Information communication technology adoption by small-to-medium-sized food enterprises in Australia

Abstract

This article reviews the intensity and quality of information communication technologies (ICT) adoption by small-to-medium-sized (SME) food enterprises in Australia. The study investigated the reasons why SMEs have adopted or not adopted ICT and the reasons for prioritising the ICT capabilities that the firms have adopted. The study was completed through a literature review, a mail survey based on systematic sampling, and face-to-face interviews with a sub-set of non respondents. The findings reveal that the majority of SMEs have only adopted e-mail and informational websites and that the SMEs have not adopted intranets, extranets, e-business, e-commerce and other capabilities. When SMEs introduce higher level capabilities, the firm tends to ladder-up the technology adoption scale. SMEs were reticent to leapfrog and adopt more sophisticated capabilities. The characteristics of the food industry in Australia, the power of two retail chains, seem to influence the ICT adoption strategy of Australian SMEs.