bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Factors influencing ERP outcomes in SMEs: a post‐introduction assessment
Authors: Federici Tommaso 
Published: February 2009

PurposeSmall enterprises are very different in size and organisation, and cannot be considered scaled‐down larger companies. Thus the adoption of ERP by an SME may occur in a highly different environment and cannot directly leverage on corporate experiences. Therefore, finding this subject interesting, this paper aims to analyse the peculiarities of this innovation in SMEs and specifically to cross‐assess the benefits obtained with context/project factors that could influence them.Design/methodology/approachThe research was explicitly focused on an ex post evaluation of a panel of Italian SMEs which completed the introduction of an ERP system. Data about actual achievement, advantages and context/project characteristics were collected through direct interviews with SMEs' managers. A factors‐outcomes model is proposed, discussed and finalised in its most significant variables.FindingsERP introduction is considered successful to a greater extent than was expected. The most frequently observed benefits are internal procedure simplification, much easier information retrieval, improved performance management, and some production efficiency increases. The factors that seem to mostly affect them are depth of organisational change and type of chosen ERP producer.Practical implicationsPossible associations between each context/project variable and every outcome were identified and their intensity evaluated to suggest which decisive factors to manage.Originality/valueThe key aspects of the research are exclusive focus on the SME segment and the choice of the post‐introduction phase as the moment to assess ERP outcomes. From a review of the literature, no study seems to have adopted a similar perspective.
An investigation into resistance practices at an SME consultancy
Authors: Griffiths Marie , Light Ben 
Published: February 2009

PurposePrior research emphasises that organisational founders have a good deal of influence in organisational development and, where information and communication technogies (ICTs) are involved, a generic strategy is usually deployed by managers in order to deal with any resistance that might occur. Cognisant of this, the authors investigated the role played by a managing director of a small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) consultancy in an ICT project associated with organisational development.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on an ethnography of an ICT related change management initiative which, theoretically, takes into account though from the social shaping of technology – specifically the idea that technologies in their broadest sense are subject to ongoing work beyond the design stage.FindingsThe authors argue that Markus' interaction theory of resistance still has relevance today and we extend it by emphasising the problem of homogenising users and downplaying their ability to appropriate resistance strategiesin situ.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based upon one group of individuals' experiences. Further case studies of resistance success are required which further highlight how this is achieved and why.Practical implicationsThose engaged with organisational development projects need to be better educated as to the reasons for resistance, particularly positive ones, and the methods by which this might take place.Originality/valueThis study conceptualises strategies for “overcoming” resistance as managerial technologies. Conceptualising them in this way shows the deployment of such technologies to be a complicated and active process where the audience for such things are involved in how they are received and appropriated to suit differing agendas.
Using importance performance analysis to understand and guide e‐business decision making in SMEs
Authors: Magal Simha R. , Kosalge Parag , Levenburg Nancy M. 
Published: February 2009

PurposeE‐business adoption among small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) has been limited because of resource constraints and a failure to understand the strategic value of e‐business. To facilitate decision making concerning e‐business applications and their implementation, simple, low cost tools are needed to assist in analyzing and developing effective e‐business strategies. This paper aims to evaluate the use of e‐business applications among SMEs, to test the robustness of importance‐performance (IP) analysis models and to present IP mapping as a resource/tool for decision making.Design/methodology/approachA total of 19 e‐business motivations were identified from the literature and incorporated into a self‐administered survey questionnaire. Data were collected from 439 SMEs located throughout the US.FindingsMost IP studies have assumed that importance and performance are independent; however, three recent studies have argued otherwise, identifying positive, negative and v‐shaped relationships. The study finds a fourth, N‐shaped relationship between importance and performance. This is an extension of the v‐shaped relationship and appears when the full range of performance scale values is displayed.Research limitations/implicationsThe relationship between the “importance” and “performance” variables suggests a path of travel that can help show the e‐business adoption states and the possible undulations in e‐business strategies along the path. Firms can identify their location on an IP map relative to the N‐shaped path and then identify the path to the optimum location on the map.Originality/valueThis paper should be useful for academic researchers and business practitioners seeking guidance in terms of which e‐business applications to adopt and implement.
