Information Communication Technology (ICT) Adoption Among SME Owners in Malaysia

This paper examines the extent of information communication technology (ICT) skills, use, and adoption among owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia; identifies innovation characteristics and adopter categories among the owners; and establishes the relationship among these various constructs. The authors surveyed 383 SME owners, using a survey instrument developed from the constructs used in the diffusion of innovation theory. The findings show that the level of ICT skills possessed by SME owners in Malaysia is poor, that their use of ICT is low, and that their adoption of ICT is slow and late, primarily because they find that ICT adoption is difficult. The authors discuss the implications of their study and present their suggestions for future research direction.

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