Communication Technology Firms Research Articles

Carbon Emissions and the Search for Renewable Energy Technology: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Firms’ Environmental Responsibility

The literature in sustainability has emphasized external pressures as a main driver of firms’ environmental responsibility. However, under similar external pressures, some firms search for environmental technology, while others do not. By focusing on information and communication technology (ICT) firms, we try to answer the question of when firms are motivated to search for renewable energy technology. Drawing on the framework of the behavioral theory of the firm, we propose that a mismatch between ICT firms’ CO[Formula: see text] emissions performance and their aspiration to a certain level of emissions induce firms to evaluate their environmental performance status—whether they are aligned well with environmental requirements and their peer firms—and their technology status—whether they possess sufficient technologies to reduce emissions—which in turn affects their search for renewable energy technology. We corroborate our hypotheses using data on CO[Formula: see text] emissions and renewable energy patents of U.S. ICT firms from 2010 to 2018. When we compare two groups of firms—one group whose emissions performance is poor and the other group whose emissions performance is good compared to their own past emissions—we find that the former is more likely to search for renewable energy technology compared to the latter. When we focus on each of the two groups, we find that firms decrease their search for renewable energy technology as the degree of poor emissions performance exacerbates (firms’ emissions increase above aspiration) or the degree of good emissions performance increases (firms’ emissions decrease below aspiration). Our findings have implications for public policy as well as firms’ environmentally sustainable operations.

Cloud-Based Accounting Information Systems and Financial Reporting Quality of Listed Information and Communication Technology Firms in Nigeria

The confluence of cloud-based Accounting Information Systems (AIS) adoption and financial reporting quality within Nigeria's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is explored in this study. Given the dynamic landscape of the ICT industry characterized by technological advancements, evolving market dynamics, and regulatory shifts, ICT firms are increasingly turning to cloud-based AIS to streamline their accounting processes and adapt to changing business requirements. The population of the study consists of all eight (8) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enterprises that are listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group as of 31st December 2022. As a result, this study delves into the impact of Cloud-Based AIS adoption on the Financial Reporting Quality of Listed ICT Firms in Nigeria over a decade-long period from 2013 to 2022. Utilizing a Panel Regression Technique (Random Effect Model), the study identifies a significant overall effect of Cloud-Based AIS on the Financial Reporting Quality of Listed ICT Firms in Nigeria. Moreover, it highlights the significant influence of Cloud Security Investment on financial reporting quality among ICT firms in Nigeria, while Cloud Expenditure Growth is found to have no statistically significant effect. The study emphasizes the need for strategic resource allocation and exploration of cost optimization opportunities, given that cloud expenditure growth may not directly impact financial reporting quality. However, the study recommends for prioritizing cloud security investments to safeguard financial data integrity, mitigate cybersecurity risks, and enhance trust in financial reporting practices, thereby bolstering investor confidence.

Satisfaction with human resource practices, job dedication and job performance: the role of incentive gamification

PurposeWhile the potential of human resource practices (HRPs) for promoting performance is widely recognized, even though crucial, employees’ assessment of HRPs remains under-researched, especially in emerging economies. Hence, the purpose of this research is to examine the influence of employee satisfaction with HRPs on job performance through the mediating role of job dedication (JD) and the moderating role of incentive gamification.Design/methodology/approachThe current research adopts a quantitative method. Specifically, using a questionnaire survey, 418 valid responses collected (through purposive sampling) via cross-sectional method from the employees of Nigerian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) firms were used to test the research hypotheses empirically.FindingsThe results revealed that satisfaction with HRPs has a positive influence on job performance. Satisfaction with human resource practices has a positive influence on job dedication. Job dedication has a positive influence on job performance. The link between employees’ satisfaction with human resource practices and job performance is mediated by job dedication. The link between satisfaction with human resource practices and job dedication is moderated by incentive gamification, that is, the positive link is stronger when incentive gamification is high. The link between satisfaction with human resource practices and job performance is moderated by incentive gamification, that is, the positive link is stronger when incentive gamification is high.Originality/valueThe current study highlights the importance of employees’ assessments of human resource practices, which may be used to promote employee dedication, which in turn results in improved performance. The findings are helpful to open the black box of the impact of satisfaction with HRPs on job performance. The results also offer important new valuable guidance for practitioners and will aid the management of human resource practice design, audits, and communication.

