塑造企業主動積極性以提高企業績效：衡量資訊科技基礎下之協同合作在中小企業扮演的角色 - 政大學術集成

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(1)國立政治大學資訊管理學系. 碩士學位論文. 指導教授：張欣綠博士. 政治大. 立塑造企業主動積極性以提高企業績效：衡量資訊科技. ‧ 國. 學. 基礎下之協同合作在中小企業扮演的角色. ‧. Shaping Proactivity for Firm Performance:. Nat. io. sit. y. Evaluating the Role of IT-enabled Collaboration in. n. al. er. Small and Medium Enterprises. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. 研究生：周致遠中華民國一〇一年六月.

(2) 塑造企業主動積極性以提高企業績效：衡量資訊科技基礎下之協同合作在中小企業扮演的角色摘要近年來，中小企業(SMEs)於經濟中扮演與日俱增的重要性，使得產官學界希望能知道更多如何提升其企業績效的方法。本研究定義企業主動積極性 (proactivity)為一關鍵影響因子，可使企業預期改變、想要改變，進而執行改變，以提高企業績效。本研究亦視資訊科技基礎下之協同合作(IT-enabled collaboration)為增加企業主動積極性各面向的可能方法。本研究採用個案研究 (case study)，對象為臺灣宜蘭縣枕山休閒農業區。研究結果顯示，中小企業確實可透過資訊科技基礎下之協同合作，塑造其企業主動積極性，進而提升企業績效。本研究亦可協助中小企業認識企業主動積極的重要性，並協助其透過資訊科技基礎下的協同合作，增加其主動積極性。. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. 關鍵詞：企業主動積極性、資訊科技基礎下之協同合作、中小企業、價值共創. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. i n U. v.

(3) Shaping Proactivity for Firm Performance: Evaluating the Role of IT-enabled Collaboration in Small and Medium Enterprises ABSTRACT The emerging importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has led to an increased interest in how to improve performance. In our research framework, we define proactivity as an essential factor that enables a company to anticipate change, to have the desire to make a change, and to implement that change to improve the performance of SMEs. We hypothesize that Information Technology (IT)-enabled collaboration has the potential to help firms achieve all dimensions of proactivity. To verify the research framework, a case study was conducted in the Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area in Yilan County, located in the northeast of Taiwan. Our research found that SMEs can enhance their performance after developing proactivity through IT platform-based cooperation. The results of this study can assist SMEs in improving their performance by signaling the importance of proactivity and assisting SMEs in improving their proactivity through IT-enabled collaboration.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. al. er. io. sit. y. Nat. Keywords: Proactivity, IT-enabled collaboration, SME performance, value co-creation.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v.

(4) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Special thank goes to my advisor, Dr. Hsin-Lu Chang. This dissertation was developed with her supervision and kind assistance. I also owe my deepest gratitude to her for approving my half-year exchange student trip to Poland, which was an unforgettable experience. My grateful thanks also go to the SMEs in the Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area, located in Yilan County, located in the northeastern Taiwan; the face-to-face interviews with them were a valuable contribution to this study. Your enthusiasm for the interviews and your hospitality made us feel very welcome in Taiwan.. 政治大 I am grateful to my two partners, Daniel Shueh and Susan Fu, from the general 立 research program. Our discussions of the research indeed helped my analysis in this ‧. ‧ 國. 學. thesis. It also gives me great pleasure to acknowledge the support and assistance offered by Professor Soe-Tsyr Yuan and Professor Carol Hsu, who acted as my committee members. Your valuable opinions have improved this dissertation. In addition, I wish to thank to Professor Ruey-Lin Hsiao of the Graduate Institute of Technology and Innovation Management, who provided a simple introduction to qualitative research methodology.. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. n. Last but not least, I would like to thank my dear family and friends, especially those who traveled with me during my European exploration and those who supported me during my college and graduate years at both National Central University and National Chengchi University. I appreciate their kind encouragement.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Chih-Yuan Chou 06.2012.

(5) CONTENT CONTENT…………………………………………………………………………….i TABLES AND FIGURES ............................................................................................ii CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 3 2.1 IT-enabled Collaboration ......................................................................................... 3 2.1.1 IT-enabled Collaboration with Partners ....................................................... 3 2.1.2 IT-enabled Collaboration with Customers.................................................... 4 2.2 Proactivity ................................................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH FRAMEWORK ..................... 9 3.1 IT-enabled collaboration ........................................................................................ 10. 政治大. 3.1.1 IT-enabled collaboration with SMEs’ partners ........................................... 10 3.1.2 IT-enabled collaboration with SMEs’ customers ........................................ 11 3.2 SME Proactivity ..................................................................................................... 12 3.2.1 Foresight ..................................................................................................... 12 3.2.2 Desire for change ........................................................................................ 12 3.2.3 Readiness for change .................................................................................. 13. 立. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. sit. y. Nat. CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY .................................................... 14 4.1 Research Method ................................................................................................... 14. er. io. 4.2 Case Background ................................................................................................... 15 4.2.1 Sample ......................................................................................................... 16 4.2.2 Data Collection ........................................................................................... 19. al. n. v i n C h AND DISCUSSION CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH ANALYSIS ............................... 20 engchi U 5.1 Case Results ........................................................................................................... 20 5.2 Cross-Case Analysis Results .................................................................................. 26 5.3 Managerial Implications ........................................................................................ 29 CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION.................................................................................. 30 6.1 Summary ................................................................................................................ 30 6.2 Limitations and Implications of Future Research .................................................. 30 REFERENCE ............................................................................................................. 31 Appendix A: Question List for SMEs in Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area (English Version) ........................................................................................................ 38 Appendix B: Question List for SMEs in Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area (Mandarin Chinese Version) ..................................................................................... 39 Appendix C: Interview Content & Data Analysis for SMEs in Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area (Mandarin Chinese Version)...................................................... 40 i.

(6) TABLES AND FIGURES Table 2-1 The Literatures of Proactivity……………………….…..…………………7 Table 4-1 Description of the Organizations in the Sample………………………….. 16 Table 4-2 Validities and Reliability Tests…………………………………………….19 Table 5-1 Cross-case Analysis Results……………………………………………….25 Figure 3-1 Research Framework…………………………………………………........9 Figure 4-1 The Research Roadmap…………………………………………………..14 Figure 5-1 Summary of Relationships of Cross-case Analysis Results……………...28. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. ii. i n U. v.

