ICT Mediated Value Chain for Managing Weavers’ Livelihoods

The Sustainable Development of ICTs in China: An Empirical Study of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Digital development for a progressive networked society

Purpose This study aims to assess the AI preparedness of Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and its impact on social sustainability. This study used a technology–organization–environment-based proposed framework; it explores how technical, organizational and environmental readiness influences ethical practices and social goals. This research investigates whether ethical AI mediates AI readiness and SS in Indian SMEs. Design/methodology/approach The data, using a structure survey, collected from 739 respondents serving SMEs in eight Indian states was used. A five-point Likert scale was used to collect data on all the constructs. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the theoretical model. Descriptive statistics, reliability and discriminant validity were performed to ensure an effective measurement model. This provided a basis for analysis of direct effects and mediating effects of AI-driven ethical and sustainable business practices. Findings The research revealed positive relationships between AI readiness and social sustainability (β = 0.43) and AI readiness and business ethics (β = 0.51). In addition, business ethics had a strong positive direct effect on social sustainability (β = 0.47). Importantly, business ethics is also an important mediator between AI readiness and social sustainability (indirect effect β = 0.24). Furthermore, it is reflected that ethical integration is important for AI to achieve socially sustainable outcomes. The SMEs are much better prepared to use AI responsibly and inclusively to benefit the stakeholders if they are more digitally and culturally prepared. Research limitations/implications This study is a cross-sectional design that limits the causal inference. Though the responses were taken from the executives of SMEs in eight Indian states, they may have sectoral and regional imbalances. Also, the responses could have personal biases, as respondents may have been influenced by social desirability. Despite these constraints, the research adds to the literature on AI readiness, social sustainability, and the mediating role of ethics. It also highlights avenues for future research, including a longitudinal study on the SMEs and their AI readiness, regional comparisons of SMEs and integration of governing regulations with ethical AI policies in SMEs. Practical implications This research suggests that the SME management must invest in digital tools and promote ethical culture for successful AI use. Ethical auditing may be done by SMEs alongside people analytics to use ethical AI for enterprise social causes. Policymakers can complement initiatives such as IndiaAI and the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report requirements by including ethical AI training in the SMEs. The responsible adoption of AI can enhance both trust and employee engagement and can potentially improve CSR outcomes. Originality/value The research articulates an “AI-readiness-ethics-sustainability framework” to study AI preparedness and social sustainability in Indian SMEs. Majorly, the literature review reflects the work of researchers on the technical or economic impacts of AI. This study not only explores the technological, organizational and environmental preparedness but also records the mediating effect of ethics on AI readiness of SMEs on social sustainability and advocates that ethically engaged AI can foster efficiency and influence inclusive and sustainable development.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the strategy development by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for improving coordination in supply chain in Indian perspective. Globalization and liberalization of the world economy has leveled the field for all competitors around the globe. To face global competition successfully, SMEs have to break isolation of their suppliers and other entities in the supply chain. Design/methodology/approach – For collecting data, a question-based survey was conducted. In total, 251 valid responses were received. Statistical analysis of data acquired from survey is done by one sample t-test, correlation and regression analysis. Findings – Uncertainty of customer order/demand, insufficient knowledge of supply chain management (SCM) and involvement of middlemen in supply chain are the main problems faced by Indian SMEs during implementation of SCM. Quality improvements, delivery on time and cost reduction are the major priorities while forming supply chain strategies. Coordination strategies are positively correlated with business performances. Research limitations/implications – Major implication is that SMEs should develop their strategies effectively after analyzing business environment and future plans. While developing strategies for improving coordination in supply chain of SMEs, they should give due importance to problems and risks they face. However, it is felt that this study can be further explored by considering other aspects of strategy development such as human resource, organization culture, etc. Originality/value – Finding and issues of the paper will be highly useful for SMEs in framing their strategies for improving coordination in supply chain, and academia for further research in the context of changing market scenario.

The purpose of this paper is to do a comprehensive analysis of Cloud based Big Data challenges and opportunity for SMEs in India. Big Data (BD) are big buzz words, and many large enterprises are making significant advances in their product development, customer relations, and increasing profitability by targeting specific customers. Therefore, it has generated interest for both the academic and industry world as it has the potential to enhance the decision making process by providing valuable insights. The large organisations are benefiting from using BD as a tool to gain a competitive edge over rivals by driving new revenue streams and improving internal operational efficiency. The large organisations are already investing as well leveraging BD. On the contrary, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in India are slow adopters of new technologies due to many factors and pose to lose their competitive edge on the world stage. SMEs can also leverage BD to gain a strategic competitive advantage but are resource poor in terms of investment in manpower and financial resources. Major challenges still exist in the adoption of BD especially in information technology architecture. Cloud Computing (CC) can eliminate the need to maintain expensive computing hardware, software, and networking resources. CC can also provide a solution to scalability issues, high speed performance, and fault tolerance for using BD. With CC usage, SMEs can take advantage of BD without significant investment in information technology and manpower. This research uses secondary data as a research data collection technique, which is its limitation. However, a quantitative research methodology using statistical surveys is planned to be conducted in the near future to understand the factors impacting on the adoption of Cloud based Big Data for Indian SMEs. This paper contributes to exploring and enhancing the understanding of the challenges and opportunities for SMEs in India for adopting BD. This study will also have both industrial implications for practitioners in India, as well as those in other developing countries, and academic implications for researchers who are interested in BD adoption in developing countries.
 Keywords: Cloud Computing (CC), Big Data (BD), Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), Challenges, Opportunities, India.

