Despite the importance of investing in information technology, research on business value of information technology (BVIT) shows contradictory results, raising questions about the reasons for divergence. Kohli and Devaraj (2003) provided valuable insights into this issue based on a meta-analysis of 66 BVIT studies. This paper extends Kohli and Devaraj by examining the influences on BVIT through a meta-analysis of 303 studies published between 1990 and 2013. We found that BVIT increases when the study does not consider IT investment, does not use profitability measure of value, and employs primary data sources, fewer IT-related antecedents, and larger sample size. Considerations of IT alignment, IT adoption and use, and interorganizational IT strengthen the relationship between IT investment on BVIT, whereas the focus on environmental theories dampens the same relationship. However, the use of productivity measures of value, the number of dependent variables, the economic region, the consideration of IT assets and IT infrastructure or capability, and the consideration of IT sophistication do not affect BVIT. Finally, BVIT increases over time with IT progress. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.

http://www.misq.org/skin/frontend/default/misq/pdf/appendices/2015/V39I4Appendices/12153_RA_SabherwalAppendices.pdf

Information technology impacts on firm performance: an extension of Kohli and Devaraj (2003)

E-Commerce Trends and Impacts Across Europe

In this paper we assess the publication base and the research trends in information and communication technology ICT specifically in transition economies. We limit our analysis to work published in academic journals and dealing with ICT in countries that have abruptly abolished a centrally planned economy and one-party controlled political system in favor of a market-driven economy. We conduct a literature review and analyze the reviewed papers looking at research focus, research approach, and theoretical foundations. Based on 173 papers published between 1993 and 2012, we observe several trends and prevalent themes and identify gaps in the literature and opportunities for future research. We find that current published research is concentrated on relatively few ICT issues, such as diffusion and implementation, and is conducted primarily at the country or organization level. Furthermore, very few research studies use otherwise commonly applied theories to explain their results.

Information and Communication Technology in Transition Economies: An Assessment of Research Trends

We use comparable micro level panel data for 14 countries and a set of identically specified empirical models to investigate the relationship between ex- ports and productivity. Our overall results are in line with the big picture that is by now familiar from the literature: exporters are more productive than non- exporters when observed and unobserved heterogeneity is controlled for, and these exporter productivity premia tend to increase with the share of exports in total sales; there is evidence in favour of self-selection of more productive firms into export markets, but nearly no evidence in favour of the learning-by-exporting hy- pothesis. We document that the exporter premia differ considerably across coun- tries in identically specified empirical models. In a meta-analysis of our results we find, consistent with theoretical predictions, that productivity premia are larger in countries with lower export participation rates, with more restrictive trade policies, lower per capita GDP, less effective government and worse regulatory quality, and in countries exporting to relatively more distant markets. JEL no. F14, D21

Understanding cross-country differences in exporter premia - Comparable Evidence for 14 Countries

This study examines how digital technologies affect the international expansion of female‐led small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). Digital technologies have the potential to democratize entre...

Democratizing Entrepreneurship? Digital Technologies and the Internationalization of Female-Led SMEs

Based on harmonised and uniquely linked firm-level datasets for a large group of European countries, this study investigates the role of different information and communication technology (ICT) capacities in the internationalisation of small- and medium-sized firms (defined as having 10–249 employees). Both the decision to export and the export intensity are explored in this respect. The different ICT capacities are captured by online presence (having a website), online transactions (e-sales activities) and proportion of employees with broadband internet access or post-upper secondary ICT education. The results show a significant and positive relationship between the ICT capacities and the engagement in exporting activities of small- and medium-sized firms, although the kind of ICT capacity of importance seems to vary across countries. In countries where the ICT usage in firms is less developed, mainly basic capacities such as online presence are related to the decision to export. There are also indications that the export intensity is more strongly related to advanced ICT capacities than the pure decision to export.

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ICT as facilitator of internationalisation in small- and medium-sized firms

Service industries are the most intensive users of information-communication technology (ICT) and some developed countries have already displayed noticeable productivity gains due to ICT use in services. The pattern of intensive use of ICT in services tends to be replicated in transition economies, however the evidence of ICT impacts on growth and productivity is lacking at the aggregate and industry level owing to deficient data and methodological problems. To overcome some of the problems in estimating the effects of ICT use we pursue firm-level analysis and apply production function approach to estimate the impact of ICT on the performance of service firms in Slovenia. The results suggest that service firms are more intensive ICT users than manufacturing firms and that ICT use significantly influences the productivity of service firms. The positive impact of ICT use on productivity applies to all service firms irrespective of their size. The links are stronger for service firms with above average ICT u...

Exploiting ICT potential in service firms in transition economies

Smart specialisation is now a major idea behind the European Commission’s cohesion policy reforms in the field of innovation, and it must be applied by European Union member countries in order to s...

Patricia Kotnik

Papers

ICT as facilitator of internationalisation in small- and medium-sized firms

Exploiting ICT potential in service firms in transition economies

Implementing a smart specialisation strategy: an evidence-based approach

The Multifaceted Nature of ICT: Final report of the ESSNet on linking of microdata to analyse ICT impact

ESSnet on linking of microdata on ICT usage : Eurostat Grant Agreement 50701.2010.001-2010.578: Final report