(7) CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION The emerging importance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), or the “hidden champions” of the business world (Simon, 1996), has led to an increased interest in recent years about how to improve their performance. Scholars have offered various perspectives on the characteristics of SMEs. Kantabutra and Avery (2003) used vision-based leadership to test retailers. Bell et al. (2004) viewed internationalization as the most important performance factor for SMEs. The European Commission (2010) released a report that discussed European SMEs as the cornerstone of the European economy (Knop, 2007). Some scholars find that proactivity is an essential factor in improving the performance of SMEs. In this study, we define proactivity as an organizational. 治政 capability that enables a company to anticipate change,大 to have the desire to make a 立change. A proactive enterprise has a relatively stable change, and to implement that ‧. ‧ 國. 學. behavioral tendency to alter its environment (Randmaa, 2011). For example, Camison (1997) showed that small and medium-sized firms in Spain with proactive or innovative strategies tend to innovate more often and have better economic positions. Camison (1997) also found that proactive SMEs are more flexible in adopting innovative practices to address environmental changes and manage limited resources than their conservative counterparts. Aragón-Correa et al. (2008) indicated that. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. proactivity is a key dimension of entrepreneurial orientation that can help small firms gain new capabilities to manage environmental changes. Although the importance of proactivity for optimal SME performance is recognized in the literature, there is no discussion of how to achieve proactivity, and once proactivity is achieved, it is difficult for companies to measure it.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Previous literature has posited that Information Technology (IT)-enabled collaboration may be a good solution for assisting firms in achieving proactivity. Shrader (2001) notes that some high-technology manufacturing firms have used IT-enabled collaboration to improve proactivity. IT-enabled collaboration, which changes the work process by changing the participants, the method of participation, and the nature of the work, has the potential to help firms achieve proactivity by supporting idea exchanges within groups and networks and by supporting interactions among suppliers and customers (McNurlin et al., 2008). SMEs are characterized by fewer employees and tight resources, making their partnerships trust-based (Hoffmann and Schlosser, 2001). IT-enabled collaboration systems may help complementary SMEs work together to obtain better performance through adequate 1.

(8) trust building, even more so than initially estimated; however, recent research has not addressed this issue. The purpose of this research is to discuss how SMEs can develop proactivity through IT-enabled collaboration. Our framework will be validated using an empirical case study in the agricultural tourism industry. Specifically, our research questions are as follows: 1. How can IT-enabled collaboration enhance the proactivity of SMEs? 2. What critical components of proactivity will impact the performance of SMEs?. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 2. i n U. v.

(9) CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW To determine how IT-enabled collaboration can enhance the proactivity of SMEs as well as the components of proactivity that impact the performance of SMEs, this section reviews two main topics. We introduce and discuss the concepts of IT-enabled collaboration in the context of SMEs, and we review past literature on proactivity to delineate important dimensions that should be examined. 2.1 IT-enabled Collaboration Collaboration is a recursive process in which multiple people or organizations work together to achieve their shared goals (Huxham, 1996; Martinez-Moyano, 2006). Collaborative networks can help SMEs provide complete solutions comparable to those provided by large firms (Pouly et al., 2005), so collaboration is a good way to improve the revenue growth of SMEs. IT-enabled collaboration facilitates the cooperation and communication among SMEs (Ash, 2001). When an SME seeks to. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. pursue IT-enabled collaboration, it must consider two groups: potential SME partners in the same industry or specific area and its current and potential customers.. ‧. 2.1.1 IT-enabled Collaboration with Partners. sit. y. Nat. Over the past twenty years, many SMEs have turned to collaboration with one. io. n. al. er. another, also called team working. Consequently, collaboration has become one of the most common SME practices (Nadin et al., 1998). According to previous literature, by establishing and fostering efficient inter-firm cooperation, SMEs can achieve competitive advantages and facilitate growth and innovation (Street and Cameron, 2007; Hannah and Walsh, 2008). For example, these practices can complement internal knowledge of SMEs with external sources (Zeng et al., 2010; Malecki, 1991; Sorama et al., 2004), provide greater economies of scale (Lewis, 1990; Masurel and Janszen, 1998; Berry, 1997), produce new knowledge and enhance skills, improve product quality (Lewis, 1990), diversify corporate risks and reduce costs (Nolan, 2002), increase flexibility, and create possibilities to internationalize and identify new. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. business opportunities (Casals, 2011). Alliances between SMEs are not merely a trend; they are necessary because of the advantages of collaboration. However, helping various small business units work together is not an easy task due to business realities. Opportunistic behavior and overlap may destroy companies with fewer resources (Larsson and Malmberg, 1999), and the maintenance of trust. 3.

(10) relationships between SMEs is an issue (Brunetto and Farr-Wharton, 2007). The implementation of IT may address these problems and facilitate collaboration. Some academic studies have shown that the use of IT in a collaborative network can boost the performance of SMEs (Temtime et al., 2003). For example, some researchers find that IT promotes flexible relationships (Ritchie and Brindley, 2000) and that IT-enabled collaboration may help SMEs in remote places work together (Findikoglu, 2011) to develop capabilities that a single SME would be unable to develop alone. Online collaboration, for instance, is now an important mode of operation for SMEs and can help SMEs and their partners learn individually or collectively with high levels of trust and commitment (Coopey, 1998; Allan and Lawless, 2005). 2.1.2 IT-enabled Collaboration with Customers. 政治大. Collaboration with customers can occur as value co-creation with customers. The strategy of value co-creation is to enable customers to actively participate in shaping a company’s value proposition (Doligalski, 2011). In other words, it is an interactive process of learning between companies and their customers (Ballantyne, 2004). Furthermore, value co-creation can assist firms in considering customers’ perspectives and can help companies identify customers’ true needs (Lusch and Vargo, 2006).. 立. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. sit. y. Nat. Collaboration with customers has become popular among SMEs (Ngugi et al., 2010) and has been found to be a useful tool to maximize the overall utility of. n. al. er. io. stakeholders and to increase organizational wealth by supporting innovation and enhancing an organization’s position in its industry (Ngugi et al., 2010; Tantalo, 2011).Value co-creation can be easily conducted with the assistance of IT by storing customers’ experiences in databases and linking customers and SMEs (Novani and Kijima, 2010; Wilby et al., 2010). SMEs can also use customer profiles and discussions with customers to understand the market or initiate the newest trends in the market.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. 2.2 Proactivity As we mentioned in the first chapter, some scholars have shown that proactivity is essential to SMEs if they want to survive and improve their position in the changing business environment. The word “proactivity” comes from the adjective “proactive,” which is an antonym of “reactive”. In the 1930s, the use of the term “proactive” (or “pro-active”) was limited to the domain of experimental psychology, and the word was defined as “impairment or retardation of learning or of the remembering of what is learned by effects that remain active from conditions prior to the learning” (Oxford 4.

