Title: Information and communication technology adoption and diffusion in micro-enterprises: the case of techno-savvy home-based businesses

Authors: Delwyn N. Clark; Heather Douglas

Addresses: Faculty of Management, University of Waikato, Private Bag 3105, Hamilton, 3240, New Zealand. ' Home Business New Zealand, P.O. Box 32610, Devonport, Auckland, 0744, New Zealand

Abstract: The effective use of ICTs for business activities is of significant interest in a digital economy. This paper examines the adoption and diffusion of ICTs by micro home-based businesses (HBB) from an empirical study of 522 firms. Key findings include very high levels of internet, e-mail and cell phone usage for HBBs| business activities; and increasing website adoption levels with increasing geographic sales reach (from local, regional, national, to international). In spite of micro size and limited resources, many of these HBB were techno-savvy and capable of utilising the full range of ICTs to facilitate electronic business communications and online transactions. These findings are significant given the lack of prior research on the HBB sector and the scale of micro-enterprises in economies around the globe.

Keywords: micro enterprises; home based businesses; ICT adoption; ICT diffusion; information technology; communications technology; e-mail; electronic mail; internet; world wide web; techno savvy; electronic business; e-business; online transactions; sales reach; websites; cell phones; mobile phones; digital economies; local sales; regional sales; national sales; international sales; micro size; limited resources; New Zealand; small and medium-sized enterprises; SMEs; entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2011.042758

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2011 Vol.14 No.3, pp.349 - 368

Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

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