Exploring adoption barriers of ICT in SMEs using an ISM-MICMAC approach

Arti Chandani (), Reena Agrawal, Prashant Ubarhande, Kumod Kumar and Khalid H. M. Alhamzi
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Arti Chandani: Jaipuria Institute of Management
Reena Agrawal: Jaipuria Institute of Management
Prashant Ubarhande: Symbiosis Skills and Professional University
Kumod Kumar: Chandragupt Institute of Management
Khalid H. M. Alhamzi: Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU)

Palgrave Communications, 2025, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Abstract This article studies the barriers to the adoption of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). 11 barriers are identified to ICT adoption from the extant literature and collected data from nine SME owners. Detailed analysis of barriers helped to develop the Interpretative Structural Modeling (ISM) framework and to categorize those barriers using “Matrice d’impacts Croises multiplication appliquee a un classment” (MICMAC) analysis. The results of the study show that there are seven different levels in the ISM model, where barrier B1 (Cultural Barrier) at the topmost levDel in the model signifies being highly dependent, while barrier B11 (Lack of visionary leadership) at the bottom signifies the key driving factor. This study establishes a contextual relationship between barriers. This study adds to the present literature related to barriers to ICT adoption in SMEs in developing nations and proposes a model to overcome these barriers.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1057/s41599-025-05295-9

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