(11) English Dictionary, 1930). In 1946, the Austrian Jewish existential psychiatrist Frankl, who was incarcerated in the Auschwitz concentration camp during World War II, introduced the word into a wider public domain to describe a person who takes responsibility for his or her life rather than following the typical life patterns of others (Frankl, 1959). According to Frankl’s theory of proactivity, individuals can choose to be reactive or proactive in every life circumstance (Page and Page, 2002). Currently, the term is defined in most dictionaries, such as the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary (2012), as “acting in anticipation of future problem, needs, or changes”. Another dictionary defines proactivity as “controlling a situation by causing something to happen rather than waiting to respond to it after it happens.” (Miller, 1995). In sum, the attributes of proactivity, as it is currently defined, include “acting in advance” and “taking control to create changes”.. 政治大 Prior academic literature has outlined some constructs related to proactivity. For 立 example, Bateman and Crant (1993; 2000) define “proactive behavior” as the. ‧ 國. 學. ‧. relatively stable action that takes initiative to improve current situations. Parker, William, and Turner (2006) defined proactive behavior as “self-initiated and future-oriented action that aims to change and improve the situation or oneself”. Griffin et al. (2007) contrast proactivity with adaptivity; they state that proactivity is behavior that focuses on initiating changes, whereas adaptivity involves simply coping with or supporting changes. Unsworth and Parker (2003) explain that. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. proactivity is “a set of self-starting, action-oriented behaviors aimed at modifying the current situation or oneself to achieve greater personal or organizational effectiveness”.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Although most discussions on proactivity focus on the individual rather than the organizational perspective, the features of proactivity summarized in the literature can be used to examine companies because a company is composed of individuals. In other words, a company is highly likely to be proactive if it has enough proactive employees. Therefore, if an SME wants to be proactive, it must have three key characteristics: . Anticipatory. SMEs must act in advance of a future situation rather than simply responding to the current reality.. . Change-oriented. SMEs must take full control of their environment and cause changes to happen rather than adapting or waiting for the situation to. 5.

(12) change. . Self-initiated. SMEs do not need to be asked to create change, nor do they require detailed instructions. (Parker and Collins, 2010). The literature identifies additional features of proactivity, such as persistence (Frese and Fay, 2001). SMEs must maintain their proactivity rather than being content to satisfy short-term interests. Based on the work of Parker and Collins (2010) and other studies, we summarize three dimensions of proactivity that should be considered: time in advance, orientation toward change, and desire for change (Table 2-1). . 政治大. Foresight. A proactive SME can predict change in the environment and identify the best time to act in advance.. 立. Desire for change. This dimension describes the willingness to take charge of creating change. A proactive SME does not need to be asked to change.. . Readiness for change. This dimension focuses on the initiation of change and the power of change. A proactive SME can create change independently and can affect the surrounding business environment through persistence.. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. . n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 6. i n U. v.

(13) Table 2-1: The Literatures of Proactivity. Foresight prior to learning took responsibility for lives. Bateman and Crant, 1993. takes initiative in improving. Scott and Bruce, 1994. being proactive on individual innovation. Miller, 1995. controlling rather than waiting. Camison, 1997. more flexible on adopting innovative practices. Morrison and Phelps, 1999. taking charge to bring change. ‧ 國. ‧. io. .  . y. al. n. 2003. . Nat. Unsworth and Parker,. 立. Readiness for change. . 學. Frankl, 1959. 政 治大. . sit. Dictionary , 1930. er. Oxford English. Desire for change. Ch. engchi. i n U. v.   . action-oriented. 7.

(14) Table 2-1: The Literatures of Proactivity (Cont.). Foresight self-initiated and future-oriented action. 立. anticipatory, change oriented, and self-initiated. Randmaa, 2011. create alteration. Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, 2012. acting in anticipation of change. . . Nat. . io. n. al. Ch. engchi. 8. . i n U. v.  . y. Parker and Collins, 2010. . sit. gain new capabilities. ‧ 國. Aragón-Correa et al., 2008. . ‧. focusing on initiating changes. Readiness for change. . 學. Griffin, et al., 2007. 政 治大. er. Parker, et al., 2006. Desire for change.

(15) CHAPTER 3: DEVELOPMENT OF RESEARCH FRAMEWORK Based on the discussion in the literature review, we posit that proactivity is essential to the growth of an SME and that IT-enabled collaboration among SMEs has the potential to create proactivity (Camison, 1997; Shrader , 2001; Aragón-Correa et al., 2008; McNurlin et al., 2008; Parker and Collins, 2010; Randmaa, 2011). Hence, we integrate information from previous studies to develop our research model, as shown in Figure 3-1.. SME Proactivity. H1a. 立. H2a. Desire for change. H4 -. n. al. sit Readiness for change. Ch. engchi. er. io. H1c H2c. Financial Performance Operational Performance Relational Performance. y. ‧ 國. H1b H2b. Nat. -. With SME partners With SME customers. -. ‧. -. SME Performance. 學. IT-enabled Collaboration. 政Foresight治大 H3. H5. i n U. v. Figure 3-1 Research Framework The research model illustrates two varieties of IT-enabled collaboration among SMEs: collaboration with business partners and collaboration with customers. In the last chapter, we defined proactivity as having three dimensions: foresight (focus on time in advance), desire for change (focus on willingness), and readiness for change (focus on initiation and readiness). We propose that IT-enabled collaboration contributes to the development of proactivity. Furthermore, the three dimensions of proactivity also relate to the performance of SMEs. Three types of SME performance are considered in this study: financial, operational, and relational. In most of the previous literature, scholars have proposed financial performance measures, such as cost and profitability, as dimensions of organizational performance (Sink, 1985; Peel 9.

