Purpose - The purpose of this (qualitative, multiple-case) study is to determine how small-to medium-sized enterprise (SME) leaders in Nigeria use information and communication technology (ICT) adoption as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally. Design/methodology/approach - The participants for this study consisted of executive-level SME leaders who had the authority to approve ICT implementation within their respective organizations. Individual interviews were undertaken with participants to gain an understanding of their experience of determining the merits of and implementing ICT. The technology acceptance model, which specifies the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward computer use and intention to use technology, was applied as a framework to explain the Nigerian SME's ICT adoption strategies. Findings - Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: ICT adoption factors, ICT roles and benefits, role of government and SME success factors. The findings of this study may help SME leaders and government leaders address many of the factors inhibiting the adoption of ICT in SMEs in Nigeria. Practical implications - This study may ensure that SMEs are successful and able to create jobs, which in turn may help to promote socioeconomic development through adoption of ICT. Originality/value - The findings from this study contribute to the knowledge base regarding factors that affect ICT adoption by SME leaders as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally, particularly within SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria. It further addressed the gap in existing literature regarding other factors such as the influence of culture on ICT adoption, cost of ICT implementation, available ICT skills, infrastructure and ICT knowledge gap as the primary impeding factors of ICT adoption in Nigerian SMEs.
Purpose – The purpose of this (qualitative, multiple-case) study is to determine how small-to medium-sized enterprise (SME) leaders in Nigeria use information and communication technology (ICT) adoption as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally. Design/methodology/approach – The participants for this study consisted of executive-level SME leaders who had the authority to approve ICT implementation within their respective organizations. Individual interviews were undertaken with participants to gain an understanding of their experience of determining the merits of and implementing ICT. The technology acceptance model, which specifies the relationship between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude toward computer use and intention to use technology, was applied as a framework to explain the Nigerian SME's ICT adoption strategies. Findings – Four major themes emerged from the data analysis: ICT adoption factors, ICT roles and benefits, role of government and SME success factors. The findings of this study may help SME leaders and government leaders address many of the factors inhibiting the adoption of ICT in SMEs in Nigeria. Practical implications – This study may ensure that SMEs are successful and able to create jobs, which in turn may help to promote socioeconomic development through adoption of ICT. Originality/value – The findings from this study contribute to the knowledge base regarding factors that affect ICT adoption by SME leaders as a business strategy to increase profitability and compete globally, particularly within SMEs in Lagos, Nigeria. It further addressed the gap in existing literature regarding other factors such as the influence of culture on ICT adoption, cost of ICT implementation, available ICT skills, infrastructure and ICT knowledge gap as the primary impeding factors of ICT adoption in Nigerian SMEs. ; Objetivo - El propósito de este estudio (cualitativo, de casos múltiples) es determinar cómo los líderes de las pequeñas y medianas empresas (PYME) en Nigeria utilizan la adopción de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) como estrategia comercial para aumentar la rentabilidad y competir a nivel mundial. Diseño / metodología / enfoque - Los participantes de este estudio consistieron en líderes de pymes de nivel ejecutivo que tenían la autoridad para aprobar la implementación de las TIC dentro de sus respectivas organizaciones. Se realizaron entrevistas individuales con los participantes para comprender su experiencia en la determinación de los méritos y la implementación de las TIC. El modelo de aceptación de la tecnología, que especifica la relación entre la utilidad percibida, la facilidad de uso percibida, la actitud hacia el uso de la computadora y la intención de utilizar la tecnología, se aplicó como marco para explicar las estrategias de adopción de las TIC de la PYME nigeriana. Recomendaciones - Del análisis de datos surgieron cuatro temas principales: factores de adopción de las TIC, funciones y beneficios de las TIC, función del gobierno y factores de éxito de las PYME. Los hallazgos de este estudio pueden ayudar a los líderes de las PYME y los líderes gubernamentales a abordar muchos de los factores que inhiben la adopción de las TIC en las PYME en Nigeria. Implicaciones prácticas - Este estudio puede garantizar que las PYME tengan éxito y puedan crear puestos de trabajo, lo que a su vez puede ayudar a promover el desarrollo socioeconómico mediante la adopción de las TIC. Originalidad / valor - Los hallazgos de este estudio contribuyen a la base de conocimientos sobre los factores que afectan la adopción de las TIC por parte de los líderes de las pymes como estrategia comercial para aumentar la rentabilidad y competir a nivel mundial, particularmente dentro de las pymes en Lagos, Nigeria. Además, abordó la brecha en la literatura existente con respecto a otros factores como la influencia de la cultura en la adopción de las TIC, el costo de la implementación de las TIC, las habilidades disponibles en TIC, la infraestructura y la brecha de conocimiento de las TIC como los principales factores que obstaculizan la adopción de las TIC en las PYME nigerianas.
