Digital channels diminish SME barriers: the case of the UK
Open Access
- 7 December 2015
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in Economic Research-Ekonomska Istraživanja
- Vol. 29 (1), 217-232
- https://doi.org/10.1080/1331677x.2016.1164926
Abstract
This article investigates the usage of digital channels by UK small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and assesses the impact caused on their strategic marketing position. The research is based on statistical analysis of 66 surveyed SMEs in the context of the digital era. Despite indications from the relevant literature about the reluctance of SMEs to adopt advances in technological communication, the research reported indicates a high level of usage of digital channels, especially social media (SM). The web 2.0 technologies that facilitate the new digital channels are standardised, interactive, ubiquitous and cheap. These features change the way how companies communicate and shift fundamental marketing and business concepts. Due to this shift, the SMEs’ barriers for technology adoption, including lack of financial resources, knowledge and skills, are diminishing. The latter, supported also by the research findings, increases the impact of SMEs bringing them closer to the large corporations in the global marketplace. The study is significant because it extends previous knowledge on technology adoption, with findings about the adoption of digital channels by SMEs, but more importantly, it opens up a novel insight into strategic literature for SMEs.Keywords
This publication has 54 references indexed in Scilit:
- Knowledge management in the age of cloud computing and Web 2.0: Experiencing the power of disruptive innovationsInternational Journal of Information Management, 2013
- To be or not to be in social media: How brand loyalty is affected by social media?International Journal of Information Management, 2013
- The impact of ICT on innovation activities: Evidence for UK SMEsInternational Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 2011
- Horizontal and vertical combination of multi-tenancy patterns in service-oriented applicationsEnterprise Information Systems, 2010
- An empirical study of the impact of e‐business technologies on organizational collaboration and performanceJournal of Operations Management, 2007
- Social network analysis: a powerful strategy, also for the information sciencesJournal of Information Science, 2002
- The Role of the Internet in Supply Chain ManagementIndustrial Marketing Management, 2000
- Towards the formalization of ‘small is beautiful’: Societal effectiveness versus economic efficiencyFutures, 1983
- Variations of Box PlotsThe American Statistician, 1978
- THE ENTREPRENEURIAL PERSONALITY: A PERSON AT THE CROSSROADSJournal of Management Studies, 1977