G. Buonanno, P. Faverio, F. Pigni, A. Ravarini, D. Sciuto and M. Tagliavini
Proposes providing an insight about enterprise resource planning (ERP) adoption, highlighting contact points and significant differences between the way small to medium‐sized…
Abstract
Purpose
Proposes providing an insight about enterprise resource planning (ERP) adoption, highlighting contact points and significant differences between the way small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and large companies approach such a task.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a wide literature review, focused on the identification of a taxonomy of business and organizational factors influencing ERP adoption. The deriving research model was incorporated in a questionnaire that was preliminarily tested and finally provided to a sample of 366 companies of any size. Responses were collected through personal interviews made by a dedicated team to a top manager.
Findings
The analysis of the empirical data shows that business complexity, as a composed factor, is a weak predictor of ERP adoption, whereas just company size turns out to be a very good one. In other words, companies seem to be disregarding ERP systems as an answer to their business complexity. Unexpectedly, SMEs disregard financial constraints as the main cause for ERP system non‐adoption, suggesting structural and organizational reasons as major ones. This pattern is partially different from what was observed in large organizations where the first reason for not adopting an ERP system is organizational. Moreover, the decision process regarding the adoption of ERP systems within SMEs is still more affected by exogenous reasons or “opportunity of the moment” than business‐related factors, contrary to large companies that are more interested in managing process integration and data redundancy/inconsistency through ERP implementation.
Research limitations/implications
The research model is based on the assumption that business complexity and organizational change are the most relevant variables influencing ERP adoption, and such variables are explained through a set of factors inherently limited by the results of the literature review.
Practical implications
The results of the empirical research provide indication to SMEs willing to take into consideration the adoption of an ERP system. The same outcomes could be incorporated into the development strategies of ERP software houses.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to enhancing the understanding of the factors influencing the evolution of information systems within SMEs with respect to large companies.
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Keywords
Small enterprises are very different in size and organisation, and cannot be considered scaled‐down larger companies. Thus the adoption of ERP by an SME may occur in a highly…
Abstract
Purpose
Small enterprises are very different in size and organisation, and cannot be considered scaled‐down larger companies. Thus the adoption of ERP by an SME may occur in a highly different environment and cannot directly leverage on corporate experiences. Therefore, finding this subject interesting, this paper aims to analyse the peculiarities of this innovation in SMEs and specifically to cross‐assess the benefits obtained with context/project factors that could influence them.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was explicitly focused on an ex post evaluation of a panel of Italian SMEs which completed the introduction of an ERP system. Data about actual achievement, advantages and context/project characteristics were collected through direct interviews with SMEs' managers. A factors‐outcomes model is proposed, discussed and finalised in its most significant variables.
Findings
ERP introduction is considered successful to a greater extent than was expected. The most frequently observed benefits are internal procedure simplification, much easier information retrieval, improved performance management, and some production efficiency increases. The factors that seem to mostly affect them are depth of organisational change and type of chosen ERP producer.
Practical implications
Possible associations between each context/project variable and every outcome were identified and their intensity evaluated to suggest which decisive factors to manage.
Originality/value
The key aspects of the research are exclusive focus on the SME segment and the choice of the post‐introduction phase as the moment to assess ERP outcomes. From a review of the literature, no study seems to have adopted a similar perspective.
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Paul Harrigan, Elaine Ramsey and Patrick Ibbotson
Relationship marketing principles have seldom been applied to the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME). The purpose of this paper is to develop what is a striking link by…
Abstract
Purpose
Relationship marketing principles have seldom been applied to the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME). The purpose of this paper is to develop what is a striking link by presenting empirical evidence on the role of internet technologies in the customer relationship management activities of Irish SMEs. More specifically, this is a comparative study investigating electronic‐customer relationship management (e‐CRM) in international and domestic firms. The nature and role of e‐CRM is assessed, the strategies behind e‐CRM delineated, and the ensuing benefits and challenges revealed.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper has an exploratory outlook and a quantitative approach to data collection is adopted to facilitate broad classification in an under researched area. A self‐completion questionnaire is distributed to a sample of 1,445 SMEs. A response rate of 20 per cent is obtained, providing 286 usable responses. Univariate and bivariate analyses were performed using SPSS.
Findings
The findings of this paper confirm that SMEs are implementing fundamental e‐CRM practices. Those firms serving international markets tend to place greater emphasis on e‐CRM and are reaping greater benefits. Benefits range from enhanced customer service, reduced business cost, increased sales, and improved profitability. Challenges are few, but centre on a preference for face‐to‐face relationships and a lack of government support.
Practical implications
It is hoped that this exploratory research has laid the foundation for further examination of e‐CRM in the SME context. Future research will add explanation through in‐depth qualitative methods, while the potential exists to replicate the study in other countries. The authors conclude that e‐CRM can and must move on to a more strategic and integrated level if SMEs in Ireland are to compete both locally and globally.