Shifts in social paradigms (SP) are closely linked to the semantic and technological aspects of the evolving information-communication medium (ICM), which is undergoing radical changes. The essence of a human manifests itself differently depending on the dominant SP and the corresponding ICM. Consequently, an actual task is to analyse their connections, for which purpose this paper provides the first extensive review of key views on this relationship and their classification. A human as a socially conditioned entity is formed in the ICM and forms the SP in public communication. Consolidation and globalization of the ICM, the inclusion of each individual in it ensure the growth of suprapersonal structures of the noosphere, which can lead humanity along the path of coevolution, form the ethics of responsibility and a new SP (according to O.A. Gabrielyan, I.E. Suleimenov).
'Context' is a concept for linguistic analysis which has rarely been subjected to close empirical scrutiny. This volume presents an attempt to investigate in microscopic detail various processes of contextualization by which children organize their interaction 'frame by frame', achieve, sustain, and embody their working consensus on what it is that they are doing together, and thereby situate their linguistic activities. Microethnography comprises research methods of context analysis, ethnography, and conversational analysis and seeks to locate phenomena of social order in both verbal and nonverbal behavior.
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Information Communication Technology has generally been acclaimed as an important tool exploited by medium and large-scale enterprises for boosting profitability and enhancing viability. Though Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) constitutes a major percentage of businesses in most countries, their ICT adoption rate is still low. This study examined the role of ICT as a tool that SMEs can deploy for the economic development of Nigeria. A questionnaire was employed and administered to a total of 175 SMEs randomly chosen from five different sectors of the Nigeria economy (educational, micro finance, transport, commerce and hospitality). Chi-square test was used to evaluate the hypothesis and the findings of the research revealed that (1) low awareness level of the benefits of ICT incorporation in the management process of most SMEs has been a major cause of its low adoption; (2) poor media transmission framework, high cost of ICT hardware, deficient government support and legislation for internet business among other factors have hindered the adoption of ICT in the management process of SMEs; (3) high cost of funds in Nigeria have also made it unprofitable for SMEs to source fund for ICT expansion and implementation. The research recommends among other measures, the investment on infrastructure and adequate incentives to promote the utilization of ICT among SMEs. Investment banks and other specialized institutions should brace up with their responsibilities and promote local industries through affordable credit schemes.
Information Communication Technology has generally been acclaimed as an important tool exploited by medium and large-scale enterprises for boosting profitability and enhancing viability. Though Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) constitutes a major percentage of businesses in most countries, their ICT adoption rate is still low. This study examined the role of ICT as a tool that SMEs can deploy for the economic development of Nigeria. A questionnaire was employed and administered to a total of 175 SMEs randomly chosen from five different sectors of the Nigeria economy (educational, micro finance, transport, commerce and hospitality). Chi-square test was used to evaluate the hypothesis and the findings of the research revealed that (1) low awareness level of the benefits of ICT incorporation in the management process of most SMEs has been a major cause of its low adoption; (2) poor media transmission framework, high cost of ICT hardware, deficient government support and legislation for internet business among other factors have hindered the adoption of ICT in the management process of SMEs; (3) high cost of funds in Nigeria have also made it unprofitable for SMEs to source fund for ICT expansion and implementation. The research recommends among other measures, the investment on infrastructure and adequate incentives to promote the utilization of ICT among SMEs. Investment banks and other specialized institutions should brace up with their responsibilities and promote local industries through affordable credit schemes.
