The Influence of SME Owners’ Characteristics on Technology Adoption
Keywords:
Small and medium enterprises, SMEs, Technology adoption, Owner, Innovativeness, IS knowledge, Technology usageAbstract
Technology adoption decisions among SMEs are believed to be inextricably linked to their owners who serve as key decision-makers in managing the business. Accordingly, this study investigates the relationship between SME owners’ characteristics (innovativeness, information systems (IS) knowledge and technology usage) and the adoption of technology in SMEs. Data was gathered from 544 SME owners of manufacturing and manufacturing-related companies involved in various industries scattered throughout Malaysia. The Partial Least Squares analysis revealed that owners’ IS knowledge and technology usage significantly influence technology adoption. However, owners’ innovativeness did not demonstrate any impact on technology adoption. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research are further discussed in the paper.
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