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Resource constraints and information systems implementation in Singaporean small businesses

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  • Thong, James Y. L.

Abstract

While the information systems (IS) literature has identified potential factors of IS implementation success, none has investigated the relative importance of these factors in the context of small businesses. Small businesses have very different characteristics from large businesses; notably, small businesses suffer from resource poverty. Without knowing the relative importance of key factors, small businesses may be expending their limited resources and energy on less important factors which have limited contribution to IS implementation success. This paper develops a resource-based model of IS implementation for small businesses based on Welsh and White's (Harv Bus Rev 59(4) (1981) 18-32) framework of resource constraints in small businesses and Attewell's (Organ Sci 3(1) (1992) 1-19) knowledge barrier theory. The model is then tested on a sample of 114 small businesses. The results show that small businesses with successful IS tend to have highly effective external experts, adequate IS investment, high users' IS knowledge, high user involvement, and high CEO support. External expertise is the predominant key factor of IS implementation success in small businesses.

Suggested Citation

  • Thong, James Y. L., 2001. "Resource constraints and information systems implementation in Singaporean small businesses," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 29(2), pages 143-156, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jomega:v:29:y:2001:i:2:p:143-156
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    6. Morteza Ghobakhloo & Sai Hong Tang, 2015. "Information system success among manufacturing SMEs: case of developing countries," Information Technology for Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 573-600, October.
    7. Oesterreich, Thuy Duong & Teuteberg, Frank, 2019. "Behind the scenes: Understanding the socio-technical barriers to BIM adoption through the theoretical lens of information systems research," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 146(C), pages 413-431.
    8. Monica Răileanu Szeles & Mihaela Simionescu, 2020. "Regional Patterns and Drivers of the EU Digital Economy," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 150(1), pages 95-119, July.
    9. Anwar Ali Shah G SYED & Faiz M SHAIKH, 2012. "BARRIERS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF E-BUSINESS TECHNOLOGIES IN SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (SMEs) IN PAKISTAN," Romanian Statistical Review, Romanian Statistical Review, vol. 60(4), pages 65-72, May.
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    13. Vu Linh Toan Le & Tien Hoang Nguyen & Khanh Duy Pham, 2023. "What Drives Industry 4.0 Technologies Adoption? Evidence from a SEM-Neural Network Approach in the Context of Vietnamese Firms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-32, March.
    14. Cacciolatti, Luca & Wan, Tingting, 2013. "A Study of Small Business Owners’ Personal Characteristics and the Use of Marketing Information in the Food and Drink Industry: A Resource-Based Perspective," International Journal on Food System Dynamics, International Center for Management, Communication, and Research, vol. 3(2), pages 1-14, January.
    15. Gianluca Vagnani & Corrado Gatti & Luca Proietti, 2019. "A conceptual framework of the adoption of innovations in organizations: a meta-analytical review of the literature," Journal of Management & Governance, Springer;Accademia Italiana di Economia Aziendale (AIDEA), vol. 23(4), pages 1023-1062, December.
    16. Giotopoulos, Ioannis & Kontolaimou, Alexandra & Korra, Efthymia & Tsakanikas, Aggelos, 2017. "What drives ICT adoption by SMEs? Evidence from a large-scale survey in Greece," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 60-69.
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    18. Oesterreich, Thuy Duong & Teuteberg, Frank & Bensberg, Frank & Buscher, Gandalf, 2019. "The controlling profession in the digital age: Understanding the impact of digitisation on the controller's job roles, skills and competences," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 35(C).
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    21. Anasuya K. Lingappa & Amit Shah & Asish Oommen Mathew, 2020. "Academic, Family, and Peer Influence on Entrepreneurial Intention of Engineering Students," SAGE Open, , vol. 10(3), pages 21582440209, July.
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