(16) and Bridge, 1998; Omerzel and Antoncic, 2008; Hudson et al. 2001). Additionally, previous studies used cash flow, market share, overhead cost reduction, inventory performance, cost control, sales, profitability, efficiency, and product cost reduction as the measurements of financial performance for an SME. In addition to the traditional financial perspective, we argue that operational performance is another essential type of SME performance that consists of time savings, labor savings, and error reduction. Time savings has been considered both a source of competitive advantage and a basic measure of performance (Neely et al., 1995). For labor savings, Sink and Tuttle (1989) proposed productivity and effectiveness as performance criteria. Moreover, the risk reduction strategies that SMEs adopt are important for business operations (Kotey and Meredith, 1997; Shepherd et al., 2000). We suggest relational performance as a third type of SME performance that measures a company’s relationships with its cooperative partners (Vickery et al., 2004). Specifically, Stank, Goldsby, and Vickery (1999) found that creating strong relationships with important customers allows firms to achieve a sustainable advantage by tailoring offerings to the needs of their customers. Gwinner et al. (1998) further stressed that well-developed relationships can have beneficial confidential, social, or special treatment aspects. The details of this model will be described in the following sections.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. 3.1 IT-enabled collaboration. y. Nat. er. io. sit. 3.1.1 IT-enabled collaboration with SME partners. For SMEs, IT-enabled collaboration with partners is a good way of gathering industrial information, scanning the business environment to identify new opportunities, and acquiring external knowledge resources (Laurie, 2001; Sawers et al., 2008). Wigand et al. (1997) noted that IT-enabled collaboration enhances networkability among partners so that companies can discover the most recent business trends through information sharing (Huisman and Smits, 2007) and take action before their competitors. Thus, we develop hypothesis H1a as follows:. n. al. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. H1a: IT-enabled collaboration with SME partners has a positive effect on the ‘foresight’ capability of SMEs. At the same time, IT-enabled collaboration provides a common platform for accessing information and thus increases the opportunities for open discussion among participating firms (Moch et al., 2011). The exchange of ideas, experiences and practices in the open discussion provide a means for SMEs to obtain new ideas and ensure sufficient interactions to achieve innovative changes (Aldea-Partanen, 2006). 10.

(17) As a result, we present the following hypothesis: H1b: IT-enabled collaboration with SME partners has a positive effect on the ‘desire for change’ capability of an SME. When companies collaborate with each other, the social linkages between them are characterized as a set of relations based on an exchange of resources as well as a means of enhancing new opportunities (Ulrich and Barney, 1984; Lechner and Dowling, 2003). Complementary resource exchange through collaboration creates a good foundation for change and innovation (Wincent et al., 2010). Moreover, IT makes communication among partners much easier and more efficient. Companies can either create a friendly environment in which change can occur or resolve environmental barriers (Cairncross, 2001) that may impede changes. Therefore, we propose Hypothesis 1c, as follows:. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. H1c: IT-enabled collaboration with SME partners has a positive effect on the ‘readiness for change’ capability of SMEs.. ‧. 3.1.2 IT-enabled collaboration with SME customers. sit. y. Nat. It has become increasingly difficult to meet the needs of diversified customers. Thus, it is important for companies to use strategic solutions, such as IT-enabled. n. al. er. io. collaboration, to resolve this difficulty (Hammer and Champy, 1993; O'Neill and Sohal, 1999). By gathering customer profiles or through collaborative filtering, SMEs are capable of identifying the overwhelming number of existing and potential interests of their customers (Herlocker et al, 2004) so that they can predict business trends and innovate to achieve the best timing. Accordingly, Hypothesis 2a was developed, as follows:. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. H2a: IT-enabled collaboration with SME customers has a positive effect on the ‘foresight’ capability of SMEs. To obtain optimal results from IT-enabled collaboration with customers, SMEs must predict their future resources and competences and prepare in advance to interact with customers rather than simply responding to customers’ requests. This foresight makes SMEs more willing to change. IT also creates an open communication channel that enables companies to exchange information with SMEs and customers so that new ideas are easily generated (Gibbert et al., 2002). Companies are therefore more. 11.

(18) willing to change to turn their ideas into realities. Hence, Hypothesis H2b is presented as follows: H2b: IT-enabled collaboration with customers has a positive effect on the ‘desire for change’ capability of SMEs. Moreover, IT enables SMEs to accumulate and analyze customer data. When SMEs recognize customer shopping patterns, they may have a better idea of how to manage their brand and increase customer trust and loyalty (Feindt et al. 2002). Improved knowledge about customers guides firms in initiating change (Bates, 1991; Kenny and Fahy, 2011). During the process of collaborating with customers, firms can create additional relational resources and increase their competence in responding to customers’ needs (Forsström and Törnroos, 2005). SMEs are thus better able to take control of their circumstances and initiate changes. Consequently, we develop Hypothesis 2c as follows:. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. H2c: IT-enabled collaboration with SME customers has a positive effect on the ‘readiness for change’ capability of SMEs.. ‧. 3.2 SME Proactivity. er. io. sit. y. Nat. 3.2.1 Foresight. For an SME to be innovative, the company needs to search for new opportunities by tracking changes or conducting research over time (Arnold and Thuriaux, 1997) to identify opportunities for innovation. With market foresight, SMEs can improve performance through innovation and resource integration (Abro et al., 2011). For example, companies can enter into a new market before competitors and gain the greatest market share (Kim and Mauborgne, 2005); companies can improve the efficiency of the work process and thus decrease operating time in comparison with their competitors; and companies can improve their relationships with customers and suppliers through better knowledge of how to serve them. For these reasons, we develop Hypothesis 3 as follows:. n. al. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. H3: The ‘foresight’ capability of SMEs has a positive effect on performance. 3.2.2 Desire for change Because making changes is often costly and risky, SMEs are discouraged from 12.

