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SMEs ECT Reality
the same Web directory or ISP, and the companies’ willingness to participate in the study. A series of questions were prepared, and each manager was personally interviewed using a semi-structured interview format. Semi-structured interviews FDOOIRUDVSHFL¿FOLVWRITXHVWLRQVWREHDVNHGLQ DVSHFL¿FRUGHUEXWSHUPLWVWKHLQWHUYLHZHUWR ask optional questions, pass on others, and depart EULHÀ\WRIROORZXQH[SHFWHGSDWKV/LQGORI The semi-structured interviews were conducted in the SME premises with the owner-manager or a similar decision maker, for example a partner or marketing director. Each interview lasted an hour. Interviews were both noted and tape-re-corded, and then transcribed. Understanding of the problems and conceptualisation improved as more companies were interviewed.
The analysis of the semi-structured interviews took the form of hierarchical coding using template analysis as described by King (1998). Hierarchi-cal coding enables the analysis of text at varying OHYHOVRIVSHFL¿FLW\7KHPHVLQWKHLQWHUYLHZV were coded and grouped, thus forming groups of similar codes clustered together to produce a more general higher order codes. A pragmatic decision was made to stop the process of develop-ing and modifying the analytical template, when there where no relevant sections of transcript uncoded, and there was a clear understanding of what each code meant (King, 1998). Broad, higher codes give an overview of the general direction of the interview, while detailed lower-
funded project, managed by Connect. Connect DFWHGERWKDVD³F\EHUPHGLDU\´DQG,63WKURXJK the MerseyWorld site (Charlton, Gittings, Leng, Little, & Neilson, 1998), as well as a change agent (Charlton, Gittings, Leng, Little, & Neilson, 1997). As a change agent, Connect was responsible for the diffusion of Internet. The primarily concern was providing businesses with the necessary Internet knowhow to effectively exploit the technology and bring businesses onto the Internet. This was performed through Awareness Days, Short Course Programmes, The MerseyWorld Site, and its Work Experience and Work Placement SURJUDPPHV$VD³cybermediary” through the MerseyWorld site, Connect aimed at marketing the electronic potential of the Merseyside region. A Web presence was developed for businesses based on information submitted in any format. Connect employed programmers, designers and system specialists to develop the Web sites. Any company could join MerseyWorld, whether it KDGDQH[LVWLQJ:HESUHVHQFHRUQRW7KH¿UVW 12 months were free of charge irrespective of the level of service the company chooses. Start-ing from the second year charges were incurred depending on the type of service selected.
At the time of conducting the interviews, all SMEs hosted their Web presence on MerseyWorld. All interviewed companies have between two and four years experience with the Web pres-ence. The interviewed companies fall within two groups (Elsammani, Hackney, & Scown, 2004;
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within cases and between cases, thus enabling a within and between groups comparison (Miles & Huberman, 1994).
BACKGROUND OF PARTICIPATING COMPANIES
SMEs that participated in the semi-structured interviews were selected from a Web directory, ³MerseyWorld”, that was part of a European
is Need Pull (NP) SMEs that had the initiative to develop their own Web presence, either in-house or through a Web design bureau, before approaching the change agent. NP SMEs were attracted by the services offered by the change DJHQW³HVSHFLDOO\VXEPLVVLRQWRVHDUFKHQJLQHV attractive,” and were encouraged to host their site in the MerseyWorld directory. The second group is Technology Push (TP) SMEs. These companies were pushed into adopting a Web presence, mainly through the change agent efforts in awareness
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SMEs ECT Reality
creation and free Web design and hosting. TP 60(VUHSRUWHGWKDW³IUHH:HEGHVLJQZDVWKH main incentive in adopting a Web presence at WKHWLPH´DVWKH\GLVFRYHUHG³WKHFRPSOH[LW\RI Web design and development while attending the awareness courses.”
The majority of participants were small companies with up to 25 employees, and only one company was medium sized (case 11). The semi-structured interviews were conducted in the SME premises with the owner-manager or a similar decision maker, for example, a partner or marketing director (case 11, case 3, case 7, case 2). The interviewed owner-mangers where PRVWO\PDOHVZLWKWKHH[FHSWLRQRIWKUHH¿UPV where owner-manager was female (case 7, case 8, FDVH$OO¿UPVZHUHLQGHSHQGHQWO\RZQHGDQG were not in partnership with larger organisations. Generally, the interviewed companies are mature companies established for more than six years, with the exception of one young company (case 8) established for less than three years. Overall, the sample is a mixture of business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) compa-nies. Most companies operate in local and national markets, with the exception of two companies that have international clients and customers (case 3 and case 7). Companies come from a diversity of industry sectors: manufacturing, retail, real estate, DQG¿QDQFLDOLQWHUPHGLDWLRQ7DEOHSURYLGHVDQ overall presentation of participants in the semi-structured interviews.
IMPLEMENTATION HISTORY
NP SMEs and TP SMEs mainly differ by where the Web presence was initially developed and in the years of experience with the Web presence (see Table 1). NP SMEs have been internally motivated, either by the owner manager or a mem-ber of staff. Their initial adoption decisions was LQÀXHQFHGE\WKHLGHQWL¿HGEXVLQHVVQHHGDIWHU experiencing the advantages of using e-mail for
communication and observing the fast adoption of the new technology. These companies own a Web presence between three and four years. They developed their initial Web site either in-house or approached a Web design bureau. Contrary, TP SMEs own a Web presence for two to three years. They have been externally motivated by the change agent’s efforts in the diffusion of ECT. TP SMEs initial Web site was developed by the change agent, hence their initial adoption GHFLVLRQ ZDV VWURQJO\ LQÀXHQFHG DQG OLPLWHG by the services provided by the change agent or perceived change agent.
