ICT-DRIVEN BUSINESS MODEL INNOVATION IN SMES: THE ROLE OF ORGANIZATIONAL CAPABILITIES, FIRM SIZE AND AGE

Abstract

Research has shown that business model innovation (BMI) can create competitive advantages and enhance firm performance. However, many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) fail to supreme their performance. BMI can create unexpected consequences for businesses and their ecosystem. Therefore, knowing how and under what circumstances BMI affects a firm’s performance is a primary concern for managers/owners of SMEs. Using data from 460 European SMEs, this paper aims to examine three paths through which ICT-driven BMI can impact firm’s performance. Introducing organisational capabilities as a mediator, this study has extended prior literature on BMI by showing that organisational capabilities are as strong as other existing mediators of revenue and efficiency growth regarding improving the firm’s performance. The findings provide guidelines for practitioners to execute informed-decisions about the implementation of BMI based on their firm’s strategies and the available capabilities while considering contingent factors of firm size and age.