(19) initiating change by their limited resources and small number of external linkages (Bates, 1991; Coetsee and Visagie, 1995; Arnold and Thuriaux, 1997). For this reason, overcoming resistance to change and gaining a willingness to create change is usually an issue for SMEs (Coch and French, 1948; Vries, 2011). When desire for change or innovation of SMEs increases through the development of a sense of urgency and increasing confidence (Vries, 2011), employees in these companies will be more ambitious when they encounter business hazards. When companies have a positive orientation toward their work, their sales revenue and working efficiency can grow. Relationships on SMEs’ supplier or customer side can also become stronger when open discussions are held among SMEs’ active workers (Brennan, 1997). Hypothesis 4 is therefore proposed as follows: H4: The ‘desire for change’ capability of SMEs has a positive effect on performance.. 立. 政治大. 3.2.3 Readiness for change. ‧ 國. 學. ‧. The readiness toward change is necessary for companies to manage a dynamic business environment. When an SME prepares for a change or innovation, it needs to expand its resource and competence base with its partners. Collaborating with partners usually brings a firm more sales channels, more technological resources, and more brand images so that the company can influence its environment and easily. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. initiate change. By initiating change, the company can create higher sales revenue by expanding channels, creating a more efficient operation with sufficient IT support, and strengthening linkages among customers and partners through loyalty building. Therefore, we suggest that SMEs will improve business performance by increasing their readiness for change. Consequently, the last hypothesis of our research model, Hypothesis 5, is as follows:. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. H5: The ‘readiness for change’ capability of SMEs has a positive effect on performance.. 13.

(20) CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 4.1 Research Method This study is the result of a research effort focused on IT-enabled collaboration and proactivity using literature and dictionary reviews. These reviews assisted with the development of research questions and a research framework, which includes several hypotheses. To explore the proposed research model in more detail, we conducted a case study that examines the causes and effects in the analysis using detailed interviews. Our completed research roadmap is shown in Figure 4-1. Find some possible interesting factors about IT-enabled. 治政dictionaries 大. collaboration and proactivity in the relevant literature and. 立. Identify research questions and develop a research framework. ‧ 國. 學. with hypotheses performance. Nat. sit. y. ‧. Identify cases as research subjects. Analyze cases. to collect data. n. er. io. al. Interview case companies. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Framework assessment and verification. Research conclusion and discussion. Figure 4-1-The Research Roadmap. 14.

(21) 4.2 Case Background The tourism and leisure industry has emerged because individuals regard travel as a necessary component of their lifestyle, rather than a luxury (Kandampully, 2000). According to the literature, the tourism and leisure industry is largely dominated by SME organizations (Gammack et al., 2004; Philips and Louvieris, 2005). Because of resource limitations within these SMEs, it is difficult to predict or realize the future of the tourism and leisure industry market and implement changes to meet potential customer expectations. IT-enabled collaboration platforms such as blogs, guest books, and social networks are integrated service systems that enable SMEs to deliver better service quality by utilizing two significant features: (1) the formation of an SME network alliance with business partners and, (2) travel information or recommendations for. 治政 customers’ tour planning. Using these platforms, SMEs大 are able to share information 立and analyze cooperative opportunities with their related to business operations ‧. ‧ 國. 學. potential SME partners; customers have the ability to share comments with the public and create customized trips in conjunction with the SME. In summary, the platforms are typical in IT-enabled collaboration for both SME partners and their customers.. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 15. i n U. v.

(22) 4.2.1 Sample A multiple-case study is used to test our research framework developed in the last chapter. The Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area in Yilan County, where is located on the northern-east part of Taiwan, was selected as our research participant. Several firms were contacted; eight agreed to participate in the study with the assurance that all interview content would remain anonymous. The firms, which all belong to SMEs in this leisure agricultural area, include bed and breakfasts (B&B), farms, restaurants, and orchards. For identification purposes, we refer to the eight companies as firms A1 to A8. A summary description is presented in Table 4-1. Table 4-1 Description of the Organizations in the Sample Facebook. . Some homemade products. . Blog. . Guest book. 立. Orchard. . Fruit. . . Adoption of trees. . Blog. . DIY experience for children. . Guest book. Restaurant. . Snack. . Blog. . Food DIY experience. B&B. . Accommodations. . Facebook. . Guest book. Nat. A4. . io. . Drama & commercial. n. al. filming(CF) shooting. A5. B&B.  . A6. B&B. Ch. Accommodations. e backyard gchi DIY experience inn. Facebook. ‧. A3. Accommodations. 學. A2. . y. B&B. IT-enabled collaboration involved. sit. A1. 政治大. Major Products & Services. er. Kind. ‧ 國. Firm. i vFacebook n U  . Blog. orchard. . Guest book. . Accommodations. . Facebook. . The views at the top of Mt. Pillow. A7 A8. Farm. Farm. . White champak. . Facebook. . White champak -related product. . Blog. . Bamboo shoot dishes. . Blog. . Bamboo shoot DIY experience. Firm A1 is a B&B that was built in 2003 in Yuanshan Township, Yilan County. The SME provides customers with comfortable accommodations and homemade products. It has two members, and for this study, the owner was interviewed. She uses 16.

(23) Facebook, a blog, and a guest book to communicate with partners and customers. The owner of A1 has run her business very actively in the past, but recently, she has been focusing less on operations and more on her other responsibilities. In addition, her B&B is not yet an officially licensed business. Firm A2 is an orchard that primarily cultivates pears. It offers customers many types of pears and fruits, the adoption of fruit trees, and “do it yourself (DIY)” activities. The host of A2 has accounts in blog, Facebook, and a guest book, but he seldom uses these tools due to his lack of computer skills. Firm A3 is a restaurant and snack factory owned and operated by the former host of a five-star hotel’s restaurant. He offers Chinese-themed snacks to his customers and also supplies nearby restaurants with meals. The DIY activities offered by A3 are also popular with customers. The owner recently considered expansion. Although the host. 政治大 spends most of his time making snacks, he expressed that he may concentrate more on 立 collaboration at a later date.. ‧ 國. 學. ‧. Firm A4 is the most famous and popular B&B in our study because the Taiwanese celebrities stay here when in many Taiwanese trendy dramas and advertisements. It is also popular for its first-class facilities and beautiful views of Mt. Pillow. The interactions and message exchanges between staff and customers on the B&B’s Facebook and the official guest book add to its high visibility and revenue.. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. n. Firm A5 is a B&B owned by an enthusiastic retired couple. The beautiful setting of the B&B, combined with its comfortable accommodations, helps it retain loyal customers. This couple uses Facebook, a blog, and a guest book to communicate with their customers and partners; they utilize feedback for business improvement.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Firm A6 is another B&B; it has outstanding views and is located at the top of Mt. Pillow. The host occasionally uses Facebook and email to interact with customers and partners; however, her lack of IT skills prevents her from more advanced collaboration using these platforms. Firm A7 is a farm that primarily plants “white champak”, a type of flower belonging to the magnolia family, which has a pleasant smell. The farm sells the flowers and flower-related products, such as herbal tea. The original host of this farm had physical issues that made continuous operation difficult; therefore, the farm is now rented to an individual who was interviewed for this study. The new holder has. 17.

