Digital transformation and European small and medium enterprises (SMEs): A comparative study using digital economy and society index data

2023 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 1

Authors: Skare, Marinko; de las Mercedes de Obesso, María; Ribeiro-Navarrete, Samuel

Abstract: Digital transformation is profoundly transforming SMEs’ business activities, bri ... Expand

Abstract: Digital transformation is profoundly transforming SMEs’ business activities, bringing about comparative ad­ vantages and associated risks. Previous studies on digital transformation and SMEs focus on technology adoption, innovation, new value creation, and dynamic capabilities. However, it is unclear how digital technology affects SMEs’ specific business activities. We study SMEs’ customer access, increasing competition, external funding or access to finance, rising input costs, skilled labor shortages, exogenous shocks, global crises, and regulatory is­ sues. This study aims to fill the literature gap by exploring the impact of digital technology, using digital economy and society index (DESI) as proxies for the SME issues. We use DESI and SME data from a survey on European enterprises’ access to finance. We find that digital transformation strengthens SMEs’ ability and flexibility to address main business issues. Furthermore, findings reveal that digitally transformed SMEs have fewer concerns about access to new and traditional customers, competition changes, access to finance, increasing input costs, external shocks, and regulatory changes. However, digital transformation also brings risks, such as the shortage of skilled labor and experienced managers and loss of inherent competitiveness. The novelty of our work lies in supplying quantitative knowledge on the link between digital transformation and European SMEs’ critical business concerns. These findings substantially increase our understanding of the impact of digital change on European SMEs’ business activities. Collapse

Topics: digital transformation database system pandemic business model supply chain management

Methods: cross sectional research survey Wald test data modeling design science

Diversity management in organizations – the measuring of the benefits: Visegrad Group (V4) countries perspective

2022 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Gross-Gołacka, Elwira; Kusterka-Jefmańska, Marta; Jefmański, Bartłomiej; Kupczyk, Teresa; Warwas, Izabela

Abstract: Popularization of the diversity management concept and its practical implementat ... Expand

Abstract: Popularization of the diversity management concept and its practical implementation at the level of organizations requires becoming organization owners aware of potential benefits. Therefore, the article presents the survey results of the organization representatives on the benefits of implementing the diversity management concept. The analytical part of the article is based on the survey results of 401 representatives of the organizations located in the Visegrad Group countries. The managing diversity concept knowledge and awareness of the resulting benefits were analyzed at the level of the whole group as well as in the cross-section of the member countries. In the analytical part of the article, selected modified multi-criteria decision making methods for ordinal data were used. Adopting the analytical approach also allowed to indicate the most important benefits that, in the opinion of the organization representatives, are the consequence of the diversity management concept implementation. Collapse

Topics: competitive advantage strategic management human resource management

Methods: survey correlation analysis qualitative interview trade-off analysis method multiple criteria decision making

Generalized Trust, External Sourcing, and Firm Performance in Economic Downturns

2022 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Vanneste, Bart S.; Gulati, Ranjay

Abstract: Going beyond prior research that has focused on dyadic, party-specific trust, th ... Expand

Abstract: Going beyond prior research that has focused on dyadic, party-specific trust, this study investigates the importance of generalized trust, which is not specific to a counterparty and originates from a broader context. We analyze how generalized trust at the regional level affects the extent to which a firm relies on external suppliers and the performance effects of doing so. Furthermore, we assess how these relationships are impacted by an economic downturn. We exploit differences in generalized trust across 145 regions in 12 European countries and use data on more than a million small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) before and during the Great Financial Crisis (from 2008 to 2010). Control variables are selected via a double-selection procedure based on machine learning. We find that firms in high generalized trust regions, compared with those in low generalized trust regions, source more externally (but do not reduce external sourcing less in an economic downturn) and benefit more from external sourcing during an economic downturn. Collapse

Topics: interorganizational relationship organizational productivity asset specificity moral hazard missing data

Methods: lasso regression survey robustness check cluster analysis ordinary least square

Theories: organizational behavior theory

Has The Pandemic Changed Moral Attitudes and Organizational Ethics in Knowledge Workers?

