Entrepreneurs perception towards technology change: a study in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ampara district

Abstract

Small and Medium scale Enterprises play an important role in the economy of a country. The environment of an organization is significantly undergoing continuous, rapid changes that have far reaching effects on organizations and their management strategies. The significance of the study is especially to business organization in small and medium sector businesses. This research focuses on two aspects: The organizational change option - Structure, Technology, Physical setting and the people in which the innovations in technology as the most powerful change agent that create a big challenge for SMEs and the importance of innovations in technology in small businesses that need more and more innovative techniques in order to expand Small and Medium scale Industry (SMI) sector. Mainly agricultural sector such as paddy production, crop production, livestock, milk and egg production meat production are found in this district and Fishing also is another source of income in the coastal area of Ampara districts. 11,156 commercial places such as retail shops, restaurants, textile and footwear, dispensary and Pharmacy, wood and iron furniture, building material and paints jewelry liquor shops In which 48.69 % were as retail shops. 4507 businesses found in manufacturing industry in which 43% Food, beverage and tobacco, 16.7 % wood production and furniture, 15.9% textile, wearing apparel and leather. Existence and growth in small and medium business sector is the most important thing in order to maintain their survival in the industry. So, this research aims to study the entrepreneurs’ perception towards technology change and the association of between coping with technology change and the business growth in the small and medium business sector among a sample of 180 small and medium sized entrepreneurs in Ampara District of Sri Lanka using a simple random sampling. According to the findings, it is proved that there is a significant strong positive relationship between the perception towards coping with technology change and business growth in small and medium business sector. Accordingly, 53.4% of the variance in business growth in small business sector after coping with technology change programs was significantly explained by coping with change in this study, still leaves 46.6% unexplained. So, further research might be necessary to explain more of the variance in business growth after coping with change. Thus, the findings might be immense value to Small & Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) in developing countries, such as Sri Lanka, as much research has not been conducted in this regard