A Research Agenda for Computers and Small Business

Two factors have contributed to the increasing use of computers within the small-business environment: decreasing prices of computer technology and the advent of “friendlier” (simpler and easier to use) systems, languages, and development tools. Many studies in recent years have investigated the role of computers in small business. Primarily, this research has sought to survey the current use of computers by small firms, to illustrate the kinds of small-business decisions appropriate for automation or computer support, and to suggest methods of software and hardware evaluation. This paper proposes an agenda for future research that focuses on the factors affecting the success of small-business computing. These factors are considered in the context of the computing function's life-cycle within the firm, the organizational structure of the computing function, end-user computing, planning, and computer support for decision making.