Improving the adoption of innovative IT at SMEs: a Vietnamese perspective

Abstract

Vietnamese small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) represent 97% of the companies and contribute to 46% of the coutry’s GDP. Literature affirms that their ability of to adopt IT is limited. This case study pursues the goal to provide recommendations on how the adoption of IT at Vietnamese SMEs can be improved. The primary data used in this case study are responses to a questionnaire from 215 SMEs, insights from eight interviews and findings from two workshops. A weighted IT adoption score calculated for each organisation is the basis for the statistical analyses. The findings of the study confirm that the adoption of IT at SMEs is lower than at large companies. SMEs for instance less frequently use specific business software, modern electronic communication channels, or cloud-based software. However, SMEs which have adopted IT to a higher extent confirm to perceive a benefit from it and also intend to use IT more intensively in the future. A significant positive correlation exists between the growth rate and the adoption of IT for SMEs with approximately 20 to 100 employees....