Simon Bourdeau

Digital Competence: A Multi-dimensional Conceptualization and a Typology in an SME Context

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to rely on information and communication technologies (ICT) to survive in the digital economy. Although the literature emphasizes the link between individual digital competence (DC) and ICT use and adoption, there is a lack of understanding of how DC can be conceptualized in an SME context. Drawing on the existing literatures on SMEs and DC and on the change a gentry perspective, this exploratory study proposes a multi-dimensional conceptualization of DC and advances a typology of three DC archetypes of SME employees: Technical Expert, Organizer, and Campaigner. We provide results from a multi-case study of three Canadian SMEs suggesting that the development of DC should take into consideration the complementarity nature of the technological, social and cognitive aspects of the DC in order to successfully implement new technologies in SMEs.

Information technology sourcing changes in an SME: Ça Va de Soi in the cloud with diamonds

This case study presents the information technology (IT) sourcing decisions made by a Canadian small and medium enterprise specializing in knitwear, called Ça Va de Soi (CVDS), during the deployment of the second phase of their two-phase organizational strategy based on a “Bricks and Clicks” business model. CVDS has 30 employees and 5 stores with annual sales of around

Survival in the Digital Era: A Digital Competence-Based Multi-Case Study in the Canadian SME Clothing Industry

CDN 5 million (2015). The case focuses on phase two, the “Clicks,” where an IT project, divided into two parallel subprojects, was realized: (1) the custom development of an ERP system, and (2) the creation of an online e-commerce. The project was based on an “on-premises” sourcing strategy where the information systems were developed “in-house” by external service providers. After several months of efforts, the subprojects were abandoned and CVDS’ activities were rolled back to their legacy systems (Part A). Pulling the plug on the IT project was a tough decision for CVDS who still needed the online store to be implemented in order to support its stores’ activities. However, CVDS’ management team considered this failure as an opportunity to learn from their mistakes, review, and transform its IT sourcing strategy (Part B).

Mesure intégrée du risque dans les organisations

Although the literature emphasizes the link between digital competence (DC) and IT adoption, there is a lack of understanding of how DC can be conceptualized in an SME context. Drawing on the literatures on SMEs and DC and on the change agentry perspective, this multi-case study proposes a multi-dimensional conceptualization of DC and empirically tests a typology of three DC archetypes of SME employees: Technical Expert, Organizer, and Campaigner. The results from a multi-case study of three Canadian SMEs suggest that the development of DC should focus on the complementarity nature of the technological, social and cognitive dimensions of the DC.