SMEs' e‐commerce adoption: perspectives from Denmark and Australia
Authors: Scupola Ada 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe paper aims to provide an insight about factors affecting business‐to‐business e‐commerce adoption and implementation in small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting similarities and differences between Danish and Australian SMEs.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a wide literature review, focused on proposing a theoretical model of technological, environmental and organisational factors influencing e‐commerce adoption and implementation. Subsequently, a questionnaire based on the research model has been developed and face‐to‐face interviews were conducted in Danish and Australian companies.FindingsThe findings both corroborate previous results about significant factors affecting SMEs' business‐to‐business e‐commerce adoption and implementation and provide new, interesting insights. The study also finds many similarities and differences between Denmark and Australia.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation relates to the difficulty of generalisation of the findings to a larger population of SMEs. To overcome this, a statistical survey is planned to be conducted in the future.Practical implicationsThe results of the empirical research provide indication to SMEs interested to adopt business‐to‐business e‐commerce, large companies interested to conduct e‐commerce transactions with small and medium‐size companies and policy makers.Originality/valueThis paper both contributes to enhancing the understanding of the factors affecting business‐to‐business e‐commerce adoption and implementation in SMEs and provides some interesting perspectives from Denmark and Australia.
Small firm e‐business adoption: a critical analysis of theory
Authors: Parker Craig M. , Castleman Tanya 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe paper critiques a range of theories and evaluates their ability to provide a lens for explaining the idiosyncratic nature of small firms and their e‐business adoption decisions.Design/methodology/approachThis literature review firstly summarises the existing research evidence that shows that small firms are idiosyncratic when it comes to e‐business adoption. It then critiques theories commonly used in the literature in this field to examine the extent to which they take this small firm idiosyncrasy into account when explaining e‐business adoption decisions.FindingsThe critical analysis shows that no commonly‐used theory adequately explains small firm adoption of e‐business because each omits important aspects of small firm idiosyncrasy. The analysis suggests that an integrated theoretical framework is needed. Preliminary ideas on this framework are provided.Originality/valueExisting research generally applies a small number of selected theories and formulates research models of adoption factors. However, there is no systematic analysis of theories in this field and no consensus about theoretical frameworks. This paper addresses this limitation of the literature by critically evaluating the commonly used theories in terms of their individual suitability as lenses for explaining small firm e‐business adoption.
An exploratory study of the extent of information technology adoption in SMEs: an application of upper echelon theory
Authors: Chuang Ta‐Tao , Nakatani Kazuo , Zhou Duanning 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the effect of compositions of managerial/demographic characteristics of the top management team (TMT) on the extent of information technology (IT) adoption in small businesses (SMEs), where such strategic decisions made by TMT have direct and significant influence on all aspects of business operations and its competitive position in a market.Design/methodology/approachBased on the upper echelon theory, the study formulated four hypotheses relating the compositions of TMT characteristics to the extent of IT adoption in different functional areas. Multiple regression analysis was employed to analyze the data.FindingsThe age average and the education average of TMT in small businesses are significant predictors of the extent of IT adoption. However, the group heterogeneity (either gender or ethnicity), contrary to the prediction, has negative impact on the extent of IT adoption.Practical implicationsThe research findings indicate that the age and education composition of managers as current/future top management is critical to facilitate the extent of IT adoption in SMEs.Originality/valueThe research contributes to the body of knowledge in IT adoption by complementing the results of prior research with the findings that the characteristic compositions of TMT affect the extent of IT adoption in SMEs, applying the upper echelon theory to examine issues surrounding IT adoption, and suggesting practical implications that SMEs could compose, educate, and rejuvenate their top management teams to achieve a high extent of IT adoption.
Relative size and complexity: e‐business use in small and medium sized tourism enterprises in Thailand
Authors: Brown David H. , Kaewkitipong Laddawan 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe research documented in this paper aims to explore e‐business uses in small and medium‐sized tourism enterprises compared with their larger counterparts.Design/methodology/approachFive case studies were conducted with Thai tourism SMEs to investigate their technology adoption and use experiences. For large‐sized enterprises, an extensive review of industry's practice was conducted. A comparison was then carried out based on the scope of the technology, namely inter‐organisation, intra‐organisation, and front‐end side linking to customers.FindingsIn terms of e‐business use, it is not surprising that Thai SMEs remain less advanced in utilising e‐business technology. However, size is found to be a significant factor in determining SME behaviour not only in comparison to larger travel agencies or hotels, but also with the SME sector itself. Associated with this is application complexity that is again significant and linked to relative size. Finally, the choices made by small hotels and travel agents are shown to be influenced by the technology providers.Research limitations/implicationsThe main research limitation is a limited generalisibility. Future research on SMEs in developing countries would make the comparison more sound and increase generalisability.Practical implicationsSMEs should pay more attention on strategic use of IT in order to compete with their larger competitors. At the policy level, more education on IT development skills and business potentials of IT are needed.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the literature on IT adoption in SMEs particularly with respect to size within the SME sector, the importance of complexity and the role of technology provider.
