ICTs in the Micro-Enterprise

Though there is an extensive body of research regarding information and communication technology (ICT) use in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), relatively few studies have examined ICT use specifically in the subset of SMEs known as micro-enterprises. This study compares ICT use among micro-enterprises (MEs) in the agricultural sector. Factors expected to influence IC adoption include firm size, CEO education, and the type of crop produced. Results indicate extensive use of computers and the Internet, especially for functions like email, online purchasing, and online business-related research, while website ownership is less widespread. Larger MEs are more likely than smaller ones to use a computer. Among those MEs owning computers, larger ones are more likely than smaller ones to have a website and to conduct financial activities online. However, most other ICTs (email, online purchasing, etc.) are used similarly by both smaller and larger MEs. Thus, for most internet ICTs micro-enterprise growth does not result in differing adoption rates. The study also investigates micro-enterprise use of emerging social technologies like instant messaging, chat, blogging, etc. Micro-entrepreneurs’ perceptions of ICT benefits and implications for development are also discussed.

Adoption of Social Media by Online Retailers

In the online environment, the absence of social presence may prevent consumers from purchasing online, while it can enhance their trust, loyalty and enjoyment toward the e-retailer. Thus, today many online retailers try to create social presence by adopting media-rich technologies. In this paper, the authors assess to what degree social media cues are currently adopted by thriving web-vendors and on that basis speculate about future developments. To this purpose, 210 top B2C e-commerce websites have been content analyzed to identify how they differ in the deployment of diverse social media cues. While a wide range of social media cues are adopted by a majority of top e-retailers, a number of more advanced social media features like avatars, recommendation agents, and video-streams are in their infancy where adoption is concerned. The paper demonstrates that the utilization of social media features differs according to the monetary and symbolic value of products sold by the e-commerce vendors.

Change for Entrepreneurial Chances?

Electronic government provides multifarious opportunities for entrepreneurs regarding public-private sector partnerships and the exploitation of administrative benefits. The occurrence of entrepreneurial opportunities is influenced by many distinct intrinsic and external factors. This paper examines the opportunities that occur for entrepreneurs through the electronic implementation of public services across the European Union until the years 2020 and 2040, respectively. The development of the European Union is currently at the crossroads of economic and political stagnation. Building on two scenario analyses, the author thereby accounts for economic and political factors of different possible trajectories of the European Union, analyzing the corresponding state of e-government implementation and deducing implications for entrepreneurial opportunity occurrence. All scenarios show different opportunities emerging from the distinct states of e-government across Europe; these opportunities depend, nonetheless, on the specific market needs and value creation capabilities determined by each scenario presented.

A Semi-Structured Methodology for ERP System Selection Based on MACBETH and Choquet Integral Applied to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

Historically, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems were initially destined to large companies in order to standardize and streamline their key business processes. Recently, they have been increasingly adopted by Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). However, making strategic tradeoffs among the various marketplace solutions is a troublesome balance task for SMEs without the rescue of systematic multicriteria decision approaches. This paper addresses the question of how to choose an ERP solution that best suits a given SME. It serves twofold objectives; firstly it defines a set of selection criteria related to SMEs’ context. Secondly, it presents a selection methodology based on the construction of an induced decision model through capturing the decision maker’s preferences. The key contribution of this paper is the introduction of a new iterative learning based approach destined to make enlightened decisions through the consideration of interdependencies among the adopted selection criteria thanks to the Choquet Integral.

Mobile Virtual Heritage Exploration with Heritage Hunt with a Case Study of George Town, Penang, Malaysia

Computer games with fully intensive graphics are very common in desktop computers or game console, but the development of mobile games with intensive graphics are fairly new. With the advancement in mobile phone technology, it is possible to create a mobile game incorporates integrate the virtual reality techniques. In this paper, the authors present a virtual heritage application called M-Heritage Hunt that integrates virtual reality and game for mobile platforms. M-Heritage Hunt provides panoramic views of the heritage sites and a game background that is customized for the core of heritage zone of George Town, Penang in Malaysia. M-Heritage Hunt was evaluated and examined by letting the respondents to play the game in its proposed setting.