What limits the innovation efficiency in China's ICT industry? A two-stage dynamic network slacks-based measure approach

ABSTRACT Based on the innovation value chain theory, the innovation process of the information and communication technology (ICT) firms is not only decomposed into R&D and commercialisation activities, but also its dynamic characteristics should be included in the evaluation system. To seek the underlying reasons for the inefficiency, a two-stage dynamic network DEA model within the SBM structure has been applied to assess the innovation efficiency along with the R&D capability and commercialisation performance. The results show that the innovation efficiency of the Chinese ICT industry shows a continuous decline due to the constraints of firms’ R&D capabilities. Similarly, the heterogeneity exists within the ICT industry; The four sub-industries has its own strengths, but they also exhibit high market efficiency and low R&D efficiency. Private companies show a higher level of R&D and commercialisation than SOEs in both stages.

Digital entrepreneurship indicator (DEI): an analysis of the case of the greater Paris metropolitan area.

The digital entrepreneurship indicator (DEI), which combines individual and institutional data, is designed to chart the vitality of metropolitan areas in terms of digital entrepreneurship on a suburban scale. In this study, we apply it to the case of the Greater Paris Metropolitan area. Using geographically weighted regression, we explore the spatial heterogeneity of the effect of digital entrepreneurial ecosystems on the location quotient of information and communication technology firms with fewer than 10 employees. The results highlight a positive link between the DEI and the location quotient of small ICT firms. In particular, the aspects of both ATTitudes and CAPacities (i.e., urbanization economies, Human Development Index, density of incubators, accounting and financial services, and fiber optic coverage) appear to have a significant effect on a suburban scale.

Sustainable Production Clauses and Positioning in the Global Value Chain: An Analysis of International Investment Agreements (IIA) of the ICT Industry in Developing and Developed Markets

Positioning in the global value chain (GVC) reflects the level and kinds of value creation of a firm or industry. The value creation can be on the upstream or downstream of the value chain. This study explores the effects of sustainable production clauses on the economic and physical positioning of information and communication technology (ICT) firms in the global value chain (GVC). We examined 2107 international investment agreements (IIA), signed by 54 countries that represent 70% of the global investment agreements. The empirical results show that the sustainable production intensity clauses in the IIAs have a significant impact on the positioning of ICT’s in the GVC. However, the degree of impact on the economic scale of participation and physical location in the GVC differs. The heterogeneity test shows that the sustainable production intensity clauses of IIAs between developed and developing countries affect positively and significantly the physical and economic locations in the GVCs. This is less significant while the IIAs are signed between the developed markets. These findings demonstrate that countries should consider sustainable production principles and responsible business conducts while signing the IIAs, and ensure their implementation while participating in the GVCs. This process can enhance value creation by moving towards higher value creation activities within the GVC.

Effect of Board Diversity On Financial Performance of Information and Communications Technology (Ict) Firms in Nigeria (2016-2020)

This study examined the Effects of Board Diversity on Financial Performance of Information and Communications (ICT) Firms in Nigeria. The study was prompted by inevitability of board diversity in the large scale organizations like quoted Information and Communications Technology (ICT) firms in Nigeria. Specifically, it focused on determining the effects of board size, board composition, board gender and foreign director on the Financial Performance of Information and Communications (ICT) firms in Nigeria. The study adopted ex-post-facto design using secondary data collected from annual accounts and reports of ICT firms in Nigerian Stock Exchange (NSE) covering seven (7) firms over a period of five years ranging from 2016 to 2020. The selection of 2016 to 2020 was necessitated by the rapid changing ICT business environments which Nigeria is not an exception. In all, there are eight quoted ICT firms in Nigeria but the study focused on the seven quoted ICT firms that have the required data. The ordinary least square panel regression analysis was used for the data analysis applying Generalized Method of Moment (GMM) analysis. E-view version 9 software was used for analysis where necessary. The study found that Board Diversity has mixed effects on financial performance of ICT firms in Nigeria. Specifically, the board size has significant positive effects on financial performance of ICT firms in Nigeria likewise foreign director in board of directors while board composition and board gender have low negative effect on financial performance of ICT firms in Nigeria. Hence, it is safe to conclude that board diversity has mixed effects on financial performance of quoted ICT firms in Nigeria. Although negative effect is insignificant, the positive effect is significant. The study recommended that the firms should increase as much as possible the board size bearing in mind Nigeria corporate governance Code requirement of minimum of five and maximum members based on complexity and scale of operation of the firms. Appointing both gender: male or female into board of directors provided that they are qualified and willing to serve, does not matter. Foreign director in board of directors was found to be positive and contributes significantly to financial performance of the ICT firms in Nigeria possibly by bringing their wealth of knowledge and experiences in the board of directors’ roles to their organizations.

