Article

'Risky business': Perceptions of e-business risk by UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs)

Details

Citation

Grant K, Edgar D, Sukumar A & Meyer M (2014) 'Risky business': Perceptions of e-business risk by UK small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). International Journal of Information Management, 34 (2), pp. 99-122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2013.11.001

Abstract
This paper explores the risk perceptions of key stakeholders in SMEs when making decisions on technology investments. Current literature focuses on the nature of the technology from a technical perspective and its associated benefits to the SME. We seek to make a contribution that builds on the small but growing work, which views investment technology decisions as the outcome of a process of both objective and subjective risk assessment. Evidence presented in this paper suggests that subjective elements play an important part in assessing technology risks. Our empirical findings are that both e-business experience and the role of the decision-maker within the firm influences risk perception, whereas, sector differences are more modest. One implication of our findings is that policy interventions should be more sensitive and targeted at different types of stakeholders - owners, IT professionals and other individuals rather than on the sector in which the SME operates. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Keywords
risk; perception of risk; e-business; technology; survey; SME;

Journal
International Journal of Information Management: Volume 34, Issue 2

StatusPublished
FundersGlasgow Caledonian University
Publication date30/04/2014
Publication date online27/12/2013
Date accepted by journal05/11/2013
URLhttp://hdl.handle.net/1893/28931
ISSN0268-4012

People (1)

Professor Kevin Grant

Professor Kevin Grant

Dean of Stirling Management School