Call U Back

Mobile commerce (M-commerce) is an attractive research area due to its relative novelty, rapid growth, and great potential in business applications. Over the last decade, various M-commerce applications have been geared to target mobile users and achieved great success. However, most M-commerce applications are developed by different retailers for special purposes and thus lack fully automated business processes to integrate various existing services. This paper presents a novel infrastructure, Call U Back (CUB), for M-commerce applications. The proposed scheme integrates concepts of agent and context-aware workflow to implement automated trading tasks and compose services dynamically. The context awareness is based on ontology and logic models which derive from a set of descriptive contextual attributes for knowledge sharing and logical inference. Based upon the context-aware workflow analysis, the system will generate automated intelligent agents to conduct commerce transactions on behalf of mobile users. The middleware layer of the CUB server has been implemented. An experimental prototype of the system is under development and testing.

Intelligent Agent for Modeling and Processing Decisional Workflows in Logistics

The authors present the design and some implementation trials of Atlas, a new reasoning and decision making assistant used for processing complex and heterogeneous procedural workflows. Benefiting from a multicore implementation, Atlas includes different solving engines that are selected according to the intrinsic complexity of the problem being processed. The operational knowledge of Atlas is accessed through 2 different views. In an analytical view, the knowledge is modeled on elementary if-then rules, which are processed by a resolution engine written in the Soar architecture. A synthetic view offers a pictorial representation of all the knowledge, and in particular, shows the inter-dependence of the rules and their procedural references. In addition to allowing an efficient processing, the system checks the coherence of the knowledge and produces a justification of the decision with respect to relevant operational procedures.

Megatrends in Electronic Business

This paper analyses the impact of megatrends of electronic business on small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). The limited resources of SMEs create particular challenges in surviving the fast pace of changes in electronic business. This paper discusses megatrends and presents a qualitative study of e-business trends. The authors reveal entrepreneurial opportunities for agile small businesses and emphasize the need to keep up with technology. They examine core competences and finding a role in networks, the creation of business models and processes, and the challenges of multi-channel digital environments. The main trends are analysed for their particular impact on SMEs, and directions for development needs in SMEs are discussed.

Innovative Electronic Business

In this paper, the development of the Internet from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 to Web 3.0 is analysed to define current trends and discover future potential trends. Furthermore, a definition of these different stages is made and supported with examples. Starting with Web 1.0 and the corresponding e-procurement, e-shop and e-marketplace, the first e-business activities are defined. Thereafter, Web 2.0 is determined by innovative e-community systems. Finally, Web 3.0 is characterised by e-customization and e-request platforms. This article creates a clearer understanding of the development of the Internet, defines current trends, and discovers potential trends.

Mobile Banking Innovations and Entrepreneurial Adoption Decisions

This paper examines an individual’s entrepreneurial adoption decisions to use mobile banking for both business and social reasons. A conceptual model based on social cognitive theory is developed to explain an individual’s propensity to adopt mobile banking. The theoretical framework examines how advertising, experience, perceived risk, learning inclination, and entrepreneurial proclivity influence a person’s intention to use mobile banking. This paper stresses the role of financial risk in determining a person’s intention to use mobile banking and whether their entrepreneurial nature is influenced by their experience and advertising they are subjected to about the advantages or disadvantages of mobile banking. This paper ties together research on technological innovation with entrepreneurship and learning studies. The author stresses the importance for financial institutions to market the innovativeness of mobile banking whilst addressing security concerns. The impact of a person’s social environment through personal contacts and acquaintances underpins social cognitive theory and helps to understand the motives for a person adopting mobile banking. The paper integrates mobile banking literature with current thinking on the importance of entrepreneurship and learning influences to how a person adopts a technological innovation.