(24) struggled with promotion of the farm since he took control; he utilizes Facebook and a blog to interact with people to retain business. Firm A8 is a famous farm offering bamboo shoot dishes and related DIY experiences. The primary host uses an official blog to communicate with customers. She does not consider using other platforms for more advanced collaboration because the firm is currently successful.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 18. i n U. v.

(25) 4.2.2 Data Collection The primary data sources were face-to-face interviews conducted in April and May of 2012. Each interview was approximately 60 minutes. All of the interviews were tape recorded, and all sessions were transcribed before the data were analyzed. We summarized the major findings from all interviews; the summaries were verified by the participants to enhance the validity of their answers (see Appendix C for details). Furthermore, to ensure the construct validity, internal validity, external validity and reliability, we applied Yin’s (2003) recommended tactics to our case studies, as Table 4-2. Table 4-2 Validities and Reliability Tests Tests. in this study 政治 Implementation 大 The primary data sources were. Case Study Tactic and the phase in which tactic occurs (Yin, 2003). collected through several face-to-face. 學. ‧ 國. 立 Construct. Use multiple sources of evidence in the. interviews. Other information was. validity. data collection phase. gathered from each firm’s official. ‧. Regular and iterative work was. n. Ch. sit. y. data analysis phase. al. conducted to examine the framework application and at the same time lead. er. Conduct explanation-building in the. io. validity. networks, or website.. Nat. Internal. blog, personal page in social. v. to a cross-case analysis in our. i n U. multiple-case study.. e n g c h iA theoretical framework was developed to process the eight case. External. Use replication logic in multiple-case. validity. studies in the research design phase. studies (see Figure 3-1). Replication logic was used as the theoretical framework and later became the vehicle for generalizing to new cases. A semi-structured interview guide was used for all the interviews.. Reliability. Use case-study protocol in the data collection phase. Several open-format questions were included in the interview guide to allow the participants flexibility in their responses.. 19.

(26) CHAPTER 5: RESEARCH ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSION In this section we will analyze these cases according to the research framework proposed in Chapter 3. 5.1 Case Results IT-enabled collaboration IT-enabled collaboration with partners. IT-enabled collaboration with partners is defined as the degree of SME interactions using IT platforms. The case companies were categorized as having low, medium, or high rankings for IT-enabled collaboration if they had the following respective traits: no interaction or low interaction with other SMEs using IT platforms; basic interactions with SMEs using IT platforms; or coordination with partners using IT platforms.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. Through our interviews and analyses, it was determined that A2, A3, A6, and A8 do not interact with other SMEs through IT, but they do have face-to-face interactions or communicate using phone calls. “We (SMEs) exchange information with our partners, for example, we talk about awkward customers. However, we always communicate face-to-face; we seldom go through the Internet,” stated the owner of. Nat. sit. y. A6. In contrast, the other four companies (A1, A4, A5 and A7) have basic interactions,. n. al. er. io. such as leaving messages and sharing pictures with other SMEs via Facebook, to maintain relationships. For instance, “I sometimes interact with other SMEs on Facebook. I give them a ‘Like’ or leave messages, just like what we used to do with our friends,” stated the owner of A5. Based on our interviews, none of these scenarios achieves high levels of IT-enabled collaboration.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. IT-enabled collaboration with customers. We define IT-enabled collaboration platforms, such as social network websites, blogs, and guest books, as common integrated service systems that allow firms to communicate with their existing and potential customers. The company owners work together with customers to generate new ideas. Hence, to determine the co-creation of value through IT platforms, the frequency of each firm’s communication with customers using IT-enabled collaboration was measured. The first case, firm A1, had a special situation: the holder had changed her business approach. Previously, she had communicated with her customers diligently and actively. “In the past, I often interacted with customers. For example, I took some 20.

(27) photos for my customers, uploaded these to my blog, and also emailed them,” the B&B holder said. She often communicated with customers using the firm’s guest book and sent greeting cards for Chinese New Year or other festivals. However, because of her personal situation, she no longer focuses on IT-enabled collaboration. This special case therefore received an average ranking. The other three companies (A2, A5, and A7) showed similar characteristics that produce medium frequency interactions. They occasionally interact with their customers and feel that the IT-enabled collaboration platforms work well. “Just like the guest book, it really works. If someone tells us that there are too many mosquitoes, I need to handle the situation, or if someone says that the floor is dirty, I will sweep immediately,” the holder of A7 said. Because of their medium frequency of interactions with customers using IT platforms, we ranked these three cases as medium.. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. Firms A3, A6, and A8 rarely use information technology to support their business operations and minimally utilize collaboration opportunities on IT-enabled platforms. In contrast, company A4 ranked at a high level for IT-enabled collaboration with. ‧. customers due to its daily Internet interactions using various platforms. The owner of A4 regards the different platforms not only as a valuable way to promote his business but also as a way to help him learn more about his customers. This is a model example of utilizing information technology to communicate with customers.. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. v. n. Proactivity Foresight. Instead of gazing into a crystal ball to just guess the future, the capability of foresight allows the organization to focus on possible future scenarios and then make decisions to create the best future for the company (Horton, 1999). To understand the level of foresight at each firm, we measured each firm’s ability to predict possible trends of both customers and competitors by examining its collaboration on IT-enabled platforms.. Ch. engchi. i n U. The three companies (A1, A4, and A5) that ranked as medium on foresight have the ability to examine industry trends and the traits of their potential customers. For example, the owner of A1 found that the introduction of smart phones and tablet personal computers has changed the behaviors of customers. She predicts that televisions will not be needed at hotels or B&Bs because of new information technologies. The owner of A4 simultaneously got the trend of watching trendy dramas online and hopes to translate this activity into profit for his organization by. 21.

