 83 [36], 87 [18], and 96 [59] reported in previous studies on SMEs. Second, our choice of variables is problematic, because they may not capture the complex nature of the evaluation and benefits management process of the project environment within which construction organizations operate.…”

Section: Research Limitationssupporting

confidence: 90%

An exploratory study of information technology evaluation and benefits management practices of SMEs in the construction industry

Love

Irani

2004

Information & Management

200

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

While the number of articles on IT evaluation and benefits management has been substantial, limited attention has been given to these topics in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly the construction industry. This paper presents findings from a questionnaire survey that sought to examine the approaches used by 126 construction organisations to evaluate and justify their IT investments, as well as the benefits and costs that they have experienced due to IT implementation. The analysis of their responses identified three key findings. Firstly, different organisation types significantly differ in the amount they invest in IT and their firm size (in terms of turnover and number of employees) does not influence investment levels in IT. Secondly, the evaluation process adopted by construction SMEs is used as for both control and learning. Thirdly, a major barrier to justifying IT investments was attributed to having no strategic vision. While organisations experienced no significant differences in the tactical and operational benefits incurred after the adoption of IT, differences were found with respect to the strategic benefits. If construction SMEs are to leverage the benefits of IT, then this should form an integral part of their business strategy. Considering this, recommendations for IT evaluation for construction SMEs that are also pertinent for SMEs operating in other industry sectors, are presented

show abstract

Section: Research Limitationssupporting

confidence: 90%

An exploratory study of information technology evaluation and benefits management practices of SMEs in the construction industry

Love

Irani

2004

Information & Management

200

111

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Risk management is an essential process for the successful delivery of IT projects, however there is evidence that the lack of risk identification and management is a major contributing factor to project failure-especially for SMEs [7], which frequently suffer from limited IT competencies and poor understanding of IT capabilities and the risks involved [12,21]. The assessment of risk during the justification process allows managers to identify outcomes that may adversely influence behavioural, structural, and strategic aspects within the organization [35,36,44].…”

Section: Riskmentioning

confidence: 99%

The enigma of evaluation: benefits, costs and risks of IT in Australian small–medium-sized enterprises

Love

Irani

Standing

et al. 2005

Information & Management

152

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The evaluation of information technology (IT) is fraught with misconception and there is a lack of understanding of appropriate IT evaluation methods and techniques. The benefits, costs and risks of IT need to be identified, managed, and controlled if businesses are to derive value from their investments. This paper presents findings from an exploratory study that used a questionnaire survey to determine the benefits, costs and risks of IT investments from 130 small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Australia. The analysis revealed that organizations from different industry sectors significantly differ in the amount they invest in IT but that firm size (in terms of turnover and number of employees) does not influence IT investment levels. Second, strategic benefits vary across different industry sectors. Third, the way employees adapt to change as a result of IT implementation depends on the size of the organization. Based upon the findings, a series of benchmark metrics for benefits, costs, and risks of IT are presented. It is posited that these can serve as a reference point for initiating a quality evaluation cycle in which benchmarking forms an integral component of the strategic process. #

show abstract

“…The employment of such external professional support can overcome knowledge gaps and guide ® rms in implementing appropriate IT. Doukidis et al (1994), giving credence to the assertions of Schleich et al (1990) and Wroe (1987), found that over half of the respondents involved in his study obtained external advice during the selection of hardware and software. Doukidis et al (1994) also report on the use of neighbouring organizations, training companies and support organizations for advice.…”

Section: (2) Information Systems Risk Managementmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…Doukidis et al (1994), giving credence to the assertions of Schleich et al (1990) and Wroe (1987), found that over half of the respondents involved in his study obtained external advice during the selection of hardware and software. Doukidis et al (1994) also report on the use of neighbouring organizations, training companies and support organizations for advice. Other research suggests, however, that small ® rm managers are more likely to obtain advice from informal sources including immediate family, friends and acquaintances, who essentially have little or no knowledge of the business (Malone, 1985;Montsed, 1993).…”

Section: (2) Information Systems Risk Managementmentioning

confidence: 86%

“…However, the literature suggests that small ® rms are failing to follow the example set by their larger counterparts and remain, in terms of modern management practice, in the dark ages (Doukidis et al, 1994). While it is acknowledged that the formal planning techniques of large organizations are not necessarily appropriate for small ® rms (Raymond, 1985;Kelmar and Noy, 1990), Malone (1985) reported over a decade ago that small organizations which had adopted more formal planning systems were encountering fewer IS problems.…”

Section: Three Critical Is Decisions (1) Is Planningmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

IS decision-making: a study in information-intensive firms

Proudlock¹,

Phelps²,

Gamble³

1998

J Inf Technol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper looks at IS decisions within small professional organizations. The study investigates three aspects of IS decision processes drawn from the literature. These focus upon organizational approaches to planning, risk management and product selection, and the factors that impact upon each process. The results of an exploratory survey undertaken in nine ® rms are presented and compared with the ® ndings of existing research. One expectation is supported; two prove unsupported.

show abstract

Trends in Information Technology in Small Businesses

Cited by 33 publications

References 11 publications

An exploratory study of information technology evaluation and benefits management practices of SMEs in the construction industry

An exploratory study of information technology evaluation and benefits management practices of SMEs in the construction industry

The enigma of evaluation: benefits, costs and risks of IT in Australian small–medium-sized enterprises

IS decision-making: a study in information-intensive firms

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About