Originality/value
This paper has shed light on the marginalised subject of e‐CRM in SMEs. For SMEs operating in a peripheral economy such as Ireland, the benefits to be gained from e‐CRM are lucrative. SMEs viewing their market beyond national borders are using e‐CRM to achieve a range of business benefits. The quantitative methodology adopted has provided an exploratory, yet solid, insight into an important area for academics and practitioners.
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Fernando Alonso Mendo and Guy Fitzgerald
This paper sets out to critique the applicability of e‐commerce staged models in explaining the progression of small and medium‐sized businesses (SMEs) in their use of internet…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper sets out to critique the applicability of e‐commerce staged models in explaining the progression of small and medium‐sized businesses (SMEs) in their use of internet technologies. The premise of this study is that examining the evolution of web sites over time gives us insights into actual evolving strategies and motivations behind internet investments.
Design/methodology/approach
An alternative multidimensional framework is proposed that combines three different dimensions of organizational change (process, content, and drivers). The content or categories of the dimensions are defined and justified. A study of 192 web sites and their evolution is described. This helps to demonstrate the relevance and applicability of the dimensions of the framework.
Findings
The study describes the different approaches (monitoring, content analysis and case studies) and the characteristics of changes on these web sites. It was found that the main evolution strategies were “content updates” and “dormant sites”. In addition, the majority of companies seem to have evolved their web sites to refresh the image and change navigation protocols and not to add transactional e‐commerce features.
Practical implications
The proposed framework is argued to be useful to academics, providing multiple perspectives, enabling more insightful study of SMEs' e‐business adoption and progression, and avoiding over‐simple a priori theory, e.g. staged models. The framework is also argued to be useful for SME managers seeking to make the most of their limited resources in this context.
Originality/value
The paper provides a multidimensional framework which is new and comprehensive. It also provides some research findings using the framework relating to a pilot study of 192 SME web sites. Little prior research has been carried out on the evolution of SMEs' web sites, in terms of the type of drivers, the features that have been incorporated over time, and how they have changed.
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Paul Harrigan, Elaine Ramsey and Patrick Ibbotson
Relationship marketing principles have seldom been applied to the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME). The purpose of this paper is to develop what is a striking link by…
Abstract
Purpose
Relationship marketing principles have seldom been applied to the small‐ and medium‐sized enterprise (SME). The purpose of this paper is to develop what is a striking link by investigating the role of internet technologies in the customer relationship management of SMEs based in Northern Ireland (NI).
Design/methodology/approach
This study took an exploratory outlook and a quantitative approach to data collection was adopted. A self‐completion questionnaire was distributed by post to a sample of 300 SMEs in NI. A response rate of 18.6 per cent was obtained.
Findings
The findings of this study illustrate that SMEs are implementing fundamental electronic customer relationship management (e‐CRM) practices and reaping the benefits from internationalisation. Challenges are few, but centre on a preference for face‐to‐face relationships and a lack of government support.
Research limitations/implications
It is hoped that this exploratory research has laid the foundation for further examination of e‐CRM in the SME context. Future studies should be able to replicate the process in other countries and on a larger scale. The potential also exists for in‐depth qualitative research.
Practical implications
The paper concludes that e‐CRM may have to move on to a more strategic and integrated level if SMEs in NI are to compete, both locally and globally.
Originality/value
This exploratory research has shed some light on the marginalised subject of e‐CRM in SMEs. For SMEs operating in a peripheral economy such as NI the benefits to be gained from e‐CRM are lucrative.
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Khong Sin Tan, Siong Choy Chong, Binshan Lin and Uchenna Cyril Eze
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the demographic characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with regards to their patterns of internet‐based information and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the demographic characteristics of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with regards to their patterns of internet‐based information and communications technology (ICT) adoption, taking into account the dimensions of ICT benefits, barriers, and subsequently adoption intention.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire‐based survey is used to collect data from 406 managers or owners of SMEs in Malaysia.
Findings
The results reveal that the SMEs would adopt internet‐based ICT regardless of years of business start‐up and internet experience. Some significant differences are spotted between manufacturing and service SMEs in terms of their demographic characteristics and internet‐based ICT benefits, barriers, and adoption intention. Both the industry types express intention to adopt internet‐based ICT, with the service‐based SMEs demonstrating greater intention.
Research limitations/implications
The paper focuses only on the SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia.
Practical implications
The findings offer valuable insights to the SMEs – in particular promoting internet‐based ICT adoption for future business success.
Originality/value
This paper is perhaps one of the first to comprehensively investigate the relationship between demographic characteristics of SMEs and the various variables affecting their internet‐based ICT adoption intention.
