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Exploring the Business Value that South African Services-Oriented Micro-businesses Derive from Mobile Applications

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Digital-for-Development: Enabling Transformation, Inclusion and Sustainability Through ICTs (IDIA 2022)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 1774))

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Abstract

Small and Micro-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a significant role in economic development, job creation, and poverty alleviation. Despite the many advantages SMEs provide for an economy, they still face a range of challenges and have an alarming survival rate. This study examines the business value that organisations derive from the adoption of mobile applications, considering the positive impact that digital technologies can have on an organization's success. This research focuses on SMEs which are classified as personal service establishments in the Western Cape. The study was guided by a conceptual framework that combines the Technology-Organization-Environment framework, the Technology Acceptance Model, and the M-Business Value model. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data collected through semi-structured interviews. The research shows that the value SMEs derive from mobile app users is a result of the apps being used to drive both sales and marketing and streamline internal operations. Based on these findings, SMEs found that they could derive business value from mobile applications when it was aligned with the task required.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cape Town, P Bag, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa

    Anele Cele & Jean-Paul Van Belle

Authors
  1. Anele Cele
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  2. Jean-Paul Van Belle
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Correspondence to Jean-Paul Van Belle .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Patrick Ndayizigamiye

  2. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Hossana Twinomurinzi

  3. University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa

    Billy Kalema

  4. University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Kelvin Bwalya

  5. University of Mpumalanga, Mbombela, South Africa

    Mncedisi Bembe

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Cele, A., Van Belle, JP. (2023). Exploring the Business Value that South African Services-Oriented Micro-businesses Derive from Mobile Applications. In: Ndayizigamiye, P., Twinomurinzi, H., Kalema, B., Bwalya, K., Bembe, M. (eds) Digital-for-Development: Enabling Transformation, Inclusion and Sustainability Through ICTs. IDIA 2022. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 1774. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28472-4_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-28472-4_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-28471-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-28472-4

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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