(28) advertising that the dramas were filmed on site. “A vast number of people watch dramas on the Internet; however, people may not know that the dramas were filmed in my house,” he said. Aside from examining market trends and the characteristics of customers, A7 observes its competitors and business partners to see how they utilize IT-enabled collaboration. “They sometimes promote themselves by accident,” the holder of A7 commented. “For example, A1 is in our area. She often takes customers on outings, and if these are successful, I can plan similar outings in the future.” He further realizes that future trends concerning travel, as well as the potential to entice backpackers, may contribute to his future business opportunities owed to IT-enabled platforms. We ranked A7 as a company with a high market foresight capability.. 政治大. After carefully evaluating the interviews, we ranked the rest of the cases at low levels for foresight capability. A2 and A6 have the capability to find potential traits in customers or partners, but not in the local market, and A3 and A8 indicate no interest in predicting the future through IT-enabled interactions.. 立. ‧ 國. 學. ‧. Desire for change. To measure each firm’s desire for change, we asked all eight firms whether they were willing to adopt changes after utilizing IT-enabled collaborations. Only two companies, A5 and A7, responded positively. The other firms had no desire to make changes after using IT-enabled collaboration. For instance, the owner of A4. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. stated that “the information platform is just a convenient and accurate way to provide my information online for customer’s reference; therefore, I won’t change my business operations.” He views the information platform as a bridge to connect customers with the firm and to promote the firm to customers. A2 has received constructive criticism through IT-enabled collaboration, but the owner is unwilling to improve based on those comments. Moreover, A3 has a strong desire to change his business, and he has a succinct plan for the change; nevertheless, his high desire for change is derived from face-to-face contact and his knowledge of the industry rather than IT-enabled collaboration. Therefore, we regarded A3 as a company with no desire for change related to IT-enabled platforms.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Readiness for change. We define readiness for change as the degree to which the firm is ready to implement change or innovations after IT-enabled collaboration has been measured. A company with a high readiness to initiate change must be willing to use IT-enabled collaboration and initiate changes via IT-enabled platforms.. 22.

(29) Three companies, A4, A5, and A7, ranked as having a high readiness for change. The owner of A4 uses the Internet daily to interact with customers and to analyze customer behavior patterns utilizing various platforms; he ranks high on the readiness to change scale. A5 and A7 also ranked high: both analyze IT-enabled collaboration when it occurs and then initiate changes based on their interactions. A6 is the only firm that ranked as medium regarding readiness for change. The owner of A6 stated, “Unlike the others, I’ll understand when something enhances my business.” She has the ability to utilize IT-enabled collaborations and learn from the results; however, she is not adept at making changes within IT-enabled platforms. For this reason we gave the case a medium ranking. The other cases, A1, A2, A3, and A8, rank as having a low readiness for change. They have similar characteristics and either have difficulty with using technology devices or have issues with understanding how to initiate change. Hence, their rankings of readiness for change were low.. 立. 政治大. ‧ 國. 學. SME performance. ‧. sit. y. Nat. We assessed the SMEs' performance based on growth in income, relationships with customers, and relationships with partners. Accordingly, we ranked their performance as "Low", "Low-to-Medium", "Medium", or "High". The interviews. n. al. er. io. revealed that A1 increased its income by selling its product and had better relationships with customers through interactions. A5 did not increase its income, but it has maintained good relationships with its partners and customers. The owner of A5 commented: “Through Facebook, I recognize some SMEs in other areas, and we interact. Also, on Facebook, customers ask me to recommend restaurants for the Chinese New Year; afterwards, they thank me on Facebook because the ones I recommended are really good and cheap.”. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. A7 just started operating recently, so it only has good relationships with its partners. “I have a good relationship with some SMEs,” the holder of A7 said, “Though I am not currently connected to their friends, I do try to add them as friends on Facebook.” The other companies are either low or high in their performance rating, representing two extremes. A4 has successfully reduced advertising costs, increased its income, and achieved an excellent relationship with customers and partners. “I use. 23.

(30) information technology to market my business for free. I also have 900 friends on Facebook, both SMEs and customers; most of them are active friends. I think this type of interaction is pretty good, not too commercial, but it unobtrusively promotes our B&B,” the owner of A4 remarked. Unlike A4, the remaining four firms did not achieve income growth or increase relationships with customers and partners. In summary, we ranked A4 at the highest level of performance; A1 and A5 at the medium level; A7 at the low-to-medium level; and A2, A3, A6 and A8 at the lowest level.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. 24. i n U. v.

(31) Item IT-enabled. Result. Definition / Evidence. A1. A2. A3. A4. A5. A6. A7. A8. Medium. Low. Low. Medium. Medium. Low. Medium. Low. Medium. Medium. Low. High. Medium. Low. Medium. Low. Medium. Low. Low. Medium. Medium. Low. High. Low. No. No. ‧. Factor Independent Variables. Table 5-1 Cross-case Analysis Results. No. Yes. No. Yes. No. Low. Low. Low. High. High. Medium. High. Low. Low. High. Medium. Low. How extensively the firm communicates with other collaboration with. 政治大. firms through IT-enabled collaboration. partners IT-enabled. 立. The frequency of the firm’s communication with. collaboration with. ‧ 國. customers. 學. customers through IT-enabled collaboration. The degree of the firm’s ability to predict the trends. Mediating Variables. Foresight. and the traits of its customers and competitors. Yes/No answer that defines the firm’s willingness to Desire for change. y. Nat. al. n. collaboration.. Ch. Variables. An increase in the sales growth rate, an increase in. engchi. the number of new relationships initiated with SME performance. Medium. partners and customers, and the maintenance of better and longer relationships with partners and customers.. 25. er. io. and initiate innovation or changes after IT-enabled. sit. The degree to which the firm is able to conceptualize Readiness for change. Dependent. No. adopt changes after IT-enabled collaboration.. i n U. v. Medium. Low-toLow Medium.

