Morteza Ghobakhloo

The role of owner/manager in adoption of electronic commerce in small businesses

Purpose – Based on theories from the innovation diffusion literature, the purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated model of electronic commerce (EC) adoption in small businesses (SBs) of developing countries. The research model specifies variables at managerial level as the primary determinants to EC adoption in SBs. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based field survey was conducted to collect data from 268 owner/managers of SBs in Iran. The data were analysed using factorial analysis. Subsequently, six hypotheses were derived and tested by hierarchical multiple regression and logistic regression analysis. Findings – Perceived benefits, perceived compatibility, perceived risks, perceived costs, and innovativeness were found to be the significant determinants of decision to adopt EC. Likewise, discussion on discriminators between adopters and non-adopters of different EC applications has been provided. Research limitations/implications – Cross-sectional data of this research tends to h...

IT investments and business performance improvement: the mediating role of lean manufacturing implementation

The main purpose of this study is to examine whether the application of current information technology (IT) and different principles of lean manufacturing (LM) are interdependent and complimentary or they are mutually exclusive. This study draws on the so-called IT-enabled organisational capabilities perspective to study the relationships between IT, LM and business performance improvement. Using a questionnaire-based survey, the data come from 231 leading Iranian and Malaysian auto-part manufacturers. The findings suggest that LM and IT are mutually interdependent and value of IT investments can be effectively transformed into business performance improvement for auto-part manufacturers through the higher levels of lean manufacturing system (LMS) implementation. Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) competency is a valuable intermediate capability which links IT investments into LMS implementation. It was found that IT investment is one of the minimum requirements of LMS implementation for surveyed business, and the value of IT investment is truly transformed to LMS implementation when IT investments offer competent administrative AMTs to effectively manage all production processes. Findings also recommend that managers should avoid isolating the performance metrics only on areas such as net financial measures, while assessing the business value of IT and LM.

Information system success among manufacturing SMEs: case of developing countries

This research develops an integrated model of Information System (IS) success based on the DeLone and McLean (2003. The DeLone and McLean model of information systems success: A ten-year update. Journal of Management Information Systems, 19(4), 9–30) IS success model and the technology–organization–environment framework of the firm to provide small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with the relative importance and knowledge of IS success. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 316 Iranian and Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. Our findings show that the determinants of IS success among SMEs are not limited to the technological factors identified in the DeLone and McLean (2003) IS success model. We in effect found that IS success among SMEs is also determined by some key organizational and environmental determinants. We observed that the involvement of both top management and employees in different stages of IS implementation is important and IS success among SMEs requires internal and external support. The study contributes to the theory by extending and empirically testing the DeLone and McLean IS success model in a different setting than in previous studies. The study can serve as a basis for future research in this field through advancing the theoretical development in the area of IS success.

The Impact of Information System-Enabled Supply Chain Process Integration on Business Performance: A Resource-Based Analysis

This paper seeks to develop and test a model to examine the relationships between, technical aspects of IS resources (IS alignment, IS resources technical quality, IS advancement), supply chain process integration, and firm performance. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 227 supply chain, logistics, or procurement/purchasing managers of leading manufacturing and retail organizations. Drawing on resources-based view of the firm, and through extending the concept of process integration in supply network, as well as broadening the scope of role of IS resources in relation to process integration and performance gain from the focal firm to the entire supply chain, we found that supply chain process integration is an important multidimensional intermediate organizational capability through which the value of IS resources for supply chain management can be materialized. This capability serves as a catalyst in transforming the value of technical aspects of IS resources into higher performance gain for a firm. Thus, the importance of formation of all dimensions of this capability across supply network should be realized. Moreover, the result suggests that the technical aspects of IS resources need to be jointly developed by supply partners to effectively form supply chain capabilities.

Adoption of Mobile Commerce: The Impact of End User Satisfaction on System Acceptance

Although voluntary individual usage behavior of information system and technology is well studied in the literature, further theoretical development is needed to account for the specific characteristics of the mobile commerce. This study presents an extended technology acceptance and satisfaction model presented by Wixom and Todd (2005) that integrates technology acceptance and technology satisfaction into unified model to investigate what determines user mobile commerce acceptance and usage. The contributions of this paper are to extend and adapt the user satisfaction and technology acceptance model in an empirical study of 503 mobile commerce users, shedding light on the significance and relative importance of specific acceptance and satisfaction factors. This study validates the user satisfaction and technology acceptance model in business to customer mobile commerce context. The implication of this study to both researchers and practitioners is discussed.

