Information Communication Technology Industry Research Articles

Factors affecting Information & Communication Technology (ICT) adoption among MSMEs

The purpose of this study is to determine the factors influencing the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) adoption by the managers or owners of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSME) operating in India. Based on two established theories of technology adoption - Technology acceptance model and Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology - the factors influencing ICT adoption behaviour were hypothesized. The adequate sample was selected through the combination of random, judgmental and snowball sampling. Using structural equation modelling approach, the proposed model was tested. Findings reflect that perceived usefulness and social influence emerged as the dominating factors influencing ICT adoption decision. The study has also highlighted the barriers encountered by MSMEs in adopting ICT. The obtained barriers were categorized into three categories: resource/infrastructure, human resource, and technological environment. Government, MSME owners and ICT industry can benefit from the findings of this study.

Applying sustainable development goals in financial forecasting using machine learning techniques

AbstractThis study seeks to identify the impact of sustainable development goals (SDGs) in predicting corporate financial performance (CFP) in the information communications technology (ICT) industry. Data over the period of 2016–2020 that are relevant to financial reporting and corporate social responsibility (CSR) reporting have been extracted for 208 firms in the ICT industry. Important variables have been identified to help predict the financial performance in the following years upon the publication of CSR reports. Drawing on resource‐based view and stakeholder theory, the purpose of this study is to find the quintessential variables that influence the prediction accuracy of financial performance. To better forecast earnings per share (EPS), machine learning feature selection methods have been implemented. The findings suggest that certain variables such as return on total assets, SDGs adoption and whether the firm has established KPI for SDGs achievements can help enhance EPS prediction. With the various predictive models, the artificial neural network model is the most effective in predicting CFPs. Most importantly, the adoption of SDGs can be utilized to sharpen the forecast on financial performance as it enables firms to bolster stakeholder engagement and evaluate environmental, social, and corporate governance efforts.

On the duality of partner type diversity on network stability: the mediating role of knowledge recombination in R&D network

PurposePrevious research has analyzed the consequence of network stability; however, little is known about how partner type diversity influence network stability in R&D network. Based on knowledge-based view and social network theory, the purpose of this paper is to unravel the internal mechanisms between partner type diversity and network stability through the mediating role of knowledge recombination in R&D network.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected an unbalanced panel patent data set from information communication technology industry for the period 1994–2016. Then, the authors tested the different dimensions of partner type variety and its relevance in the R&D network and the mediating role of knowledge recombination through adopting the multiple linear regression.FindingsResults indicate an inverted U-shaped relationship between partner type diversity (variety and relevance) and network stability, whereas knowledge recombination partially mediate these relationships.Originality/valueFrom the perspective of R&D networks, this paper explores that there are the under-researched phenomena the antecedent of network stability through nodal attributes (i.e. partner type variety and partner type relevance). Moreover, this paper empirically examined the mediating role of knowledge recombination in the partner type diversity–network stability relationships. The novel perspective allows focal firm to recognize importance of nodal attributes, which are critical to fully excavate the potential capabilities of cooperating partners in R&D network.

Green Information and Communication Technologies Implementation in Textile Industry Using Multicriteria Method

It has been recognized that green Information Communication Technology (ICT) is fast becoming popular in every sector. It’s fundamental relevance to textile industry requires urgent attention than ever. Over the years selections of technologies to drive the textile industry has been a debate. There is a need for an efficient technology selection method to realize this goal. Selection of green ICT alternatives is a multicriteria decision making problem which has been sparsely explored in open literature. This study presents green ICT adoption in the textile industry using a fuzzy-TOPSIS multi-criteria approach for the most preferred ICT alternative in a textile industry. Criteria for Green ICT selection were identified by administering interview with selected textile and ICT industry experts at the managerial cadre of organizations and academics. Criteria considered were Implementation Cost (IC), Operating and Maintenance Cost (OMC), Environmental Impact (EI), Improved System Performance and Use (ISPU), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Employment Opportunities (EO). Results shows that the most preferred ICT alternative is power management with overall coefficient of 0.60 while the least preferred is software optimization with coefficient of 0.23. This work will allow clean industrial process in the textile industry and also promote sustainable cities and communities through responsible consumption and production as highlighted by sustainable development goals (SDG) 11 and 12.

