Business on-line? An empirical study of factors leading to the adoption of Internet technologies by Australian SMEs

E-commerce technologies such as a website, email and the use of web browsers enables access to large amounts of information, facilitates communication and provides niche companies with an effective mechanism for competing with larger organisations world-wide. However recent literature has shown Australian SMEs have been slow in the uptake of these technologies. The aim of this research was to determine which factors were important in impacting on small firms' decision making in respect of information technology and e-commerce adoption. Findings indicate that generally the more a firm was concerned about its competitive position such a firm was likely to develop a web site. Moreover the 'Industry and Skill Demands' dimension suggested that as the formal education of the owner/manager increased, coupled with the likelihood that the firm was in the transport and storage or communication services industries, and realising the cost of IT adoption was in effect an investment, then such a firm would be inclined to develop a web site.

Managing specialised knowledge in technopreneurial firms : evidence from Australian SMEs

This paper analyses particularities of the knowledge management process in technopreneurial firms with particular focus on knowledge identification, acquisition, utilisation and integration. Using a qualitative investigation from a sample of Australian SMEs, a number of key observations are derived which show the challenges of managing knowledge and how important knowledge management is as a management tool for R&D and innovation process in technology-oriented SMEs. Findings suggest that knowledge management and integration processes in these firms are very much project focused and mainly based on ad hoc and informal processes and not embedded within the overall organisational routines.

Understanding the pre-internationalization phase decision heuristic of Australian SMEs

Since the 1970s, the Uppsala stages model has been one of the dominant explanations of firm internationalization. The model's focus on internationalization as a firm's gradual and incremental process of increasing international involvement has attracted much debate, with one criticism being that it is unclear in explaining how the internationalization process first originates within a firm. In this paper, the Uppsala model is extended through the incorporation of a pre-internationalization phase to explore the antecedents of firm internationalization. Adopting the Uppsala model's theoretical underpinnings, this paper develops and operationalizes a pre-internationalization phase decision heuristic in the form of an ‘export readiness index'. Four constructs are proposed that drive and inhibit export commencement decision-making during a firm's preinternationalization phase: export stimuli, attitudinal/psychological commitment, resources and lateral rigidity. Through a survey of Australian exporting and non-exporting small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), the Export Readiness Index (ERI) is developed through factor analysis and tested using logistic regression. Results of the study and their potential implications are discussed.

International virtual networking capabilities and firm performance: A study of international entrepreneurial Australian SMEs

The Internet is a critical resource for a new generation of small and medium sized enterprise. Specifically, the Internet is important for small entrepreneurial firms in pursuing international opportunities through increased digital integration. As such, the Internet has been identified as a key enabler of international entrepreneurship (Reuber & Fischer, 2011). By facilitating international business for many entrepreneurial SMEs, the Internet has the ability to increase the quality and speed of communications, lower transaction costs, and facilitate the development of international networks. Although the Internet has been found to play a pivotal role in the creation of international relationships and is a mechanism for the creation of international growth opportunities in SMEs (Mathews & Healy, 2008), the role of the international entrepreneurial decision-maker in the development of international virtual networks for leveraging opportunities in internationalisation remains unclear. The findings of this research indicate that developing an ‘international virtual network capability’ forms an important part of the firm’s resource and more specifically dynamic capability base, which is just one component of a firm’s resource bundle that builds towards successful internationalisation via an Internet platform.

Voices of experience : developing export capability through eCommerce in Australian SMEs

This paper reports an exploratory study of 19 Australian SMEs which had successfully used eCommerce develop to or enhance their export capability. The purpose of the study was to identify both successful adoption processes and impediments to using eCommerce for export. Few companies had  adopted a strategic and planned approach to managing this adoption. The lack of easily accessed and trustworthy information and advice was partly responsible. The study identified a number of other obstacles to  eCommerce export development, including infrastructure and technical deficiencies, lack of awareness and expertise, problems with banking and finance and problems with physical links into export destinations. The developments that would most enable Australian companies to use eCommerce for export are identified as: improvements in the infrastructure on which eCommerce depends; the provision of consolidated, impartial information and advice about the use of eCommerce for export; and training and skills development to facilitate the implementation of eCommerce for export.

Australian SMES and e-security guides on trusting the internet

There have been many standards and guides written for the implementation of computer security and information security concentrating on appropriate implementation of procedures for effective information security management. Such guides are limited when dealing with e-business and its implementation by Small and Medium Business Enterprises (SMEs). In Australia the National Office for the Information Economy (NOIE) has released a small business guide for e-security for performing such services while fulfilling the necessary security requirements. This paper presents an overview of this current small business guide to e-security with special reference to deriving a common set of criteria for implementing security measures in the SME e-business environment.

Factors influencing Australian SMEs knowledge sharing online

The Web offers a powerful tool for knowledge-sharing among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Such online initiatives have, however, frequently been unsuccessful. This paper examines factors motivating SMEs to share knowledge online. It reports data from a telephone survey of 192 SME members of two successful regional business networks comprising members from diverse industries. Although the majority of SMEs actively used the Web in their daily business operations and most were willing to share knowledge face-to-face, this did not translate into willingness to share online. The most significant factors affecting the willingness to share knowledge online were the how many of networks SMEs were involved in, the number of years an SME had been in business, the geographical scope of their operations, and intensity of their use of the web. These findings challenge the commonly-held view that SMEs will automatically share online if the infrastructure is provided.

Online corporate social responsibility communication by Australian SMEs : a framework for website analysis

There has been almost no IS related corporate social responsibility (CSR) research on small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and most non-IS research does not examine how SMEs use websites to communicate their CSR initiatives. This paper develops and applies a framework to report on the results of an exploratory content analysis of 33 Australian SME websites in the Information Media/Telecommunications and Accommodation/ Food Services sectors which communicate CSR initiatives online.

Enabling information security culture : influences and challenges for Australian SMEs

An effective information security culture is vital to the success of information systems governance, risk management and compliance. Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) face special challenges developing an information security culture as they may lack the information security knowledge, skills and behaviours of large organisations. This paper reports the main findings from an interpretive study of key influences enabling an effective information security culture for Australian SMEs. The paper provides a framework depicting external and internal influences on SME information security culture and a set of key challenges in the Australian context. The findings highlight that SME owner attitudes and behaviour – in turn influenced by government involvement - strongly influence information security culture for Australian SMEs. A surprising finding is the potential influence of the Australian culture. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Process improvement and ICTs in Australian SMEs: a selection and implementation framework

This article describes the development, modification and testing of a tool designed to assist small firms in making more appropriate decisions regarding information and communication technology (ICT) selection and implementation. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods, a number of possible tools were initially developed to support firm-based self-diagnostic exercises. Research outcomes from a joint European–Australian research project were regionalised for Australian conditions through collaborative product development with a number of Australian SME manufacturing firms. This article reports on the pilot implementations and the outcomes achieved with these Australian SMEs. These implementations have shown successful outcomes for the trial SME participants and have led to the creation of an online self-assessment tool to allow wider access by interested SMEs