Information Technology Adoption Dynamics for SMEs in the Manufacturing Sector of Namibia

Small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) account for employment, technological advancements, and competitive advantages in developed and developing countries. SMEs face intense competition from large corporations; therefore, to be competitive and sustainable, there is a need to adopt information technology (IT). However, SMEs have fewer financial resources, lower technical expertise, and lack of management skills. They are likely to be less prepared and may even be unable to deal with information technology adoption dynamics. Therefore, though there is a significant contribution by IT to business, many studies show unsuccessful IT implementations and slow adoption rates by SMEs. This paper uses a qualitative research approach to find out to what extent SMEs in the manufacturing understand IT, whether they have adopted IT and identify IT adoption dynamics in Namibia. Findings reveal that internal factors like top management, resources, end-users and external factors like competitive pressures, IT consultants, and government influence the SMEs in IT adoption.