Top management support, external expertise and information systems implementation in small businesses
Abstract
Top management support is a key recurrent factor critical for effective information systems (IS) implementation. However, the role of top management support may not be as critical as external IS expertise, in the form of consultants and vendors, in small business IS implementation due to the unique characteristics of small businesses. This paper describes an empirical study of the relative importance of top management support and external IS expertise on IS effectiveness in 114 small businesses. Partial least squares (PLS) was used for statistical testing. The results show that top management support is not as important as effective external IS expertise in small business IS implementation. While top management support is essential for IS effectiveness, high quality external IS expertise is even more critical for small businesses operating in an environment of resource poverty. These findings call for more research efforts to be directed at selecting and engaging high quality external IS expertise for IS implementation in small businesses.
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HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) initiation.
“Research Proposition 7 (a-d): HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) a) initiation, b) adoption, c) routinisation and d) extension.”
From AI-augmented HRM: Antecedents, assimilation and multilevel consequences (2023) · cites this paper as Thong, 1996
HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) routinisation.
“Research Proposition 7 (a-d): HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) a) initiation, b) adoption, c) routinisation and d) extension.”
From AI-augmented HRM: Antecedents, assimilation and multilevel consequences (2023) · cites this paper as Thong, 1996
HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) extension.
“Research Proposition 7 (a-d): HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) a) initiation, b) adoption, c) routinisation and d) extension.”
From AI-augmented HRM: Antecedents, assimilation and multilevel consequences (2023) · cites this paper as Thong, 1996
HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) adoption.
“Research Proposition 7 (a-d): HR staff's ICT skills will be positively related to HRM (AI) a) initiation, b) adoption, c) routinisation and d) extension.”
From AI-augmented HRM: Antecedents, assimilation and multilevel consequences (2023) · cites this paper as Thong, 1996
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An Integrated Model of Information Systems Adoption in Small Businesses
Thong, J. Y. L. (1999) · Journal of Management Information Systems · doi:10.1080/07421222.1999.11518227 · Cited by 1,727 · see citing works
Self-citationInformation System Success: Individual and Organizational Determinants
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Nguyen, T. H., Newby, M., & Macaulay, M. J. (2015) · Journal of Small Business Management · doi:10.1111/jsbm.12058 · Cited by 274 · see citing works
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- Authors
- Thong, J. Y. L., Yap, C.-S., & Raman, K. S.
- Affiliations
- National University of Singapore (SG)
- Venue
- Information Systems Research
- Published
- 1996-06
- Volume
- 7
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 248-267
- ISSN
- 1047-7047 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-5536
- OpenAlex
- W2067311739
- Cited by
- 655
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 16 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 26 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 28 · 2016: 29 · 2015: 35 · 2014: 41 · 2013: 43 · 2012: 36
- FWCI
- 12.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Information Systems Research (publishedVersion)
- National University of Singapore (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › ERP Systems Implementation and Impact
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Information Technology Governance and Strategy
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
- Keywords
- top management support, information system implementation, small business, consultants, resource constraints, information systems adoption
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