AN ICT-BASED FRAMEWORK FOR OPEN INNOVATION IN NIGERIAN SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED ENTERPRISES (SMEs)

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this research is to investigate the level of open innovation and the perception of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) owners/staff towards open innovation using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The findings aim to inform the best practice of how collaboration between these organisations can be encouraged and enhanced. This study explores the collaborative attitude of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises towards innovation in Nigeria. A descriptive research was carried out by survey method to obtain information on SMEs using Benin City as a case study. Questionnaires were distributed to SMEs in Benin City and factor analysis was used for data analysis. The analysis produced three main factors: ICT as an Essential Tool for Innovation, SMEs are Innovative and Collaborations in SMEs. The main outputs from the research is a proposed framework which will aid executive managers in SMEs have a collaborative strategy in developing collaborations with the aid of a web-based platform for partner search. Overall, the research reveals the impact of ICT on Open Innovation in Nigerian SMEs. The findings show that using ICT is a valid approach for improving the performance and overall profitability of SMEs.