Using importance performance analysis to understand and guide e-business decision making in SMEs

摘要

Purpose - E-business adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been limited because of resource constraints and a failure to understand the strategic value of e-business. To facilitate decision making concerning e-business applications and their implementation, simple, low cost tools are needed to assist in analyzing and developing effective e-business strategies. This paper aims to evaluate the use of e-business applications among SMEs, to test the robustness of importance-performance (IP) analysis models and to present IP mapping as a resource/tool for decision making. Design/methodology/approach - A total of 19 e-business motivations were identified from the literature and incorporated into a self-administered survey questionnaire. Data were collected from 439 SMEs located throughout the US. Findings - Most IP studies have assumed that importance and performance are independent; however, three recent studies have argued otherwise, identifying positive, negative and v-shaped relationships. The study finds a fourth, N-shaped relationship between importance and performance. This is an extension of the v-shaped relationship and appears when the full range of performance scale values is displayed. Research limitations/implications - The relationship between the "importance" and "performance" variables suggests a path of travel that can help show the e-business adoption states and the possible undulations in e-business strategies along the path. Firms can identify their location on an IP map relative to the N-shaped path and then identify the path to the optimum location on the map. Originality/value - This paper should be useful for academic researchers and business practitioners seeking guidance in terms of which e-business applications to adopt and implement.