How do Collaborative Technologies Affect Innovation in SMEs? - Collaborative Technologies and Applications for Interactive Information Design - page 227

Gurteen, 1998). IT is considered a key facilitator
of innovation. Many researchers are focused on
analysis of how the Web will change innovation
within and between companies (Sawhney & Pran-
delli, 2000). CTs are Web-based tools that allow
information and knowledge exchange (electronic
communication systems), as well as work execu-
tion by integrating information, documents, and
employees (teamwork systems). Thus, intranets
and other CTs can be used to distribute and share
individual experience and innovation throughout
the organization (Bhatt et al., 2005) and offer the
chance of applying knowledge for the creation
of new products. Also, users and partners from
remote places may need to participate in the in-
novation process. This further emphasizes the
instrumental role of IT as enabler for the forma-
tion of virtual teams to execute the innovation
process (Adamides & Karacapilidis, 2006; Kes-
sler, 2003). In summary, the benefits from Web
collaboration, which include efficient information
and knowledge sharing as well as working with no
distance limitations, are expected to be positively
related to the introduction of process and product
innovations. Thus, the following hypothesis is
proposed:

Collaborative technologies'
Adoption and Collaborative
technologies' use

Distinct CTs are expected to be more suitable for
different purposes. However, all those technolo-
gies provide information that can be accessed by
employees. Discussion forums, although intended
to be convenient for e-communication (Hayes &
Walsham, 2001; Rubenstein-Montano, Liebowitz,
Buchwalter, McCaw, Newman, Rebeck, & The
Knowledge Management Methodology Team,
2001), can be also used as an information tool, since
online forums afford a larger and more diverse
set of information resources, and also offer an
enhanced opportunity for information exchange
and communication (DeSanctis, Fayard, Roach,
& Jiang, 2003; Walsham, 2001). Repositories store
documents (Kwan & Balasubramanian, 2003) and
information (Ackerman, 1998), facilitating access
to stored knowledge from experts (Fernandes et
al., 2005). In the case of CTs labelled as TS, both
shared databases and document management sys-
tems/workflows are expected to support informa-
tion and workflow roles. Shared databases include
any data and information stored in the business,
and make it available to third parties so that they
can make decisions and process their transactions
(Shah & Murtaza, 2005). Workflow technologies
are natural repositories for organizational memory
(Zhao, Kumar, & Stohr, 2000) and allow the in-
spection of information about the current status of
the process of innovation (Chung, Cheung, Stader,
Jarvis, Moore, & Macintosh, 2003), as well as the
automation of processes and transactions. Thus,
the following hypothesis is formulated:

Hypothesis 1: CTs' adoption is positively related
to innovation:

H 1a : The adoption of discussion forums is posi-
tively related to innovation;

H 1b : The adoption of repositories is positively
related to innovation;

H 1c : The adoption of shared databases is positively
related to innovation; and

Hypothesis 2: Distinct CTs are expected to be
associated to different uses:

H 1d : The adoption of document management
systems is positively related to innovation.

H 2a : ECS are positively associated with e-infor-
mation and e-communication uses; and