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Nikolaos A. Panayiotou and Petros K. Katimertzoglou
The purpose of this paper is to investigate internet adoption of very small B2B firms in Greece. This study aims to construct a model which will classify companies according to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate internet adoption of very small B2B firms in Greece. This study aims to construct a model which will classify companies according to internet activities undertaken and then to explore whether different adoption can be interpreted by business demographics and a limited number of perceived barriers.
Design/methodology/approach
This empirical research was carried out by the means of survey focussing on the Greek jewellery industry. Data were submitted to a sequence of statistical analyses resulting to a model of Internet adoption. The model was then bench marked to representative domestic and international adoption patterns.
Findings
Firms can be classified into three groups, ranging from non-adopters to relatively mature adopters, similarly to previous patterns of international B2B small to medium enterprises. Business size and type, international cooperation and knowledge with regards to internet proved to be significantly correlated to adoption status.
Research limitations/implications
The paper focusses on one Greek business sector and thus the applicability of its results to cross-type international micro-businesses remains questionable.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can assist company owners to plan their internet strategy, software vendors to target firms by offering tailored solutions and governmental authorities to implement initiatives aiming to confront the highlighted internet adoption disablers.
Originality/value
This is one of a few information and communication technology studies that focus on very small companies and perhaps the only one providing an empirical classification model of internet adoption for this business size.
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Keywords
Parijat Upadhyay, Saeed Jahanyan and Pranab K. Dan
The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study which is based on the results of a comprehensive compilation of literature and subsequent analysis of ERP…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a study which is based on the results of a comprehensive compilation of literature and subsequent analysis of ERP implementation success factors in the context of Indian micro, small and medium‐scale enterprises (MSMEs). The paper attempts to assess empirically which factors are most critical in the ERP implementation process from the perspective of the Indian MSMEs. This research is potentially aimed at being useful to MSMEs as a guideline, so as to ensure a positive outcome of the implementation process.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper tries to explore the factors affecting implementation across the stages of ERP implementations using the responses from 98 MSMEs engaged in manufacturing activities. The minimum number of factors explaining the maximum variance in data is determined using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The factor analysis is performed on SPSS with the principal component method using the Varimax rotation technique.
Findings
The results of this study highlights four crucial factors that influence the ERP implementation process in the Indian MSME segment. Broadly, they may be summed up under the following heads: project execution competency; product and vendor perspective; organizational climate; and technical perspective.
Originality/value
The findings will be beneficial for MSMEs for proper utilization of their limited resources and to pay adequate attention to those factors that are most likely to have an impact on the implementation of the ERP system.
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Naveen Donthu, Gaurav Kumar Badhotiya, Satish Kumar, Gunjan Soni and Nitesh Pandey
Journal of Enterprise Information Management (JEIM) is a leading journal that publishes studies on applied information management relevant to industry personals, academicians and…
Abstract
Purpose
Journal of Enterprise Information Management (JEIM) is a leading journal that publishes studies on applied information management relevant to industry personals, academicians and researchers. This study uses bibliometric tools to present a retrospective analysis of the journal's outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors applied bibliometric tools for analysing the impact, topic coverage, renowned authors with affiliation, citation, methodology and analysis of the JEIM corpus. Additionally, they used bibliographic coupling to develop a graphical visualisation and analyse the journal's thematic evolution.
Findings
With 16 yearly articles, JEIM contributed 656 research articles on various themes. The major themes that have come to define the JEIM over this time include information and systems, supply chain management, manufacturing resource planning, communication technologies and small- to medium-sized enterprises. Empirical methodology, quantitative techniques with descriptive analysis and regression methods are the most preferred. The article's primary research purpose shows the majority of theory-verifying articles. Co-authorship analysis reveals that the single-author trend is decreasing and the journal now has articles with international collaborations.
Originality/value
This study is the retrospective analysis of the JEIM, which is useful for aspiring contributors and the journal's editors.
Details
Keywords
Mohsen Ziaee, Mohammad Fathian and S.J. Sadjadi
This paper aims to study an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection problem. The primary goal of this paper is to propose a two‐phase procedure to select an ERP…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software selection problem. The primary goal of this paper is to propose a two‐phase procedure to select an ERP vendor and a suitable ERP software.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first phase of the proposed method the preliminary actions – such as constructing a project team, collecting all possible information about ERP vendors and systems, and identifying the ERP system characteristics – are established. In the second phase, the authors present a modular approach to ERP vendor and software selection and propose a 0‐1 programming model to minimize total costs associated with procurement and integration expenditures.
Findings
The proposed approach and the model are considered to be more useful for small manufacturing enterprises (SMEs).
Originality/value
In using the model for analyzing the data about a real case study that is a commercial SME and based on obtained results, some parameter values of the model for all SMEs are suggested.