Does Workfrom Home Increase Employee Job Satisfaction? Evidence from Information Communication Technology Industry in Sri Lanka

The corporate world was undergoing a phase of digital transformation overrecent past years which led to adopt the work from home practice in different industry contexts and this practice had been accelerated due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To obtain the optimum outcome from employees, it is the major responsibility of the organizations to ensure that they are satisfied enough with the new work settings since employee job satisfaction is one of the significant elements of an effective workforce. Therefore,the main objective of this study was to examine the impact of work from home on employee job satisfaction in Information Communication Industry (ICT) industry in Sri Lanka. Using the survey strategy, responses were collected through questionnaires from 384 employees from the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. The findings of this study concluded that there is a positive impact of work from home on employee job satisfaction in the ICT industry in Sri Lanka as work from home gives more freedom, autonomy, and work-life balance. Further, it identified that the ICT organizations in Sri Lanka use a high level of work home practice and their employees’ job satisfaction level is also relatively high. The theoretical contribution of this study is that it extends the employee job satisfaction literature by empirically testing and validating the work from home in a new context. Also, the findings of this research are useful for all the practitioners to increase employee job satisfaction by developing flexible and unique work from home practices. Accordingly, work from home could be used as a strong motivational strategy in the ICT industry as well as in other contexts.

Multi-dimensional proximity and network stability: the moderating role of network cohesion

Previous studies regarded network stability as an antecedent of innovation. However, there is little research on its antecedent factors. The paper explores and extends the prior research to analyze the influence of network cohesion on network stability within the framework of multi-dimensional proximity. We collected the unbalanced panel data in the information communication technology industry based on the Derwent Innovations Index databases. The research results show that geographic proximity and technological proximity have an invert-U relationship with network stability, and institutional proximity has positively related to network stability. Moreover, network cohesion positively moderates the impact of multi-dimensional proximity on network stability, and network cohesion has a significant effect on network stability.

Development of machine language for internet of things

The fast growth in the number of smart devices capable of running complex apps significantly impacts the information communication technology industry's landscape. The Internet of Things (IoT) continues to grow in popularity and relevance in man's daily existence. However, as the Internet of Things evolves, so do the associated problems. Thus, the need for IoT development and ongoing upgrading becomes stronger. To maximize the potential of IoT systems, machine learning technologies have recently been used. The implementation of machine learning algorithms in IoT systems is examined in detail in this paper. Two categories of machine learning-based IoT algorithms deal with fundamental IoT challenges like localization, clustering, routing, and data aggregation. Additional machine learning-based IoT algorithms deal with performance challenges like congestion control, fault detection, resource management, and security.

The Impact of Transformational Leadership on Talent Retention with special reference to Information Communication Technology Industry in Sri Lanka

This paper employs a systematic and comprehensive review to understand the global problem of talent retention which is also seen as the pivotal problem in knowledge economy. On the other hand, organizations face the challenge of attracting and retaining talented employees and consequently they are dealing with talent scarcity nowadays. Thus, the role of leaders in attracting and retaining talented workers in their organizations has become critical. Nevertheless, the effect of leadership on talent retention needs to be investigated in the context of the Information Communication Technology (ICT) industry in Sri Lanka. Using a survey strategy, this study administrated cross sectional questionnaires to collect data from executive level employees who work in the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. This paper critically examined the impact of transformational leadership on talent retention in the information communication technology industry in Sri Lanka. Further, the results indicate that idealized influence behaviour, inspirational motivation behaviour, intellectual stimulation behaviour and individual consideration behaviour of the supervisor have a strong positive impact on the retention of talented employees in the ICT industry in Sri Lanka. Accordingly, transformational leadership could be used as a strong retention strategy not only in the ICT industry but also in other contexts.

Precursors and outcome of satisfaction in business-to-business relationship building: An information communication technology industry perspective in South Africa

Orientation: To secure a competitive business position, mobile business service providers need to explore the factors that, in predicting customer loyalty, will enable them to focus marketing efforts on improving their current customer management strategy, ultimately leading to enhanced satisfaction.Research purpose: This study intended to determine the influence of selected customer relationship management factors on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty.Motivation for the study: To ensure the loyalty of their customer base, mobile business service providers need to understand the factors that secure customer satisfaction in a competitive ICT business-to-business (B2B) market.Research design, approach and method: Data were gathered by means of a self-administered questionnaire, and a total of 253 responses were eligible for analysis. Simple regression analysis was applied to validate the hypotheses formulated.Main findings: It was established that corporate image, service quality, perceived value, customisation and trust have a significant and positive influence on ICT business customer satisfaction and loyalty.Practical/managerial implications: The findings suggest that efforts towards improving corporate image, service quality and customer perception of the value provided, focusing on the level of customisation and establishing trust among business customers will aid B2B mobile service providers in achieving satisfied and loyal customers.Contribution/value-add: This study adds to the body of knowledge by identifying and demonstrating the influence of five customer relationship management factors that contribute to achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty in the Business-to-business information communication technology (B2B ICT) industry of an emerging African market.

