Information technology strategic planning as an enabler factor of sustainable competitive advantage Of Malaysian SMEs: conceptual study

• Main Authors: Makhloufi, Lahcene, Yaacob, Noorulsadiqin Azbiya, Mat Yamin, Fadhilah
• Format: Book Section
• Language: English
• Published: School of Technology Management and Logistics (STML) 2019
• Subjects: HD28 Management. Industrial Management
• Online Access: http://repo.uum.edu.my/28076/1/978-967-2276-12-8%20%2011%2026.pdf; http://repo.uum.edu.my/28076/

Resource-based view scholars Raduan, Jegak, Haslinda and Alimin (2009); Jafari and Rezaee (2014); Gerow, Thatcher and Grover (2015); and Cassidy (2016) argued that successful integration between IT strategy and business strategy will significantly influence firms SCA which this critical interrelationship allow manufacturers to be more responsive with business changes along with understanding customers preferences, hence enable firms to survive and grow on long-term. So, firms that provide customers with distinctive products which difficult to be replicated tend to be more powerful in maintaining long term SCA (Raduan et al., 2009). Authors Metcalfe, Uyarra and Ramlogan (2003) viewed competitiveness as effectiveness and efficiency of firms using its existing resources, linking firms profitability growth based on existing capabilities, and last innovation capability and its role in improving firms new product development. Due to the high pressures of internationalization as well as the uncertainty of business operations along with the fierce competition among manufacturers Makhloufi and Al-Rejal (2016), the need for renovation of business processes and generating new products in line with responsive with customer preferences and markets expectation is much strategically important in order to keep SCA in long term. Critically, since SMEs are limited in terms of resources and lack of clear vision with few exceptions, these critical challenges are making those firms in serious position about their future businesses.