The Impact of Government Interventions on the Performance of Biotechnology, Information and Communications Technology, and Electrical and Electronics Firms: Evidence from Iran

The Impact of Government Interventions on the Performance of Biotechnology, Information and Communications Technology, and Electrical and Electronics Firms: Evidence from Iran

Stakeholder engagement strategy of technology firms: A review and applied view of stakeholder theory

This research explores how managers and leaders of the information and communications technology (ICT) firms perceive receptiveness of start-up, growth, or mature developmental stage organizations toward ‘corporate social responsibility’ (CSR), ‘creating shared value’ (CSV), and ‘creating value for all stakeholders’ (VAS) business-stakeholder engagement models. Drawing from the three fundamental tenets of stakeholder theory, defined as ‘jointness of interest’, ‘cooperative strategic posture’ and ‘rejection of a narrowly economic view of the firm’, we found that start-up firms tend to be receptive toward VAS, growth towards CSR, and mature towards CSV business-engagement models. These exploratory findings are important as they suggest that even though a society that seeks to encourage technology companies to broaden their range of stakeholders for innovation, such as their communities or the environment, they might best direct instrumental change toward start-up firms as appreciative of VAS model. We see evidence that these new firms require some time to develop perspectives of ‘jointness of interest’ as they strive to become growth or mature firms.

Firm size, corporate debt, R&D activity, and agency costs: Exploring dynamic and non-linear effects

This paper empirically investigates firm-specific determinants of agency costs, a relatively new and unexplored area in corporate finance. We estimate dynamic agency costs models, linking debt, firm size, and R&D activity to agency costs for a panel of U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) firms over 1990–2013. We adopt the Blundell and Bond (1998) two-step system GMM technique, which explicitly accounts for persistence, endogeneity, and unobservable firm heterogeneity. We provide the first evidence that our inverse proxy for agency costs, namely asset turnover (Ang et al., 2000), exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with debt and a U-shaped relationship with firm size and R&D activity. These findings imply that agency costs experience a minimum value (in case of debt) and a maximum value (in case of firm size and R&D activity) and, therefore, that agency costs are higher at both low and high levels of debt, and lower at both low and high levels of firm size and R&D activity. We find that the level of debt of the average firm in the sample falls below the level that minimizes agency costs. We also document that, consistent with the agency literature, short-term debt provides an additional effective monitoring mechanism to alleviate agency costs. Our findings reveal that agency costs are dynamic in nature, mean-reverting, and persistent over time. This notion confirms the Florackis and Ozkan (2009) conjecture that managers behave as though an optimal level of agency costs exist that they pursue. Finally, we find a positive association between firm profitability and agency costs and a negative association between agency costs and firm growth. Extensive additional analysis confirms the robustness of our results.

Analysis of the Variables Leading to the Identification and Incorporation of Innovation Capabilities by Firms in the Colombian ICT Sector

Due to the rapid and constant changes in the market, organizations are increasingly forced to develop innovative products or services with added value. In Colombia, a large percentage of information and communications technology (ict) firms concentrate in the city of Medellín. For these organizations, developing and implementing innovation capabilities (ics) is considered strategic and essential to strengthen their competitiveness and the economic contribution of the ict sector to the city and the country, which is reflected in the national gdp. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to analyze the variables that lead to the identification and incorporation of ics by firms in the ict sector through a systematic literature review (slr) in the 6 most relevant bibliographic databases. The results obtained were used for the analysis of the ict sector in Medellín. According to our findings, firms must possess the necessary innovation capabilities and competencies to develop skills and knowledge oriented to research and development and to be competitive in the market, considering the transformations of the industry. In addition, identifying and incorporating ics into their organizational structures allow them to improve decision-making and create strategies that contribute to strengthening their innovation activity and competitive advantage.