Within the two to four years of ECT adop-tion, most NP SMEs and TP SMEs subsequently redesigned and developed a number of Web sites with the exception of three companies. Two TP SMEs (case 1 and case 2) still use the same site developed by the change agent, and one NP SMEs (case 3) where the site was originally developed by an enthusiastic member of staff, but the company lost interest in further investment in the Web pres-HQFHDVLWZDVRIQRVLJQL¿FDQFHWRWKHFRPSDQ\ Web site update and management was either done in-house by owner-manager and/or members of staff, or outsourced to a Web designer and/or the change agent. Reasons for subsequent Web site redesign and development include: update Web site functionality (NP case 5, NP case 6, TP case 8), keep customer interest (NP case 4), improve Web site aesthetics (TP case 7, TP case 1), and the site developed by change agent was basic (TP case 9, and TP case 10). Table 2 provides a summary of SMEs’ Web site implementation and subsequent redesign.
Although NP and TP SMEs differed in their initial adoption decision and Web site develop-ment, evidence shows that overtime, there is an overlap in their subsequent development and management practices. A retrospective analysis of WKHLULPSOHPHQWDWLRQEHKDYLRXUUHÀHFWVDQXPEHU of patterns in the allocation of resources, devel-opment process, and strategic planning. These SDWWHUQVDUHQRWVSHFL¿FWRHLWKHUJURXSDOWKRXJK
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SMEs ECT Reality
Table 1. Description of SME participants in semi-structured interviews
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SMEs ECT Reality
Table 2. Historical account of initial Web sites implementation and subsequent re-design
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some behaviour might be more dominant in one group than the other. Some companies, irrespec-tive of whether they are NP or TP, prefer to be self-reliant and depend on internal resources, while other companies prefer to outsource. Some SMEs (particularly NP SMEs) are active adopters that dynamically add changes to Web presence functionality, while other companies (mostly TP SMEs) take a more passive stance by limiting Web site changes to update of informa-WLRQ7KHFKDQJHVPDGHE\DFWLYHPRGL¿HUVDUH not always driven by strategic planning, but are based on ad-hoc decisions and choices to gain WDQJLEOH EHQH¿WV DQG FRPSHWLWLYH DGYDQWDJH Contrary, passive adopters had limited impact on the Web presence maintenance and their Web presence is either updated sporadically mainly to update content, or the Web presence is in a static state with minimum or no update. Table 3 gives a details account of each interviewed company and the development patterns that inform their implementation behaviour. The remaining part of this section discusses these patterns and the LQÀXHQFLQJIDFWRUV
Outsource vs. In-House (Self-Reliance)
Web site management can be viewed from two perspectives: the update and management of day-to-day information, and the major design changes. 0RVW60(VDFTXLUHGVXI¿FLHQWWeb authoring skills to aid them in managing the Web presence, either due to owner-manager’s personal interest in Web authoring or through the change agent awareness and knowhow training. NP SMEs updated their site on a daily and monthly basis, contrary to TP SMEs who update their site on a quarterly or yearly basis. In most companies, both TP SMEs and NP SMEs, day-to-day updates are usually managed in-house whether by own-man-ager or other in-house staff, with the exception of two companies (TP case 1, and TP case 8) that outsource day-to-day updates (see Table 2).
We update if there is something major, if we are doing a new product. I will change it but in a general sense I probably tidy it up, make a few changes to make it look different if nothing else, probably every two/three months. (NP case 5)
…as far as the majority of the actual text informa-tion is concerned, we have the ability to change it from here. As far as any interactive screens are concerned, we don’t and obviously we’re going to go back to [Web design Bureau] for that. (NP case 6)
I think I might have been tempted originally if ,ZDVÀXVKZLWKPRQH\EXW,¶PDOPRVWSOHDVHG WKDW,ZDVQ¶WÀXVKZLWKPRQH\DWWKHEHJLQQLQJ because it taught me how to do it myself, I mean very amateurishly really but the thing is, it is working and it’s selling books. (TP case 9)
60(VWKDWDUHFRQ¿GHQWZLWKWKHLU:HEDXWKRU-LQJVNLOOVGRQRW¿QGWKHQHHGWRHPSOR\PRUH staff to manage the site. For these companies out-sourcing, Web site maintenance and subsequent redesign, to external professional Web design companies is not a solution they have considered. SMEs’ preference to depend on internal resources, rather than approach a professional Web design company, is driven by: fear of high maintenance FRVWVODFNRIMXVWL¿FDWLRQIRUFRVWVIRUFRQWLQXRXV update, lack of trust in designers’ capability, fear of losing control over the Web presence, and lack of time to liaise and communicate with designer. These factors are evident from the following statements.
Basically the cost really, to get a professional Web design company to do it, doesn’t warrant the actual expenditure really I don’t think because what’s there is ok and if we went to a professional company, all they’d do is, they’d still be asking us for more photos and more graphics, they wouldn’t be going out taking pictures of our events, so it’s
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