Service Management as a Means to Organizational Assimilation of ICT: A Case Study

Abstract

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is essential in the development and competitiveness of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Its assimilation for better use appears as a recurring theme in the academic literature. Learning has been identified as a means of assimilating ICT in organizations. Learning and intensive knowledge exchange are components of service, according to Service Dominant Logic (S-D logic). The goal of our work is to understand how an organization learns to use ICT in an environment influenced by service management. To accomplish this, we present a case study of a Mexican SME, which has applied service management principles and shows ICT assimilation based on learning processes. The contribution of our research is the identification of service factors, which may be related to the reduction of learning barriers. The identified relationship has allowed us to propose an organizational intervention model that helps ICT assimilation in SMEs.