Systems approach to cloud computing adoption in an emerging economy

PurposeCloud computing (CC) services have given a tremendous boost to the creation of efficient and effective solutions. With developing countries at a slow pace of adoption, this research aims to identify factors and their interrelationships influencing the adoption of CC in a developing country context. The developing countries are enjoying numerous benefits from CC services; however, its low adoption is still a question in developing economies; hence, the authors have selected the context of information and communication technology (ICT) firms in India.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative research method is used where experts from thirteen ICT firms in India are interviewed.FindingsSixteen factors, twenty-eight subfactors, and 25 interrelationships are revealed through content analysis. Further, causal loop diagrams are proposed to display the behavior of cause and effect of these factors from a system's perspective. This will help to understand the relationships among the factors in order to enhance the speed of CC adoption. Possible financial loss and resistance to change are found as the key barriers to adoption. The proposed interrelationships can guide both policymakers and service providers for designing effective CC policies.Originality/valueThis is the first scholarly work that identifies interrelationships among factors and subfactors, thereby providing a holistic picture to decision-makers while making a choice on whether to adopt cloud services or continue with on premise data centers and servers.

Micro-Geographies of Information and Communication Technology Firms in a Shrinking Medium-Sized Industrial City of Ostrava (Czechia)

We aimed to explain the spatial distribution of information and communication technology (ICT) firms in the city of Ostrava as an example of a medium-sized, shrinking, polycentric industrial city. The primary research question was to what extent micro-geographic location factors affect the current spatial clustering of ICT firms in polycentric cities characteristic by relatively weak urbanization economies and mostly routine character of ICT activities. We analyse and test the effects of the urban form at the level of urban blocks and individual buildings (considering their height, technical condition, age and dominant function) on the clustering of ICT firms of various sizes and ownership statuses. The inquiry was based on a detailed field mapping (using ArcGIS Collector) of ICT firms and physical/functional characteristics of the buildings and their immediate surroundings. ICT firms are significantly spatially concentrated in the historic city centre and inner city. Spatial patterns of ICT firms focused on less knowledge-intensive, routine and/or lower value-added functions do not differ fundamentally from innovative firms developing new products. Preference of denser, walkable, mixed-use neighbourhoods in urban cores/inner cities can be found in the group of firms focusing on routine functions: rather for larger than for smaller firms and domestic than foreign-owned firms.

Firm Size, Corporate Debt, R&D Activity, and Agency Costs: Exploring Dynamic and Non-Linear Effects

This paper empirically investigates firm-specific determinants of agency costs, a relatively new and unexplored area in corporate finance. We estimate dynamic agency costs models, linking debt, firm size, and R&D activity to agency costs for a panel of U.S. information and communication technology (ICT) firms over 1990-2013. We adopt the Blundell and Bond (1998) two-step system GMM technique, which explicitly accounts for persistence, endogeneity, and unobservable firm heterogeneity. We provide the first evidence that our inverse proxy for agency costs, namely asset turnover (Ang, et al., 2000), exhibits an inverted U-shaped relationship with debt and a U-shaped relationship with firm size and R&D activity. These findings imply that agency costs experience a minimum value (in case of debt) and a maximum value (in case of firm size and R&D activity) and, therefore, that agency costs are higher at both low and high levels of debt, and lower at both low and high levels of firm size and R&D activity. We find that the level of debt of the average firm in the sample falls below the level that minimizes agency costs. We also document that, consistent with the agency literature, short-term debt provides an additional effective monitoring mechanism to alleviate agency costs. Our findings reveal that agency costs are dynamic in nature, mean-reverting, and persistent over time. This notion confirms the Florackis and Ozkan (2009) conjecture that managers behave as though an optimal level of agency costs exist that they pursue. Finally, we find a positive association between firm profitability and agency costs and a negative association between agency costs and firm growth. Extensive additional analysis confirms the robustness of our results.

Proposed Competencies Required for Construction Project Managers in Afghanistan

The nature of projects is always dynamic, complex, and different from each other. Project lifecycle is along with risk, changes, uncertainty, and even sometimes not succeed. Therefore, to bridge these gaps in Afghanistan context and to achieve the project goal within budget, time, scope, and quality. All projects-oriented organizationssuch as construction firms, consultancy firms, and information and communication technology (ICT) firms, need project managers with leadership and management competencies or skill sets to complete projects successfully. Leadership and management competencies are combinations of knowledge, skill sets, leadership styles, including technical, emotional, behavioral abilities which elaborated in this paper. These traits are compiled and analyzed through a comprehensive study of related research papers, standards, and relevant institutions for project management, that reflect the intent of this paper.