A Global Study on ICT Project Performance

There is a perception of low performance in the information communications technology (ICT) industry with various differing opinions as to the source of the low performance. As technology becomes more integrated within all aspects of society the need for high performance is critical. This research focuses on understanding project performance in the ICT industry. Through literature research an analysis and compilation was performed with 56 publications related to project performance factors, reported performance statistics, and solutions to improve ICT project performance. The research findings establish a definition of performance, identify the current level of performance within the ICT industry, identify existing solutions to the ICT industry and a prioritized listing of 25 factors of project performance.

Research on the Quality of Employment Centered on Information Communication Technology Industry

Research on the Quality of Employment Centered on Information Communication Technology Industry

How Intellectual Property Management Capability and Network Strategy Affect Open Technological Innovation in the Korean New Information Communications Technology Industry

This paper analyses factors in open innovation activity in the Korean new information and communications technology (ICT) industry, with a focus on cooperation network strategy and intellectual property (IP) management capability, by applying multiple regression models with data collected from 300 companies within the industry. The results of this analysis suggested that the intensity and variation of a company’s technological cooperation with a new ICT company has a statistically meaningful impact on its innovation. In particular, the impact depended on the type of cooperation network. Though IP management capability was also shown to have an important influence on a new ICT company’s innovation, the impact of specific actions for IP management varied by the specific type of innovation results. This study suggests that new ICT companies need to construct technological innovation networks using multiple external sources and enhance their IP management capability in order to increase their technological innovation performance. The factors influencing technological innovation are elements of open innovation, indicating the open technological innovativeness of the new ICT Industry.

Knowledge Management Framework to Enhance Innovation

This article questions whether knowledge resources can act as critical enablers for successful innovation in an enterprise in the South African information communications technology (ICT) industry, and discusses the role of knowledge resources in enhancing innovation. The research reported on indicated that there is little empirical evidence that knowledge resources are used to enhance innovation in the enterprise. A case study was conducted in an engineering enterprise functioning in the high-end market of the ICT industry. Data was gathered through in-depth interviews with managers and documents were reviewed for an in-depth understanding of the enterprise. The enterprise has defined its software development processes as agile processes and has placed a very high premium on learning and knowledge transfer within these processes. The Development Engineering Division relies on small teams for knowledge resource sharing. The Sales and Marketing Division collects information to transfer into knowledge resources. The Research and Technology Design Division identifies solutions that are ahead of the market and employees share knowledge on lessons learnt from practice. The Business Services Division ensures that structures and practices are in place to support and encourage innovation. The Internal Support Services Division provides operational support and knowledge resources harnessed through these processes may enhance innovation of the product offering. A knowledge creation (KC) model was developed by combining several models and theories to analyse the use of knowledge resources for knowledge creation in the enterprise. It is recommended that knowledge management be aligned with the enterprise’s business strategy to enhance innovation.

Intellectual capital and financial performance in the Serbian ICT industry

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to examine whether intellectual capital (IC) creates value in the Serbian information communication technology (ICT) sector. More specifically, it examines the degree to which IC and its key components affect the financial performance of selected ICT companies compared to effects on physical and financial capital.Design/methodology/approach– The analysis included 13,989 Serbian ICT companies during 2009-2013. Value-added intellectual coefficient (VAIC) was used to measure the level of IC contribution to value creation. Measures of financial performance used in the study were return on equity, return on assets, return on invested capital, profitability, and asset turnover.Findings– Results indicate that, when using firm size and leverage as control variables, only capital-employed efficiency has significant effect on financial performance. Finally, the research confirms that there were no significant differences in financial performance among different ICT subsectors.Research limitations/implications– Main research limitation is related to the disadvantages of VAIC as the measure of IC’s contribution to value creation.Practical implications– Owners and managers of Serbian ICT companies must recognize the importance of managing both the physical capital and the intangible resources embedded in their employees and processes.Originality/value– This is the first paper to examine comprehensively the impact of IC on financial performance in the ICT sector in a transitional economy. This study differs from prior studies in that the authors analyzed every company that operated in Serbian ICT sector.

