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Title:
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BARRIERS TO ICT ADOPTION IN SMEs HOW TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE? |
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Author(s):
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Lukasz Arendt |
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ISBN:
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978-972-8924-49-2 |
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Editors:
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Nuno Guimarães and Pedro Isaías |
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Year:
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2007 |
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Edition:
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Single |
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Keywords:
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Digital Divide, e-Business, ICT adoption, SMEs. |
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Type:
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Full Paper |
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First Page:
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83 |
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Last Page:
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90 |
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Language:
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English |
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Cover:
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Full Contents:
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click to dowload 
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Paper Abstract:
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The paper reports on findings of a study conducted among micro and small enterprises from selected regions of Spain,
Portugal and Poland. The research focused on issues regarding the use of Information and Communication Technology
solutions by small and medium-sized enterprises. By analyzing the barriers that discourage SMEs from using ICT and e-
Business solutions in their business processes, this paper points out to the causes of the Digital Divide phenomenon.
Digital Divide at business level means, that SMEs are lagging behind large corporations as far as ICT and e-Business
implementation are taken into consideration. The paper argues, that the main barrier of better utilization of ICT and e-
Business and thus the main reason, why SMEs face Digital Divide is not as much as lack of access to information
technology (material access barrier), as it is the lack of proper knowledge, education and skilled owner-managers and
employees within the enterprise. As a result, the actions aimed at bridging the Digital Divide in SMEs should concentrate
on overcoming the skills access and usage access barriers within SMEs, not the material ones. |
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