Exploring Configurations of Knowledge Management Strategy in Information and Communication Technology Firms: A Qualitative Comparative Approach

Project-based organizations (PBOs) in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry have experienced increasing competition. Engineering projects are conducted by firms to deliver customized products and services to clients. Effective knowledge management (KM) in the engineering project context is important for the sustainable growth of companies. At a practical level, engineering managers recognize two types of KM strategy, namely, personalization (person-to-person) and codification (person-to-system). A continuous debate, however, exists between dominant and balanced approaches of this strategy. This exploratory study extends the existing literature by incorporating multiple predictors of KM strategy (i.e., “personalization” and “codification”), two attributes of project complexity (“uncertainty in goals” and “structural complexity”), and an environmental context of “business strategy.” For the conceptual part, a mix–contingent configurational perspective was applied to represent the causal complexity among multiple predictors and its associated outcome. An empirical study was performed by inviting PBO/ICT companies in Indonesia. Out of the total 440 firms, 87 provided useful cases, accounting for a 20% response rate. Crisp-set qualitative comparative analysis was conducted to identify multiple case configurations. This study offers new, more comprehensive insights for engineering managers of successful and less successful ICT firms when implementing knowledge strategy in a highly nuanced manner. This study also identifies multiple successful configurations of knowledge strategy, project complexity, and business strategy.

Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Sustainability of ICT Firms In Nigeria

This study investigates the effect of knowledge sharing on organisational sustainability of ICT firms in Nigeria using cross sectional research survey. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) workers were surveyed from twenty information and communication technology firms with convenience sampling technique. Sample size of one hundred and twenty three (123) was ascertained using Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the workers in the selected information and communication technology firms in Nigeria. Instrument was found valid with face validity, while Cronbach Alpha was used to ascertain reliability of the questionnaire. Frequency was used to analyse the respondents demographic characteristics while linear regression was used to analyse the hypotheses. The study found that knowledge sharing has positive significant effect on organisational sustainability. This study concludes that knowledge sharing measured in terms of socialization, internationalization and externalization promotes organisational sustainability through economic sustainability, social sustainability and environmental sustainability. The implication of the findings of this study is that; managers should encourage knowledge sharing amongst all the employees in the workplace so as to promote organisational sustainability.

Exploring the mediating role of dynamic capabilities in the relationship between intellectual capital and performance of information and communications technology firms

Recent studies suggest a potential relationship between intellectual capital dimensions and dynamic capabilities in achieving superior performance. However, these studies have made little effort to...

Knowledge Sharing and Organisational Sustainability of Ict Firms In Nigeria

This study investigates the effect of knowledge sharing on organisational sustainability of ICT firms in Nigeria using cross sectional research survey. A total of one hundred and eighty (180) workers were surveyed from twenty information and communication technology firms with convenience sampling technique. Sample size of one hundred and twenty three (123) was ascertained using Krejcie and Morgan sample size determination table. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the workers in the selected information and communication technology firms in Nigeria. Instrument was found valid with face validity, while Cronbach Alpha was used to ascertain reliability of the questionnaire. Frequency was used to analyse the respondents demographic characteristics while linear regression was used to analyse the hypotheses.

Study on the various intellectual property management strategies used and implemented by ICT firms for business intelligence

Software technology is seeing enormous growth as it is used in all fields of technology. It is continuously evolving at a rapid pace and has a short span of the technological life cycle. The use of the software is not restricted only to information and communication technology but is used in all fields of technology. In many cases, the inventive step of a product or service lies solely in the software. Hence, the software plays a crucial role in all fields of technology. However, ease of copying poses a financial risk for the software industry, thereby creating major disincentives to the development of innovation. Still, the technology is changing very fast and firms investing in this technology expect quick returns on their innovation investments. Strategies for generating and managing intellectual property have subsequently taken center stage for information and communication technology companies, and patents have become an important feature providing maximum protection for any technology. Hence, intellectual property rights strategies in general and patenting strategies especially play a crucial role in the information and communication technology industry to be globally competitive. Firms never publish or disclose their intellectual property strategies; hence, this study makes use of the literature review to highlight various intellectual property management strategies used by information and communication technology firms for managing their intellectual property. These strategies can be offensive or defensive and may be used as proactive or reactive depending on various aspects such as market, territory, technology, or time. The insights provided in this work may help the research community from the IT domain in industry and academia to learn and modify their strategies for patent acquisition.