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Collaborative technologies' use
the flow of information through the value chain
(Basu & Kumar, 2002). The establishment and
development of workflow processes has played a
fundamental role in this transition. CTs provide
great opportunity for automation of processes and
workgroup. Thus, e-workflow is considered as the
use of CTs for the establishment of predefined
electronic processes through CTs.
Firms can use CTs for different purposes. Soto-
Acosta and Meroño-Cerdan (2006) identified
three Website orientations: e-information, e-
communication, and e-transaction. Based on this
classification, three CTs' use orientations have
been identified: e-information, e-communication,
and e-workflow.
E-information:
CTs can be used as a corporate
channel for information dissemination and data
access across functional boundaries and organi-
zational levels. As a result, CTs may reduce the
cost and effort associated with corporate informa-
tion searches. Thus, e-information is considered
as the use of CTs to provide one-way company
electronic information.
E-communication:
CTs, besides allowing
cost reduction in comparison to traditional com-
munication tools, offer a unique and integrated
opportunity for interacting with several business
agents (both internal and external to the organi-
zation). In this way, these technologies facilitate
the exchange of information, collaboration, and
the possibility of establishing close relationships
based on trust and mutual commitment. Thus,
e-communication is considered as the use of CTs
for two-way information exchange.
E-workflow:
In the new economy, work has
shifted from the creation of tangible goods to
model
As mentioned in the introduction, the present
study focuses on analyzing the impact of CTs on
firm innovation. This effect is evaluated directly
from the simple presence of IT, but also according
to CTs' actual use. In addition, the relationship
between adoption and use of CTs is examined in
order to specify the indirect relationship of CTs'
adoption and innovation through CTs' use.
Collaborative technologies'
Adoption and innovation
Innovation can be defined as the search for, the
discovery, and the development of new technolo-
gies, new products and/or services, new processes,
and new organizational structures (Carneiro,
2000). It is the implementation of new ideas gen-
erated within the organization (Borghini, 2005;
Figure 1. Research model
Collaborative technologies adoption
•Discussion forums
•Document r epositories
•Shared databases
•Document management/workflow
h1
innovation
•Product
•Process
h2
h3
Collaborative technologies use
•E-information
•E-communication
•E-workflow
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