Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a critical role in rejuvenating and sustaining the modern economy, generating substantial employment and serving as important innovation engines for the global economy. Global Perspectives on Small and Medium Enterprises and Strategic Information Systems: International Approaches aims to spread research conducted on SMEs internationally and place it at the disposal of academics, practitioners, consultants, the vendor community, and policymakers. The goal of this book is to highlight the challenges faced by SMEs and how they are coping with the adverse environment through skillful use of IT and technologies such as Web 2.0, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), e-commerce, open source software, Business Process Digitization (BPD), and other emerging technologies.

International economic law, with its traditional focus on large multinational enterprises, is only slowly waking up to the new reality of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entering the global marketplace. In the wake of the digital revolution, smaller companies now play an important role in the global economic landscape. In 2015 the UN expressly called for SMEs to have greater access to international trade and investment, and it is increasingly recognized that the integration of SMEs provides one of the keys to creating a more sustainable and inclusive global economy. As SMEs increasingly permeate transnational supply chains, so interactions between these companies and international economic law and policy proliferate. Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in International Economic Law offers the first comprehensive analysis of the interaction between SMEs and international economic law. This book presents a broad international perspective, gathering together contributions by leading experts from academia, legal practice, and international organizations. It opens up a field of enquiry into this so far unexplored dynamic and provide a touchstone for future debate. The analysis covers a broad spectrum of international trade and investment law focusing on issues of particular interest to SMEs, such as trade in services, government procurement, and trade facilitation. Diverse perspectives illuminate regional developments (in particular within the EU) and the implications of mega-regional free trade agreements. The essays also examine questions of legitimacy of global economic governance; in particular, concerns surrounding the threat posed to the interests of domestic SMEs by the growing liberalization of international trade and investment. These essays constitute essential reading for practitioners and academics seeking to navigate a previously neglected trend in international economic law.

Technology provides accessibility otherwise unavailable to the people who can benefit from it the most. As new digital tools become less expensive and more widely available, research and real-world cases that examine the union between emergent countries and information systems are essential in determining the next steps for these nations. The Handbook of Research on Managing Information Systems in Developing Economies is a pivotal reference source that explores the effects of technological data handling within developing economies. Covering a broad range of topics such as emerging digital technologies, socio-economic development, and technology startups, this book is ideally designed for software programmers, policymakers, practitioners, educators, academicians, students, and researchers.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected every aspect of the modern world, and its impact is felt by all. The pandemic particularly has had a large impact on businesses as they were forced to close, supply chains were disrupted, and new health and safety precautions were adopted. As such, many businesses, especially small businesses, were faced with losses they could not afford. Governments and stakeholders across the world have thus needed to formulate various strategies and interventions to mitigate the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly as they relate to small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The Handbook of Research on Strategies and Interventions to Mitigate COVID-19 Impact on SMEs is a comprehensive reference source that encapsulates the overall effect of COVID-19 on SMEs and a variety of strategies to overcome the negative effects and create more sustainable policies and organizations moving forward. The book offers a thorough overview of interventions and tactics to help organizations, entrepreneurs, and institutions of higher learning overcome the negative impact of COVID-19 while preparing policies for a more effective post-pandemic world. Covering topics that include sustainable practices for development, interventions to lessen the impact of COVID-19, and psychological resilience for SME employees, this book is Ideal for entrepreneurs, managers, executives, small businesses, family firms, academicians, scholar-practitioners, policymakers, researchers, and students.

Free/Open Source Enterprise Resource Planning systems (FOS-ERP) are gaining popularity and acceptance due to two main factors: their lack of licensing fees and customizability. Given this, organizations are able to easily adopt and manipulate these systems to meet their individual needs. Free and Open Source Enterprise Resource Planning: Systems and Strategies unites research on FOS-ERP, comparing differences with proprietary Enterprise Resource Planning products, and demonstrating key research factors. It includes cases demonstrating how small enterprises have benefited from FOS-ERP in Spain and in Belgium, along with difficulties encountered and solutions developed. This essential reference addresses key issues such as security and legal risks, as well as challenges, opportunities, and barriers to adoption.

The convenience of online shopping has driven consumers to turn to the internet to purchase everything from clothing to housewares and even groceries. The ubiquity of online retail stores and availability of hard-to-find products in the digital marketplace has been a catalyst for a heighted interest in research on the best methods, techniques, and strategies for remaining competitive in the era of e-commerce. The Encyclopedia of E-Commerce Development, Implementation, and Management is an authoritative reference source highlighting crucial topics relating to effective business models, managerial strategies, promotional initiatives, development methodologies, and end-user considerations in the online commerce sphere. Emphasizing emerging research on up-and-coming topics such as social commerce, the Internet of Things, online gaming, digital products, and mobile services, this multi-volume encyclopedia is an essential addition to the reference collection of both academic and corporate libraries and caters to the research needs of graduate-level students, researchers, IT developers, and business professionals. .

While electronic research has developed in many governments around the world, the majority of its research has focused on the supply and demand aspects of e-government instead of the focus on technology integration for successful e-government design. Technology Development and Platform Enhancements for Successful Global E-Government Design compiles the shared experiences of e-government designers and practitioners with a focus on technological design. By highlighting the different technological nuances that need to be incorporated into successful e-government designs, this book is a useful tool for professionals and researchers concerned with the organizational development in different types of e-government communities and environments.

We live in a wireless society, one where convenience and accessibility determine the efficacy of the latest electronic gadgets and mobile devices. Making the most of these technologies—and ensuring their security against potential attackers—requires increased diligence in mobile technology research and development. Mobile Computing and Wireless Networks: Concepts, Methodologies, Tools, and Applications brings together a comprehensive range of voices and research in the area of mobile and wireless technologies, exploring the successes and failures, advantages and drawbacks, and benefits and limitations of the technology. With applications in a plethora of different research and topic areas, this multi-volume reference work benefits researchers, service providers, end-users, and information technology professionals. This four-volume reference work includes a diverse array of chapters and authors covering topics such as m-commerce, network ethics, mobile agent systems, mobile learning, communications infrastructure, and applications in fields such as business, healthcare, government, tourism, and more.