Do educational outcomes in Lebanese universities differ based on the academic model?
Authors: Issa Nauffal Diane 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine differences in students' perceptions of quality and satisfaction with their educational experience among four types of higher educational models, American, French, Egyptian and Lebanese, in Lebanon.Design/methodology/approachA sample of over 200 students from each of the seven universities included in the research study were surveyed. Their perceptions were sought on a range of demonstrable performance outcomes. These outcomes include the observance of democratic practices, the effectiveness of the teaching/learning experiences, the quality of academic and non‐academic services, and relationships and destination upon graduation.FindingsThe findings indicate that universities adopting the American and French academic model, including the Lebanese university, tend to more readily involve students in institutional decision making at both the academic and non‐academic levels in comparison to the university following the Egyptian academic model encouraging democratic practice among youth. Despite the considerable differences among the various institutional types in the philosophy of education, the perceptions of the purposes of higher education and the pedagogical approaches they adopt, students generally expressed satisfaction in the quality of their university education.Research limitations/implicationsWith the continuous establishment of universities in Lebanon and the region following different academic models, the research findings may serve to inform policy makers and academic leaders of students' perceptions of quality and satisfaction.Originality/valueNo such comparative study has been conducted to determine the satisfaction of students with their overall higher education experience in Lebanon and the region.
The impact of the Arab national culture on the perception of ideal organizational culture in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Klein Andrew , France Waxin Marie , Radnell Elina 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the potential impact of Arab national culture (NC) on the style of organizational culture (OC) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study that uses a conceptual framework which is well‐grounded in social science theory measuring NC and OC.FindingsThe paper finds that NC appears to have some influence on the style of OC in the UAE.Research limitations/implicationsThe sample size is relatively small (17 firms), and each firm is represented by only one member. Future research will need to expand on this research base and should obtain broader firm representation in the sample survey.Practical implicationsOrganizations in the UAE can use aspects of this methodology to better comprehend the variability of performance in their key outcomes, at the individual, group, and organizational levels.Originality/valueThis study collected primary data from a wide sample of firms in the UAE, specifically designed to measure OC and some causal dimensions (NC). This is an emerging research area, both in the Middle East and worldwide. Its value lies in improving our understanding of a key dimension of corporate performance, culture.
Emiratization: aligning education with future needs in the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Pech Robert 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThrough an examination of current opinion and research on Emiratization, the United Arab Emirates' affirmative action policy in banks in Abu Dhabi, the purpose of this paper is to describe contemporary and positive methods of educating and training young Emirates, as alternatives to the present systems which have a punitive orientation and frequently have negative outcomes.Design/methodology/approachRelates ineffective and punitive methods of training at the present time to more humanistic methods such as initiating support systems, group‐work, simulation, role‐play and mentoring, as well as re‐interpretation of traditional Arabic values to better align young recruits with the demands of banking jobs in contemporary, multi‐cultural society.FindingsFinds that positive training outcomes correlate with positive training methods that inculcate collegiality, initiative and competence within a customer service environment.Originality/valueThe analysis presented seeks to find solutions to the problem of young Emirates' high rate of attrition in financial workplaces. It uses a performance evaluation template to guide mentors and instructors to better train their recruits.
A neural network for diagnosing multiprocessor and multicomputer systems
Authors: Elhadef Mourad 
Published: February 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a novel diagnosis approach, using neural networks (NNs), which can be used to identify faulty nodes in distributed and multiprocessor systems.Design/methodology/approachBased on a literature‐based study focusing on research methodology and theoretical frameworks, the conduct of an ethnographic case study is described in detail. A discussion of the reporting and analysis of the data is also included.FindingsThis work shows that NNs can be used to implement a more efficient and adaptable approach for diagnosing faulty nodes in distributed systems. Simulations results indicate that the perceptron‐based diagnosis is a viable addition to present diagnosis problems.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents a solution for the asymmetric comparison model. For a more generalized approach that can be used for other comparison or invalidation models this approach requires a multilayer neural network.Practical implicationsThe extensive simulations conducted clearly showed that the perceptron‐based diagnosis algorithm correctly identified all the millions of faulty situations tested. In addition, the perceptron‐based diagnosis requires an off‐line learning phase which does not have an impact on the diagnosis latency. This means that a fault set can be easily and rapidly identified. Simulations results showed that only few milliseconds are required to diagnose a system, hence, one can start talking about “real‐time” diagnosis.Originality/valueThe paper is first work that uses NNs to solve the system‐level diagnosis problem.
