درک عوامل تعیین کننده مراحل تصویب سیستم های اطلاعات کسب و کارMEs Understanding the Determinants of Business Intelligence System Adoption Stages: An Empirical Study of SMEs

1. Introduction Today’s firms generally operate in a complex and extensively competitive global business environment. Such conditions force firms to set goals that include continuously competing with rivals by operating more efficiently and productively, and by reducing operating costs (Chan and Chong, 2013). The widely recognized primary driver of organizational productivity, i.e. technological innovation, will significant contribute to firms’ goals, but only when widely adopted (Zhu et al., 2006a). Thus, it is crucial for firms to understand the process and determinants of technology adoption (Karahanna et al., 1999). One innovation that can significantly contribute to the firm’s goals by improving decision-making is business intelligence systems (BIS) (Popovi• et al., 2012). BIS were developed as an IS innovation for offering data integration and analytical capabilities that can provide valuable decision-making information for stakeholders at different organizational levels (Turban et al., 2010, Yeoh and Popovi•, 2016). We define BIS as ‘quality information in well-designed data stores, coupled with software tools that provide users timely access, effective analysis and intuitive presentation of the right information, enabling them to take the right actions or make the right decision’ (Popovi• et al., 2012). In investigating business value of BIS, existing studies suggest BIS enable enhancements in firms’ strategic planning, business processes, improvements of performance, and building of competitive advantage (Popovi• et al., 2014, Davenport et al., 2010, Negash and Gray, 2008) whereas time savings and better information for supporting decision making are considered the main direct benefits of BIS implementation (Watson et al., 2002). Although there are similarities among different types of IS, prior BIS research reveals key differences between BIS and other types of IS (Popovi• et al., 2012). These divergences are one of the main reasons for the need to examine the field of BIS adoption separately from traditional IS adoption and to gain a better understanding of the determinants and their effects on the BIS adoption process. To do so, firms must consider an integrative view of the adoption process that builds on prior IS adoption studies and advances them to address the specifics of BIS. In the broader field of IS/IT adoption research, studies about BIS adoption are still scarce. Moreover, extant research in the BIS milieu primarily focuses on large-sized firms (Popovi• et al., 2012, Wixom and Watson, 2010, Yeoh et al., 2008). Accordingly, in the present work we focus on BIS adoption in small and medium enterprises (SMEs).