Management perspective on information and communication technology and small and medium enterprises

• Main Authors: Bunagan, Jana Christiane, Chua, Madelaine Deirdre, De Guzman, Selinna, Viterbo, Kenneth
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2014
• Subjects: Information technology > Economic aspects; Small business > Management; Business Administration, Management, and Operations
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/11060
• Institution: De La Salle University

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays an important role in today's business landscape as it gives firms competitive advantage. Its value to a company's continuous innovation and new market penetration has been continuously escalating. The researchers conducted this study to assess the situation of ICT in the Philippine Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as they contribute 35% of the country's value-added and sales and provide 33% of total jobs available. This research paper focused on the management perspective of the use of the following ICTs in their respective companies: computer with Internet access, online presence through social media and availability of software per business function. It evaluated the enterprise's target outcomes and actual results based on the perception of the management on the utilization of the same ICT medium and determined why some organizations obtain more benefits than other enterprises despite the utilization of the same mediums of ICT. Through cross case analysis of four respondents, the researchers concluded that ICT positively influences the businesses in terms of profitability, market share, customer loyalty, employee productivity, streamlining of process and shortening or response time. However, the extent of these benefits vary because of several factors: lack of orientation and trainings for employee before rolling out the ICT, the complexity of the ICT and procedure related to tit, perceived high cost, inability of the company to easily integrate it to operation, nature of the business and establishment of preventive measures.