Comparative Research on Global Policy in ICT Accessibility for Vulnerable Groups

본 연구에서는 서방 선진국을 포함한 주요 아시아 국가의 사회적 취약계층을 위한 정보통신 접근성 향상 관련 정책들을 비교·분석하여 우리나라에서 시행되고 있는 정책 개선을 위한 시사점을 도출하고자 하였다. 연구 결과 대한민국은 아시아 국가에 비해 법과 표준이 잘 정비되어 실효성이 높은 반면 서방국가들과의 비교에서는 상대적으로 관련 정책들의 개선이 필요한 것으로 나타났다. 급변하는 정보통신기술에 대한 새로운 정의들을 관련법이 명확히 반영하는데 한계를 보였으며 웹 및 모바일 애플리케이션 접근성 이외의 정책 및 표준 제정이 미흡하였다. 이에 대한 개선을 위해 법 제·개정 주기를 단축하고 정보통신 접근성 관련 시나리오를 사전에 연구·개발, 필요시 즉시 적용할 수 있도록 정부 산하의 전문연구기관을 설립하는 방법들을 고려해볼 수 있을 것이다. 사회취약계층은 정보통신에 대한 접근성을 보장받지 못하고 정보를 잘 활용하는 사람들과 구별되어 사회, 경제, 문화 등 삶의 많은 측면에서 차별을 받고 있는 실정이다. 이러한 차별 해소를 위해서는 정부의 지원과 관련 업계의 자발적인 참여 및 국민의 관심이 지속이 뒷받침 되어야 할 것이다.This study aims to compare global policies on ICT accessibility and to suggest possible solutions that help to enhance ICT accessibility for socially disadvantaged groups. The results indicated that related laws and standards in Korea are relatively well established than Asian countries’ whereas they need improvements when compared to the US or the UK. Particularly, in spite of rapid development in information communication technology industry, incorporating the definition of newly developed technologies into existing laws related to ICT accessibility seemed slow that caused reluctancy of related parties to address accessibility issues the new technologies create. In addition, Korean government seems less effortful to develop policies and standards apart from web and mobile application accessibility. In order to resolve the problems, firstly, the period or process of enacting and amending laws can be shorten. Next, a government affiliated research institute can be established to do research and develop ICT accessibility related to user scenarios so that effective policies and standards could be readily provided. Even though other possible solutions can be suggested, what is more important than that is that any interested parties should sustainably make efforts to provide equal opportunities for the underserved populations.

Performance appraisals of ICT companies in the Tehran stock market: contradiction with the global trend

The impact of information & communication technology (ICT) in increasing financial transactions in different fields, shows the positive developments of this industry in Iran. But could the ICT industry also be effective in the economic capital of the country? This could occur when the ICT industry has a good performance in the capital markets. In this research, the ICT industry in the Tehran Stock Exchange was used to assess its performance in the economy's capital. The data and documents related to the profitability of corporates in ICT industry for six years over the range studied. A total of eight corporate companies with the nature of ICT, and 68 other corporate companies from a total of 17 industries were selected. To discover the informational efficiency, runs test, for analysing trend, linear regression and for comparative assessment, a TOPSIS model has been used. The results showed that the ICT industry in the Tehran Stock Exchange does not have even a weak level of efficiency of information. In addition, it has had a declining trend and finally, in comparison to other industries, it has delivered a poor performance; the results are completely inconsistent with results from other countries and show that Iran's ICT status needs fundamental reflection.