2021 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Kowal, Jolanta; Klebaniuk, Jarosław

Abstract: We explored the Moral Attitudes (MA) and Organizational Ethics (OETH) before an ... Expand

Abstract: We explored the Moral Attitudes (MA) and Organizational Ethics (OETH) before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic in relation to the sex of Information Technology (IT) Knowledge Workers (KW) in regional, crossborder enterprises in Poland, a transition economy. Two dimensions of MA and three dimensions of OETH -Ethical Optimism (ETO), Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and Top Management Action (TMA) -were investigated. The analysis was carried out on data obtained from a random survey among KW representing mainly small and medium-sized enterprises in the cross-border region of Lower Silesia. Our research findings suggest that KW manifest high enough moral codes that do not correlate too strongly with OETH. Pandemic and sex, in general, affect the relationship between MA and OETH of KW in the transition economy. Collapse

Topics: pandemic corporate social responsibility IT job computer software knowledge work

Methods: survey ANOVA parametric test correlation analysis multivariate analysis of variance

The Frequency of Using Websites and Social Media by Various Age Groups to Form Opinions about Scientific Topics: Findings from the European Context

2021 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Warwas, Izabela; Dzimińska, Małgorzata; Krzewińska, Aneta

Abstract: This article presents the frequency of using websites and social media by three ... Expand

Abstract: This article presents the frequency of using websites and social media by three age groups (18-34, 35-54, 55+) from Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, and Spain to form opinions about scientific topics. The findings come from studies performed within a European project entitled CONCISE, which is researching the role of communication in creating EU citizens’ perceptions about science. The results show that young, heavy users take the lead in using all digital sources, except for general websites, where the middle-aged show dominance. Facebook is the most-used social media platform among all age groups. The group of social media non-users among older adults is almost seven times larger than that of the young. The study offers insights for scientists and policymakers which digital media to target to effectively reach the various age groups with reliable and trustworthy scientific information thus combating misinformation and pseudoscience. Collapse

Topics: social media website Twitter digital media Facebook

Methods: ANOVA parametric test chi squared test survey

The Relative Role of Digital Complementary Assets and Regulation in Discontinuous Telemedicine Innovation in European Hospitals

2020 | Journal of Management Information Systems | Citations: 11

Authors: Steinhauser, Stefanie; Doblinger, Claudia; Hüsig, Stefan

Abstract: Telemedicine innovation is important for accelerating the digital transformation ... Expand

Abstract: Telemedicine innovation is important for accelerating the digital transformation of the health care sector. However, telemedicine is a discontinuous digital innovation, and incumbent health care organizations are lagging in its adoption. We combine research on IT innovation adoption and discontinuous innovation to study the relative role of two drivers of discontinuous innovation adoption: digital complementary assets and the regulatory environment. Our findings from 1,753 acute care hospitals across 30 European countries suggest that digital complementary assets have a stronger effect on telemedicine innovation adoption than the regulatory framework. In addition, we observe application- and business model-specific differences. Overall, our findings add the role of organizational versus regulatory drivers of discontinuous innovation adoption to information systems research, emphasize the importance of digital complementary assets for the adoption of discontinuous innovation by incumbent organizations, and provide new insights into how the diffusion of telemedicine innovation can be accelerated. Collapse

Topics: electronic health innovation management digital innovation digital transformation business-to-business

Methods: regression analysis method descriptive statistic cross sectional research statistical hypothesis test survey

Theories: resource based view of the firm

ADAPTATION BARRIERS IN INTERNAL CROWDSOURCING: A MULTIPLE CASE STUDY

2018 | European Conference On Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Knop, Nicolas; Blohm, Ivo

Abstract: Recently, the application of internal crowdsourcing in companies as a new form o ... Expand

