Riccardo Spinelli

IT readiness in small firms

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to explore conceptually and empirically the application of the concept of IT readiness to small firms. Design/methodology/approach – The approach taken was a questionnaire administered to small manufacturing business owners in the Liguria region of Italy. Data were 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 – This quantitative study exploring a cross section of small firms suggests antecedents to change have been ignored relative to IT adoption decisions. Practical implications – Provision of policy and support services requires a much more nuanced approach to small businesses. Originality/value – There are very few studies of IT readiness in the literature, making the paper origina...

Balancing Growth: A Conceptual Framework for Evaluating ICT Readiness in SMEs

This article analyses the strategic, organisational, and structural conditions for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to fully exploit the potential of information and communication technology (ICT). The authors build a conceptual framework relating “ICT readiness†(a new construct) to two more common dimensions: “strategic vision of ICT†and “ICT maturity†. Using the framework, the study identifies four distinct groups of SMEs, associated with differing degrees of readiness, before analysing possible evolutionary and regressive development paths among these groups. In discussing the implications of the framework, the authors argue that the framework represents a valid tool of diagnosis and intervention, especially in those circumstances where SMEs cannot fully exploit the potential of ICT. The framework helps identify the underlying causes of limited ICT readiness and supports owner-managers and consultants in choosing and implementing appropriate interventions.

The Determinants of IT Adoption by SMEs: An Agenda for Research

The determinants of IT adoption by small and medium-sized firms have been widely investigated in literature. In this theoretical paper, we aim to collate the vast list of IT adoption barriers and incentives which have been identified, to explore areas which are well established and equally to highlight areas which are underdeveloped or ignored in literature and could provide directions for future research. The value of our work is that it combines perspectives from various literature streams on the many determinants of the process of IT adoption in SMEs. Furthermore, this process of combination yields a conceptual basis for further research into IT adoption by SMEs, through the identification of under scrutinized research areas which could be addressed in further studies.

Revisiting IT readiness: an approach for small firms

Purpose – Drawing from the literature, the purpose of this paper is to offer an empirically validated framework for examining information technology (IT) readiness in small firms. Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework of IT readiness for small firms is developed and validated empirically using a quantitative survey of 117 UK manufacturing small firms to identify distinct clusters of firms according to their states of IT readiness. Findings – The survey responses are grouped according to three distinct profiles that display varying degrees of IT readiness depending upon their strategic motivation, IT processes, project management and technology complexity. Research limitations/implications – Prior studies examining IT readiness in small-and medium-sized enterprises have not offered a differentiated understanding of small firms that is grounded in quantitative data. The varying profiles of small firms discovered indicate potential paths of IT readiness which offers a basis for further researc...

International service delivery and internet-based technologies

In this paper an analysis is proposed of how firms can use internet-based technologies to deliver their services online to foreign markets or to support an offline international service delivery. The focus is consequently on the front office, that part of the production and delivery system where service becomes available to the recipient and is actually consumed. We propose a model which shows how a service firm may become international, according to the characteristics of the services it offers and the supply system it sets up; to this purpose, a classification is presented which helps to identify different internationalisation modes for the delivery system. Then, the impact of the application of internet-based technologies to service delivery is evaluated, by showing the implications for the internationalisation processes and, consequently, for our model. Examples are given of different ways to internationalise service delivery via internet-based technologies.

Evaluating the quality of web communication in nautical tourism: A suggested approach

In this article, the quality of web communication in nautical tourism is assessed, through an analysis of tourist ports websites. Tourist ports address their offer to a large variety of actual and potential customers (boaters, charter companies, crews, etc.), with every group having different drivers for interest in the port, variable expectations and specific needs to be satisfied. As a consequence, tourist ports should be capable of fine tuning their communication strategies and tools to the peculiarities of each group, to attract potential users, provide useful information to actual users and generally encourage loyalty toward the port itself. Websites, given their potential in reaching a wide international audience with rich and adaptable contents, play a major role in this purpose. This article puts forward an original evaluation tool to measure the quality of tourist ports websites, in terms of both quantity and value of the information provided; this tool is subsequently tested on a sample of tourist ports in Northern Sardinia (Italy), an area of great importance for nautical tourism in the Mediterranean Sea. Our work not only supports theoretical reflection about the quality of web communication in nautical tourism but also contributes practical recommendations to port managers on how to improve the quality of the port website.