Business Model Innovation: Embracing Changes in a Dynamic Business Environment

In today’s dynamic era, a firm must continuously innovate to adapt to the rapid changes in business environment. Information and Communication Technology firms do not always need to invest heavily in new capital expenditures to come out with new technology, products or services, but can consider adopting business model innovation, as a novel and efficient way, to gain competitive advantage. The dynamic nature of the Information and Communication Technology industry shortens the life cycles of services and products. Thus, in many cases heavy capital expenditures may not make financial return justifiable. Business model innovation, which initiates novel ways of performing activities, linking customers, suppliers and partners, and/or changing participants in the transactions, may become an alternate solution. Information and Communication Technology firms can maximize business model innovation to leapfrog ahead of competition as first mover in a of high growth opportunity zone. This study investigates the role of business model innovation in embracing changes in the dynamic business environment of the Information Communication Technology industry, leading to competitive sustainability and firm performance. Using Structural Equation Modeling, this study performs the Confirmatory Factor Analysis tests on the observed and latent variables of business model innovation and firm performance and examines the structural model defining the relationships between these two latent variables. The study concludes that business model innovation has positive and direct impact to firm performance, and attained its objectives of contributing a theory based on synthesis and empirical evidence to further understanding how business model innovation impacts firm performance.

The Influence of Policy Environment on Growth of Information Communication Technology (ICT) Firms in Nairobi, Kenya

Entrepreneurship plays an important role in the socio-economic development of the country. Its significance can be seen in terms of contribution towards economic growth, employment creation, poverty reduction and development of an industrial base. Kenya is going through a paradigm shift from an industry based economy to a knowledge based economy anchored on ICT. The government has reiterated the development of ICT industry in the country given its strategic importance. These commitments manifest in the various policies and strategies that the government has put in place over time, aimed at the growth and expansion of ICT in the country. Despite the policy and strategy pronouncements, there are various constraints that are currently facing the growth and expansion of ICT in the country especially amongst ICT providers. The Purpose of the study was to establish the factors affecting growth of ICT Firms in Nairobi. The specific objective of the study was; To establish the influence of policy environment on growth of ICT firms in Nairobi. The study involved a case study of ICT firms in Nairobi. The target population constituted ICT service providers located in Nairobi. The study targeted 92 firms out of 304 registered ICT service providers in the CCK database. The sampling frame used was acquired from the CCK directory of licensed ICT providers 2012. Stratified random sampling technique was used based on categories of ICT service providers registered by CCK. Questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 92 ICT Firms. The respondents were owner/ managers and selected employees. The study findings indicate that ICT policy environment significantly affects growth of ICT firms negatively or positively. Regarding ICT policy environment; The government has fully liberalized ICT sector in the country, there is effective and fair regulation of the ICT sector in the country, the policy environment is conducive for the growth and expansion ICT in the country, the government has favorable ICT policy to promote growth and expansion of ICT, the government has effectively promoted ICT infrastructure in the country and Government supports capacity building in ICT sector. Despite the existence of a conducive policy environment, there are no sufficient policy incentives to enhance investment in ICT. The study recommends the following regarding Policy Environment; The government should strive to improve the effectiveness of the existing institutions by strengthening the Department of Micro and Small Enterprise Development (DMSED) and MSE Associations, establishing National Council for Small Enterprises and legislating a Micro and Small Enterprises Act. The government should undertake to invest in ICT research centres that nurture innovation and networking of entrepreneurs, streamline licensing procedures and enhance capacity building initiatives in ICT firms especially on emerging technologies and monetization strategies for application developers.

Spatial Environmental Balance to Information and Communication Technology products in different regions of China by using LCA

Information & Communication Technology (ICT) industry meets great expansion in China, in production as in diffusion, as the derived environmental impact becomes an increasing key issue in concern of Chinese policy makers. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is widely used tool for measuring ICT products' environmental impact then for estimating relative legislative measures' efficiency. Consider the vast territory with highly centralized of power in China, this paper introduces the geographical factor into the study on the environmental impact according to different categories of ICT product. From this article, the geographically unbalanced development of ICT industry together with disproportional distribution of energy consumption over different phases of ICT products' life cycle may eventually contributes to the inconsistent results on environmental benefits or loss in different regions, according to the concept of LCA. In ignoring the fact that environmental balance varies from one region to another, according to the product's category and how the LCA result is distributed over different phases of life cycle, there could be eventual inefficiency of China's environmental policy-making in subject of ICT industry's environmental impact for the past, today and tomorrow.

Study on Application of Electronic Delivering Service Based on the Media of Internet in Civil Cases

The twenty-first century is an era of information technology, all the information communication technology industry showed its vitality. The advanced information technology also played an important role in the development of the civil litigation. With the fusion of new information technologies and the development of the computer, the development of new products have been widely used,then, a new combination from technology and civil litigation--electronic delivering service is emerged, which has the characteristics of low cost and high efficiency. At the same time, it is very likely to become the main mode of delivering service in the future.