(32) 5.2 Cross-Case Analysis Results In this section, we will verify each proposed hypothesis by examining the relationships among the eight cases. As presented in our research framework, the three capabilities of proactivity, ‘foresight’, ‘desire for change’, and ‘readiness for change’, should be evaluated using the two types of IT-enabled collaboration and the SMEs’ performance. Figure 5-1 represents the results. The linear lines in Figure 5-1 are derived from the levels of each component using regression analysis. We observed that with more IT-enabled collaborations with partners, the firm generates a higher foresight capability. The relationship between the desire for change and IT-enabled collaboration with partners can also be evaluated as positive, except in two special cases. The two cases ranked at a medium level for IT-enabled collaboration with partners; however, their ‘desire for change’ capabilities were still ranked as low because of personal factors. The owner of the first case, A1, said that. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. she is too tired to run the business; in other words, the firm faces a situation in which there is no willingness to change because of insufficient holder motivation rather than because of the impact of IT-enabled collaboration. Another case, A4, faces a similar situation; the owner resists his own belief on running business, so he is unwilling to initiate change even if he receives significant information via IT-enabled collaboration. The cooperation mechanism using IT can be further proven as enhancing the ‘readiness for change’ capability. The only case with a non-standard result, A1,. sit. y. Nat. n. al. er. io. presented no willingness, no confidence, and no readiness to initiate change; therefore, the company ranked low in the ‘readiness for change’ category even though it showed strong collaboration with its partners.. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. IT-enabled collaboration with customers has a positive effect on generating ‘foresight’, the ‘desire for change’, and ‘readiness for change’, with some exceptions. As previously stated, the case of A1 involves a personal factor that inhibits both the willingness and the readiness of the owner to effect change. Similarly, the strong resistance of the owner of A4 supports his unwillingness to change. One exception is A2, whose owner has low willingness and low readiness to effect change. Although the owner of the firm occasionally collaborates with his customers on the Internet, he has developed no new ideas from the interactions owing to his low personal learning capability; he therefore lacks the two main capabilities of proactivity. Finally, we evaluated the relationship between proactivity and the firms’ performance. It can be observed that the three capabilities of proactivity have a positive impact on performance, with some exceptions. The non-standard cases merit 26.

(33) further examination. At a medium level of market foresight and a low level of desire for change, A4, with its high ranking on performance, is a special case. Its high frequency of communication with customers and its effective promotion of advertisements, as well as the influence of well-loved trendy dramas, distinguished its performance from the other companies in the surrounding area; namely, the firm has the ability to improve its performance even without the enhancements of foresight and the willingness to initiate change after IT-enabled collaboration. Contrary to A4, though A7 has a high market foresight ranking, it still needs to improve its performance. The firm is in this situation because of timing issues. Once more partners and customers notice that the holder of A7 has changed and is willing to collaborate with others, more improvements on the performance of the firm may occur.. 政治大 The last case to discuss, A1, was ranked as a medium performance, but its holder 立 had no ‘desire for change’ and a low ‘readiness for change’ capability. The firm. ‧ 國. 學. ‧. initially performed well by maintaining connections with partners and by selling products using IT-enabled platforms. Although A1 has no willingness or readiness to change, it still performs well.. n. al. er. io. sit. y. Nat. In summary, the hypotheses we proposed in our research model are supported by the majority of the cases. A future survey is required for further justification.. Ch. engchi. 27. i n U. v.

(34) 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. n. er. io. sit. y. Nat. al. Ch. engchi. i n U. v. Figure 5-1 Summary of Relationships of Cross-case Analysis Results. 28.

(35) 5.3 Managerial Implications The results shown in Figure 5-1 provide evidence that IT-enabled collaboration with partners and customers has a positive influence on the generation of proactivity, and each capability of proactivity can assist the firms in reaching improved performance. By achieving market foresight, the firm will be able to follow the trends and be well prepared to face environmental changes or to self-initiate new changes. With adequate willingness to initiate change, the company will be prepared to seek opportunities for business growth. Moreover, if the SME embraces a readiness to change, it may initiate change with little effort. After achieving proactivity, the firms will be ready to make changes instead of taking no action. Therefore, organizations hoping to achieve higher goals related to business performance should collaborate with customers and partners online to improve their proactivity, which will lead to enhanced business opportunities.. 立. 政治大. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. The content of interviews also provides some insights about necessary traits that IT-enabled collaboration platform builders need to take into account to help firms shape proactivity for firm performance. Except the need of instant interaction (e.g., clicking the ‘like’ button on facebook), convenient photo sharing, and easy-to-use. sit. y. Nat. guest book, the SMEs may hope to collect more information about the general economic situation in their industry and to make some simulations for their potential change initiations. That is to say, the IT-enabled collaboration platforms would not. n. al. er. io. only a crystal ball which can predict the future, but also a clay ball which can change shape for any wants and can return to the original ball if its former shape is not pretty.. Ch. engchi. 29. i n U. v.

(36) CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION 6.1 Summary Researchers are seeking methods to assist SMEs in improving their performance by examining and exploring the path SMEs follow in their search for success. This dissertation discusses the effectiveness of IT-enabled collaboration and proactivity. In our research framework, we proposed two dimensions of IT-enabled collaboration: (1) IT-enabled collaboration with partners and (2) IT-enabled collaboration with customers. Each dimension will directly influence proactivity, which includes three capabilities: (1) foresight, (2) the desire for change, and (3) readiness for change.. 政治大. Eight SMEs in the Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area in Yilan County, located in the northeast of Taiwan, were carefully studied to test the proposed hypotheses in our research. We conducted face-to-face interviews in April and May of 2012 to gather useful information and thereby gain insight. After analyzing the cases, the hypotheses proved to be well validated, and the exceptional cases can be reasonably explained. In conclusion, IT-enabled collaboration can help SMEs improve proactivity, which will subsequently improve their business performance.. 立. ‧. ‧ 國. 學. Nat. sit. y. 6.2 Limitations and Implications of Future Research. n. al. er. io. In our research, we found that some personal factors, such as a lack of motivation and the resistance to commitment, had potential negative influences on the relationship between proactivity and IT-enabled collaboration. Thus, some mediating factors could be studied in future research. Moreover, the research framework could be further verified by using a survey, and it could also be tested in other industries to generalize the results.. Ch. engchi. 30. i n U. v.

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