The purpose of this study is to review the literature on the relationship between information and communication technology (ICT), small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and poverty reduction. The first dimension looks at the role of ICT use in SMEs. The second dimension investigates how the use of ICTs by SMEs can enable poverty reduction. A systematic literature review methodology is rigorously employed to analyse the literature in order to reach conclusions. In addition, this study meticulously captures some important gaps in the current literature and proposes novel future directions of research. This paper concludes that ICTs can be used as a tool for driving socio-economic development, such as poverty reduction, by SMEs. A systematic literature review on the interaction between ICT use by SMEs and poverty reduction, as conducted in this study, has not been undertaken before. This study will benefit scholars, business owners, government and non-government agencies that focus on the development of the SME sector to understand the role of ICT use in SMEs to enable development and poverty reduction. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report a study on analysis of barriers for cyber-physical system (CPS) adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachIn Industry 4.0 scenario, Indian SMEs are struggling to bring their manufacturing processes in line with large manufacturing sector. CPS is considered as the backbone of Industry 4.0, and its implementation in SMEs will make significant changes pertaining to manufacturing automation. However, due to the lack of a proper CPS implementation strategy, SMEs face many challenges in its adoption. Hence, this study identified 18 possible barriers and seven performance measures pertaining to CPS adoption in Indian SMEs. Interpretive ranking process (IRP) is used to develop the contextual relationships among CPS barriers. IRP process include structured step-by-step matrix-based approach in which dominance among various alternatives is determined using performance measures developing a structured ranking model.FindingsThe developed IRP model revealed that CPS barriers “Lack of skilled manpower (CPSB2)” and “Lack of robustness with respect to environmental conditions in automotive environments (CPSB7)” are the most significant barriers (top two) hindering CPS adoption in SMEs.Research limitations/implicationsIn the present study, barriers for CPS adoption has been analyzed. In future, barriers for adopting other Industry 4.0 technologies could be analyzed.Practical implicationsThe present research work is one of the few studies which analyzed CPS barriers in SMEs and provided improvement suggestions to the most significant barriers for its smooth adoption. The managerial and practical implications have been derived.Originality/valueThe analysis of barriers for CPS adoption in SMEs is the original contribution of the authors.

The huge base of manufacturing in India is characterized by the predominance of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the export performance of which has been far from impressive. Poor product quality has often been attributed to inadequacy in institutional framework supporting innovation in MSMEs, even those in the knowledge-based information and communication technology (ICT) subsector that holds much promise for its global presence. Recognizing the ICT sector’s sensitivity to the global industrial environment, this chapter investigates the relationship between innovation activities and firm performance. They attempt to identify factors influencing innovation related to product quality and, in the process, investigate the role of institutional support in innovation activities of MSMEs of ICT clusters. In addition to traditional variables representing size and CEO characteristics, the study includes variables representing innovation strategies. The results show that firm-specific characteristics influence innovation activities and supporting institutional policies stimulate innovation; firms formally associated with state facilities (as the Software Technology Parks of India) pursued better innovation strategies than those which did not. The role of the state in terms of providing for both technological and infrastructural support is seen as a broad-based approach to improve innovation potential of MSMEs and, in turn, ensuring higher product standards through endogenous efforts.

There is fierce competition among firms to gain a larger customer-base. Countries, like firms, are in competition to stand out in global competitiveness and world market. Effective competition and achieving advantage over competitors are closely associated with the concept of competitive advantage. Various sources of competitive advantage are found in the literature. However, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are increasingly becoming the center of attention for creating competitive advantage both at firm and country level. A large group of firms in every country are Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). SMEs are widely known as enablers of business and economic growth; nevertheless, they constantly face challenges in competition. In this study, ICTs are introduced as a strategy for SMEs to improve their competitiveness. It is suggested that promoting competition among SMEs could lead to a higher performance in competitiveness at country level. This is investigated by focusing on Iran as a country case study. The present research concludes by the strong potentiality of ICTs to improve Iran’s national competitiveness through making the home market more competitive for its SMEs.