Evaluation of the meaningfulness of health‐related quality of life improvements as assessed by the SF‐36 and the EQ‐5D VAS in patients with active Crohn’s disease
Authors: COTEUR G. , FEAGAN B. , KEININGER D. L. , KOSINSKI M. 
Published: February 2009

SummaryBackground  Crohn’s disease (CD) is a chronic inflammatory illness characterized by episodic abdominal pain, diarrhoea, fever, bleeding and obstruction. While the Crohn’s Disease Activity Index (CDAI) remains the most commonly accepted measure for assessing the disease status in clinical trials, patient‐reported outcome (PRO) instruments are being utilized more frequently to provide information about health‐related quality of life (HRQOL). To facilitate interpretation of results, it is common to identify a meaningful unit of PRO score change, such as a minimal clinically important difference (MCID).Aim  To define and apply MCID estimates for the SF‐36 and EuroQol‐5D visual analogue scale (EQ‐5D VAS) for use in CD treatment evaluation.Methods  Data from two phase III randomized controlled trials of certolizumab pegol were utilized. MCID estimates were computed from one trial using anchor‐based and distribution‐based methods. These estimates were applied to data from the other trial.Results  SF‐36 PCS and MCS MCID estimates ranged from 1.6 to 7.0 and 2.3 to 8.7 respectively, depending on approach. EQ‐5D VAS MCID estimates ranged from 4.2 to 14.8.Conclusions  For the first time, the MCID values provided interpretation guidelines for PRO results in CD. This research demonstrates that patients treated with certolizumab pegol benefit from meaningful and sustained HRQOL improvements.
Establishment of warm‐season grasses in summer and damage in winter under supplementary irrigation in a semi‐arid environment at high elevation in western United States of America
Authors: Robins J. G. , Jensen K. B. , Peel M. D. , Waldron B. L. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractAs with other areas of the world, herbage production of cool‐season grasses in irrigated semi‐arid areas of the western USA at high elevation declines during summer. The use of warm‐season grasses during this period could be a possible way to ameliorate this decline in herbage production. The ability of twenty‐one grass cultivars, representing seven warm‐season grass species, to establish in the summer of 2005, as measured by stand frequency and herbage production, the potential for damage in winter under irrigated conditions in 2005–2006 and the stand frequency in 2006 at two sites in semi‐arid environments of the western USA was compared with that of a cultivar of each of six cool‐season grass species. Some warm‐season grass species, including switchgrass (Panicum virgatum), showed potential for use in this environment, based on their similar herbage production in 2005 and similar values of stand frequency in 2005 and 2006 to that of cool‐season grasses. All the cultivars of the warm‐season grass species suffered greater winter damage than did the cultivars of the cool‐season species. The higher winter damage to the species of warm‐season grasses did not correspond with a lower stand frequency in the second year.
Sowing date and nitrogen supply determine the outcome of competition between dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) in the Pampas region of Argentina
Authors: Jacobo E. , Rodríguez A. , Durand M. , Deregibus V. 
Published: February 2009

AbstractThe effects of sowing date and nitrogen (N) fertilizer on the inter‐specific competition between dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) in the humid Pampas of Argentina were investigated in two pot experiments where a constant soil moisture content was maintained. Tall fescue and dallisgrass seeds were sown either in the spring (October 2000) or in the autumn (March 2001) in mixed and mono‐specific stands with 0 or 100 kg N ha−1. In the spring, competition from tall fescue depressed dry‐matter (DM) yield of dallisgrass from 1·53 to 0·36 g DM per plant and tiller number from 9·4 to 3·7 tillers per plant in mixed and in mono‐specific stands, respectively, while tall fescue had 3–4 times higher DM yields in mixed stands. Leaf extension rate (LER) of tall fescue was higher (1·3 mm d−1) than that of dallisgrass (0·53 mm d−1). In the autumn, inter‐specific competition did not affect DM yield of dallisgrass and N fertilizer increased DM yield from 0·53 to 2·07 g DM per plant, tiller number from 6·8 to 14·2 tillers per plant and LER at the beginning of autumn from 1·2 to 2·12 mm d−1 in both species. As temperature decreased, LER was reduced in both species to 0·31 mm d−1 by late autumn. The number of leaves per tiller was not affected by treatment. Nitrogen fertilizer increased N concentration of above‐ground tissues of both species (18 g kg−1 DM in autumn and 20 g kg−1 DM in spring). It was concluded that a productive mixed pasture of dallisgrass and tall fescue can be obtained by sowing early in the autumn. The application of N fertilizer in this season is essential to ensure a high herbage yield and quality.