External Information Network Diversity and Production Management Capability in IT SMEs in the Age of Digital Convergence: The Mediating Effect of Manufacturing Capability

Abstract

The production management is one of the essential capabilities of the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the information technology sector (IT). Therefore, this study empirically analyzed the effects of such important factors as external information network diversity and manufacturing capability on IT SMEs' production management capability. Based on the 310 data collected from Korean SMEs in the IT sector, the ordinary least squares regression results from this study by using the SPSS version 22 have empirically shown that IT SMEs' external information network diversity has a positive and significant effect on their production management capability and this effect is fully mediated by their manufacturing capability. These findings provide a meaningful implication that the positive impact of IT SMEs' external information network diversity is linked to their production management capability through their manufacturing capability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR], Copyright of Journal of)