To succeed, SMEs must create legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy-building from the perspective of both SME founders and potential customers. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face more serious challenges to their survival than do larger firms. To succeed, SMEs must establish and maintain credibility in the marketplace to attract the resources required for survival. Most borrow legitimacy by mimicking the cues that signal credibility to convince potential stakeholders that something stands behind their promises. This research examines the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in legitimacy creation from the perspective of both SME founders and customers. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted in a variety of industries to determine whether the ICT-related legitimacy schema from the customers’ perspective differs substantially from that of firm founders. Results indicate that customers compare the ICT information provided in SME’s sales pitches to pre-existing ICT expectations about the nature of desirable sales transactions. We describe the relationship between violations of ICT expectations, legitimacy, and purchase decisions. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.

The focus of this study was to investigate the relationship between: (1) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) operational risk management (ORM) and (2) performances of SMEs. In order to understand the degree of association between the performances of SMEs and the independent variables, multiple regression was performed. The study was based upon survey design to collect the primary data from 107 respondents using the simple random sampling technique. The findings of the distribution revealed that only one variable made significant percentage contribution to the level of ICT operation in SMEs, thus (Payback method) (β = 0.410, p < .000). Conclusively, in answering the two questions (1) degree of variability explained and (2) predictors, the results revealed that the variables contributed approximately 88.4% of the variations in evaluation models affecting ICT adoption within SMEs. Following the findings of the current research, it is recommended that managers in SMEs need to be equipped to identify, analyse and manage ICT operation from a more diverse range of sources and contexts.

Industry 4.0 is driven by technologies that enable the connection of the digital and physical world throughout the entire value chain and the entire lifecycle of products. While in the past, isolated systems were preferred due to high transaction costs, reduced transaction costs driven by the Internet of Things, allow a holistic view on value chains and lifecycles. Thereby, the framework conditions for the conversion from a linear to a circular economy are created. However, in practice, data continuity across entire supply chains, functional departments, and entire lifecycle of products is not yet established. This can partly be attributed to the insufficient integration of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in supply chains. While SMEs have niche-specific know-how that is of high importance for supply chains, they also fear data transparency and have lower digitization levels. To analyze this issue more in depth, this chapter aims to shed light on challenges concerning data transparency for SMEs that hamper Industry 4.0 implementation towards a circular economy.

This study investigates the relationship between entrepreneurial marketing (EM) dimensions and the performance of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in India. Building on the model proposed by Kilenthong et al., the research empirically validates four significant EM dimensions growth orientation, opportunity orientation, total customer focus, and value creation through networks within the Indian SME context. A descriptive research methodology was employed using a single cross-sectional design, with data collected through a structured survey administered to entrepreneurs across manufacturing and service sectors. The findings, derived from quantitative analysis, reveal that growth orientation, opportunity orientation, and total customer focus are the most influential factors driving SME performance. The results affirm that entrepreneurial marketing positively impacts business outcomes and provides practical insights for SME owners and policymakers seeking to strengthen enterprise competitiveness and resource utilization. Keywords: Entrepreneurial Marketing, Small and Medium Enterprises, Market Orientation, Descriptive Research, Quantitative Study, India

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the driving forces, challenges benefits, barriers and strategies to decrease barriers to information and communication technologies (ICTs) adoption and assimilation by small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in this era of globalization.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a review of literature, both online and print.FindingsThe paper concludes that, ICTs adoption and assimilation in SMEs is critical to enhance their competitiveness. In addition, ICTs usage in SMEs will enhance accessibility into the international markets.Research limitations/implicationsThe major limitation of this paper is that it only reviews relevant literature and that empirical findings are not obtained to give an insight and holistic view of ICTs adoption and assimilation by SMEs.Practical implicationsEffective use of ICTs in SMEs has great impact on its competitiveness and sustainability. In addition, owners/owner managers, policy makers and other stakeholders would be in a position to understand the challenges faced by SMEs in ICTs adoption and come up with various interventions to assist SMEs.Originality/valueDespite the challenges faced by SMEs on ICTs adoption, SMEs stand to benefit from adopting ICTs in their business processes especially in accessing international markets. SMEs play a great role in the economy and thus need special attention.

The volatile position of the Indian market is driving the manufacturing organisations to adopt various improvement techniques in Indian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Total productive maintenance (TPM) can also be implemented as an improvement technique. It is the utmost need to identify certain key success factors (KSFs) which helps the TPM implementation in an organisation. The objective of this research is to identify the KSFs behind the TPM implementation in Indian SMEs successfully. Researchers identified eight KSFs from the literature review, questionnaire survey and experts' (academia and industry) opinion. Interpretive structural modelling (ISM) is used as an approach to establish the hierarchical structure for analysing the interrelationship among the various KSFs of TPM implementation in Indian SMEs and also develop an integrated model. ISM also classified these KSFs into driving KSFs and the dependence KSFs in this study.