Purpose: To explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire administered to small manufacturing business owners in the Liguria region of Italy. Data analysed using factor and cluster analysis. Findings: IT readiness concept appears valid with the emergence of three constructs: strategic vision; project management capability; and IT application infrastructure. The date analysis yielded four distinctive and varying profiles of small business owners. Research limitations/implications: Quantitative study exploring a cross section of small firms suggests antecedents to change have been ignored relative to IT adoption decisions. Practical implications (if applicable) Provision of policy and support services requires a much more nuanced approach to small businesses. Originality/value: Very few studies of IT Readiness in the literature, making the paper original in its intent. The construction of the IT readiness concept appears robust when subjected to empirical testing and yields a number of specific small business profiles with respect to IT.
IT Readiness in Small Firms
SPINELLI, RICCARDO;
2013-01-01
Abstract
Purpose: To explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms. Design/methodology/approach: Questionnaire administered to small manufacturing business owners in the Liguria region of Italy. Data analysed using factor and cluster analysis. Findings: IT readiness concept appears valid with the emergence of three constructs: strategic vision; project management capability; and IT application infrastructure. The date analysis yielded four distinctive and varying profiles of small business owners. Research limitations/implications: Quantitative study exploring a cross section of small firms suggests antecedents to change have been ignored relative to IT adoption decisions. Practical implications (if applicable) Provision of policy and support services requires a much more nuanced approach to small businesses. Originality/value: Very few studies of IT Readiness in the literature, making the paper original in its intent. The construction of the IT readiness concept appears robust when subjected to empirical testing and yields a number of specific small business profiles with respect to IT.
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