The significance of ICT integration as a business strategy

Abstract

It is impossible to imagine today’s business without ICT. The study was about the significance of ICT integration as a business strategy. It empirically examines how ICT increases sales, and the profit levels in business firms. Quantitative and qualitative techniques, graphical and statistical methods such as t-test, F-test and chi-square were used to process the data collected. The dependent variable is the business strategy and the independent variables include the use of internet, technological machines, mobile phones, computer and computer networks. The study reveals 53% of the surveyed companies experience change due to integration of ICT as a strategy, there was a statistically significant correlation between the estimate of the size of the business strategy change and the amount of total annual company revenue. Top managers evaluate business strategy changes regarding the importance of that change for the organization. The role of ICT on business performance has greatly facilitated business operations both internally and externally through improved operations and enhanced innovations, efficiency and cost benefits, quality customer service and it is therefore clear that there’s a positive relationship between information technology and business performance thus causing a fundamental change in the business sector. It is recommended that further research should investigate in detail the size of the business strategy change after ICT implementation, trying to specify the size of the change as an exact variable, because in this research, the size of business strategy change was based on management opinion regarding the importance of that change for the company.