Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8702-0693

Date of Award

Spring 5-3-2024

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Business

First Advisor

Dr. Subhashish Samaddar

Second Advisor

Dr. Satish Nargundkar

Third Advisor

Dr. G. Peter Zhang

Abstract

The adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in supply chain management (SCM) has transformed businesses globally, from large corporations to small enterprises. Emerging market economies have not fully exploited the opportunities technology affords to improve their SCM practices. This lag constitutes a competitive disadvantage for emerging market businesses and economies in global markets, and in domestic economic growth. These economies, whose markets and workforces are dominated by SMEs, can catch up through technology deployment in SCM. Technology adoption offers benefits in scale, efficiency, geographic reach, and market insights.

There exist barriers to technology adoption, which SMEs must surmount. To achieve this, SMEs must be primed to adopt SCM technology, gauged by their preexisting level of technology adoption and the readiness of their ecosystems to deploy compatible technology. SMEs must accurately attribute the gains from deploying such technology. Two indices are popular in tracking supply-chain-driven outcomes; market penetration, which tracks their share of customers in existing markets; and market development, a measure of their entry into new markets.

Within this context, this qualitative research project examines the benefits of ICT adoption in the supply chains of SMEs in Nigeria. The research answers four questions, respectively focused on the status of ICT adoption, the barriers to adoption, the extent of market penetration and development, and the effect of technology adoption on market penetration and development. The study, employing qualitative face-to-face interviews and case studies with 20+ SMEs, reveals that most have incorporated digital technologies into their SCM systems, contributing to revenue growth, profit increase, and customer base expansion. Barriers to adoption include complexity, a talent gap, financial requirements, and vulnerability to digital attacks. Building on these findings, the research discusses implications for emerging supply chains and suggests collaborative opportunities for researchers, stakeholders, and SMEs in emerging economies to facilitate technology adoption. However, a key limitation of the study is that 20 SMEs were engaged in the data collection exercise. The sample size may not be representative of the entire population, and the qualitative nature of the study limits the establishment of direct causality between ICT adoption and market penetration.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.57709/36980722

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