Abstract: Recently, the application of internal crowdsourcing in companies as a new form of orchestrating work has increased substantially. Early research has shown that organizations should apply internal crowdsourcing due to its benefits, such as fast access to internal knowledge and increased productivity. Although studies have identified some advantages, internal crowdsourcing is a complex initiative and we do not sufficiently know how to rollout internal crowdsourcing initiatives in a company and to guide them to a state of stable operations in the adaptation stage. Some papers derived barriers for internal crowdsourcing and solutions on how to overcome them. However, these barriers address mostly the operational stage, when the initiative is already stable. Some papers address adaptation barriers, but the assessment frameworks in current literature used to detect them were incomprehensive resulting in only few adaptation barriers and solutions. Therefore, we identify the adaptation barriers of internal crowdsourcing comprehensively through the technochange theory in a multiple case study, assess what solutions the companies applied and describe how the solutions work in order to display how to overcome barriers in a consolidated introduction model for internal crowdsourcing. Collapse

Topics: crowdsourcing project management IT project organizational change

Methods: qualitative interview case study personal interview multiple case study theoretical contribution

Theories: socio technical theory

A Differentially Private Matching Scheme for Pairing Similar Users of Proximity Based Social Networking applications

2018 | HICSS | Citations: 0

Authors: Sommer, Michael; Lim, Lipyeow; Li, Depeng

Abstract: The pervasiveness of smartphones has made connecting with users through proximit ... Expand

Abstract: The pervasiveness of smartphones has made connecting with users through proximity based mobile social networks commonplace in today’s culture. Many such networks connect users by matching them based on shared interests. With ever-increasing concern for privacy, users are wary of openly sharing personal information with strangers. Several methods have addressed this privacy concern such as encryption and k-anonymity, but none address issues of eliminating third party matches, achieving relevant matches, and prohibiting malicious users from inferring information based on their input into the system. In this paper, we propose a matching scheme that accurately pairs similar users while simultaneously providing protection from malicious users inferring information. Specifically, we match users in a proximity-based social network setting adapted from a framework of differential privacy. This eliminates the need for third-party matching schemes, allows for accurate matching, and ensures malicious users will be unable to infer information from matching results. Collapse

Topics: privacy differential privacy recommender system IT work data encryption

Methods: experiment computational algorithm simulation descriptive statistic

The deep structure of organizational online networking – an actor-oriented case study

2015 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 0

Authors: Trier, Matthias; Richter, Alexander

Abstract: While research on organizational online networking recently increased significan ... Expand

Abstract: While research on organizational online networking recently increased significantly, most studies adopt quantitative research designs with a focus on the consequences of social network configurations. Very limited attention is paid to comprehensive theoretical conceptions of the complex phenomenon of organizational online networking. We address this gap by adopting a theoretical framework of the deep structure of organizational online networking with a focus on their emerging meaning for the employees. We apply and assess the framework in a qualitative case study of a large-scale implementation of a corporate social network site (SNS) in a global organization. We reveal organizational online networking as a multi-dimensional phenomenon with multiplex relationships that are unbalanced, primarily consist of weak ties and are subject to temporal change. Further, we identify discourse drivers and information retrievers as two mutually interdependent actor roles as an explanation for uneven levels of user contributions to the SNS. Based on our analysis, we elicit abstract order principles, such as topical discourses, and identify transactive memory theory as a potent explanation of the evolving interaction structures. We finally discuss how the deep structure framework can contribute to future research on organizational networks. Collapse

Topics: social network organizational context information management Facebook internet technology

Methods: case study qualitative interview network analysis theory development qualitative coding

Theories: social network theory cognitive theory transactive memory theory

Enterprise Systems in Transition Economies: An Initial Literature Review

2015 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Weistroffer, Heinz Roland; Roztocki, Narcyz; Soja, Piotr

Abstract: In spite of the fact that enterprise systems have become essential in modern org ... Expand

Abstract: In spite of the fact that enterprise systems have become essential in modern organizations, there is a scarcity of research on this topic in the context of transition economies, defined as countries that are in the process of moving or have recently moved from a centrally planned economic system to a marketdriven system. In this initial study, we conduct a review of 27 journal papers on enterprise systems in transition economies published in the years 2004-2014. We examine the research focus, research approach, and theoretical foundation. Based on the analysis of themes and current trends in the existing literature we identify gaps and propose opportunities for future research. Collapse

Topics: enterprise information system enterprise resource planning database system

Methods: literature sample literature study structured literature research