Linking IT-Enabled Collaboration and Performance in the SME Context: The Role of Responsiveness Capabilities

Abstract

The service economy has been expanding recently, with small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) playing an important role. Previous research has shown that responsiveness is one of the most important strategic capabilities for SMEs to enhance their performance. How to define responsiveness and how to develop it in the SME context, however, are seldom discussed. A review of the literature leads us to propose the three dimensions of responsiveness in the SME context, which are market sensing, customer linking, and promptness. In addition, we propose that IT-enabled collaboration would facilitate this capability. We develop a research framework to examine the relationshipsamong IT-enabled collaboration, responsiveness, and organizational performance. To verify our research framework, a case study deployed in the Mt. Pillow Leisure Agricultural Area in Yilan County, Taiwan will be carried out. This paper is a work-in-progress and the aim is to contribute to the literature by defining responsiveness capabilities in the SME context and providing a framework for examining the relationships between IT-eabled collaboration, responsiveness capabilities, and organizational performance. The results of this study not only help SMEs in developing their responsiveness capabilities but also guide them to retain competitive advantage in the service economy.