Business excellence via advanced manufacturing technology and lean-agile manufacturing

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the relationships between advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), lean manufacturing (LM), agile manufacturing (AM), and business performance. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was performed to collect data from 189 Iranian automobile part manufacturers. Statistical analysis of hypothesized relationships was conducted via partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings AMT significantly contributes to the development of both LM and AM. These manufacturing systems can co-exist in one system, and LM is a precursor to AM. LM contributes to operational performance whereas AM improves marketing performance and financial performance. Research limitations/implications Relying on the cross-sectional data of this research, and lack of generalizability of findings are key limitations. An interesting direction for future research would be to empirically offer a hybrid lean-agile approach and further map the mechanism through which this hybrid approach can be achieved in practice. Practical implications Both LM and AM are information-intensive and highly supported by AMT. They contribute to different aspects of business performance. Pursuing both cost-leadership strategy and product mix flexibility is viable via hybridizing the lean and agile systems. Originality/value This study is among the first to address issues related to the lean-AM relationship among developing countries. This study is unique in the sense it shows the mechanism through which the value of AMT is truly transformed to performance improvement.

Business-to-Business Electronic Commerce Success: A Supply Network Perspective

DeLone and McLean (2004) have advanced an electronic commerce (EC) success model and suggest that it can be extended to investigating EC success in different contexts. However, the EC success model has not been empirically validated in the context of business-to-business (B2B) EC. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of EC value and success within the B2B environment. Accordingly, we introduce an extended version of DeLone and McLean’s (2004) EC success model, and test hypotheses regarding the associations between various success dimensions using the data collected from 122 supply chain units. In addition to providing support for most of the hypotheses suggested by DeLone and McLean’s (2004) EC success model, our results indicate that other success dimensions, such as EC readiness, must be considered for successful EC in B2B environments. The research findings provide practitioners with clarity on the levers of B2B e-commerce success within the supply chain unit level of analysis. Overall, the study’s results contribute to theoretical development in the area of business value creation and EC success, and present a basis for further research in these fields.

B2B E-Commerce Success among Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: A Business Network Perspective

E-commerce (EC) success and related influencing factors have not been investigated properly in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), while these businesses possess very different characteristics as compared to large businesses. The purpose of this study is to provide a better and clearer understanding of business-to-business (B2B) EC value and success within SMEs, particularly in emerging economies. Rooted in the information system (IS) diffusion and success literature and organizational research background, this paper develops an integrative research model to assess the success of B2B EC among Iranian and Malaysian SMEs. To interpret the success of B2B EC, we viewed EC success dimensions and relevant determinants from the perspectives of all users at the business network unit level. The result of testing this model on 130 business network units revealed that in addition to technological characteristics of EC including information, system and service quality, different SME-related organizational determinants such as perceived usefulness of EC, top management support and commitment and EC knowledge are crucial for successful B2B EC among SMEs. The findings offer valuable insights to managers, EC/IS experts and policy makers responsible for assisting SMEs with successfully engaging in B2B EC.

The Business Value of Information System-Enabled E-Collaboration Capabilities

This study aims to understand how firms in developing countries can effectively use their Information System (IS) resources to develop valuable e-collaboration capabilities that in turn improve business performance. A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 408 Iranian and Malaysian manufacturing firms. Findings revealed that Supply Chain-Wide Process Integration (SCPI) and Collaborative Knowledge Management (CKM) are key IS-enabled capabilities that enhance performance gain of manufacturing firms. The work found that these capabilities serve as catalysts in transforming the value of IS resources controlled by firms into business performance improvement. The results suggest that SCPI, as a determinant of a highly integrated and dynamic supply chain, is an important intermediate organizational capability through which value of IS resources can be materialized. Likewise, the findings imply that CKM across a given supply network, as a valuable intermediate organizational capability, converts the benefits of both technical and human IS resources into performance gain at the corporate level.

Lean-green manufacturing: the enabling role of information technology resource

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the relationships between information technology (IT), lean manufacturing (LM), organizational environmental issues and business performance. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 122 elite manufacturers, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling. Findings IT competence in LM acts as a lower-order organizational capability, and its business value should be recognized through the intermediate roles of LM effectiveness and environmental management capability. Findings recommend that the net benefits of LM are mainly materialized through waste and pollution reduction and simplified implementation of proactive environmental practices. Research limitations/implications Among other limitations, relying on a rather small sample size and cross-sectional data of this research, and lack of generalizability of findings, tends to have certain limitations. An interesting direction for future research would be to extend this research by assessing interaction of other types of IT resources with LM and organizational environmental issues. Practical implications Both LM and proactive environmental management are information-intensive. Investment in both technological and human aspects of IT resource aimed at increasing the effectiveness of LM activities and proactive environmental practices is imperative for contemporary manufacturers. Originality/value This study introduces the IT capability of IT competence in LM and two organizational capabilities of LM effectiveness and environmental management capability. By doing so, the study highlights the significant role of organizational environmental issues in devising firms’ IT and advanced manufacturing technology investment strategies in LM context.