The adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in SMEs: results of an international study

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether the financial resources invested in advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs) and social capital (SC), in terms of the set of internal and external relationships a firm holds, have a positive effect on the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. Furthermore, it tests whether the organizational context strengthens these relationships. Design/methodology/approach The authors used regression models to analyze data collected through an international survey carried out within the scope of a European project involving six Central European regions. Findings Results show that small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) having stronger internal and external SC have a higher propensity to adopt I4.0 technologies, and both management support and absorptive capacity (AC) strengthen these relationships, whereas investments in AMTs within the manufacturing area and internal SC have a positive association with the intensity of I4.0 adoption. However, in presence of a high level of management support and AC, the relationship between external SC and I4.0 adoption becomes positive and significant. Management support also moderates the impact that investments in AMTs in the manufacturing area and internal SC have on the intensity of adoption of I4.0 technologies. Originality/value This paper is one of the first to investigate the context of SMEs that, having fewer resources, face some difficulties in exploiting the potential of I4.0 revolution. Moreover, it adopts a broad perspective on the factors that facilitate the adoption of I4.0.

Critical factors influencing the adoption of digital marketing devices by service-oriented micro-businesses in Nigeria: A thematic analysis approach

“…SMEs adoption of DMD. SMEs are the substratum for industrial growth (Ongori and Migiro, 2010;Lee, 2004;Parellada and Sorian, 2011;Mutula and Brakel, 2006;Gangwar et al, 2015;Agostini and Nosella, 2020) and disruptive technologies play a role in ensuring that they remain competitive in a highly volatile business environment. However, little studies have emphasised on digital marketing technologies by SMEs in Nigeria, particularly in Owerri West LGA of Imo State where substantial number of these businesses are SMEs.…”

“…Scharl et al (2005), note that DMD complement conventional marketing which is an uninterrupted flow of communication via digital applications such as smartphones. It is communication and or interaction with clients despite their locations (Smutkupt et al, 2010;Prause, 2019, Agostini andNosella, 2020). DMD aid SMEs to bring their customers closer to their businesses via short message service (SMS) and mobile social management (Shankar and Balasubramanian, 2009).…”

“…This has transformed the ways both prospective and actual customers communicate through the use of phones and other devices (Hosseini et al, 2016;Arghya et al, 2020). These devices help businesses, whether small or large, to advertise their products via the internet and assist advertisers in contacting potential customers anytime and anywhere (Shankar and Balasubramanian, 2009;Madukua et al, 2016;Samoilenko and Osei-Bryson, 2018;Agostini and Nosella, 2020). Digital marketing is achieved when digital marketing planning and strategy development improve the company's digital marketing culture (Smutkupt et al, 2010;Arghya et al, 2020).…”

“…Eze et al (2019) noted that because of the responsive nature of digital devices, businesses see these applications as part of their daily routine, which is instrumental to their success since online transactions are made available for their customers irrespective of distance and location. DMD is vital for micro and small businesses because it encourages customer patronage, creates awareness and promotes business growth and popularity (Franco and Garcia, 2018;Eze et al, 2019;Agostini and Nosella, 2020).…”

“…SMEs in developing countries have witnessed a slow and low adoption of digital devices compared to western world (Zafar and Mustafa, 2017;Okundaye et al, 2019), and the nature of this problem is becoming even more and more challenging for SMEs and require further investigations (Tob-Ogu et al, 2018). Therefore, this research remains relevant given that small businesses have limited knowledge of these new devices and any effort in understanding how these devices can be fully utilised would not only improve their understanding but make them proactive and strategic (Benamati and Lederer, 2001;Gutierrez et al, 2015;Samad et al, 2018;Agostini and Nosella, 2020;Hong et al, 2018) in taking decisions. This will also help reduce the number of resources and time spent in search of information that will aid adoption since SMEs have wasted nearly £3.7 billion on time spent to search for relevant information using the internet as a tool (De Saulles, 2007) in the past.…”