Abstract:
E-Readiness is entrepreneruail readiness to participate in globalization using information
and communication technologies. The globalization process is an entrepreneurial
opportunity for entreprenerurs as it acts as a gateway among the different nations, firms
and individuals of the world. Due to this globalization, the manufacturing and services
sectors are deploying Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) at 360 o in
small, medium and large enterprises around the globe. Therefore, E-readiness of small
and medium enteprires of ICT sector has become mandatory for every country of the
world as an effect of globalization. In fact, multinational enterprises of developed
countries are off shoring/outsourcing their information systems development and
deployment work to software development firms (small, medium and large) operating in
developing countries to minimize cost and maximize profit. These waves of globalization
are
equipped
with
threats,
opportunities,
failure
and
success.
Therefore,
entrepreneurs/owners of these SMEs are required to understand this change and prepared
their firms to adapt it. The present research is entrepreneurial assessment to test either
SMEs of (ICT) of Pakistan are adequately ready (proficient) to absorb these waves wisely
or not? So, an entrepreneruail assessment of these SMEs an control threats, grasp
opportunities, avoid failure and achieve success or not.
The present research nomenclature is comprised on two parts. The Part-I based on
investigation of critical success factors in offshore software ventures/projects and Part-II
was an entrepreneurial assessment of SMEs in software industry. To achieve these
objectives, case study, survey and consultantive approach was applied to investigate the
ixcritical success factors in global software venture/projects; an extensive questionnaire
survey was conducted to test the entrepreneurial readiness (ICT resources and human
capital capability) of SMEs in software industry of Pakistan. The SPSS was used for
statistical analysis. Principle component analysis technique applied to investigate critical
success factors from investigated common factors that were fueld by survey and
cosultative approach. The quantitative proportion method was applied to test the
readiness of software firms from ICT infrastructure and human capital perspective.
The units of analysis were project, firm and individual for case study, questionnaire
survey, and field experiment relatively. The findings of study included the ten critical
success factors for offshore software projects. The SMEs are found entrepreneurially
ready from technology infrastructure perspective while human capital in SMEs (ICT)
found fully deficit of project management and analytical skills and partially deficit in
software engineering skills. It was revealed that SMEs (ICT) are fully equipped with IT-
infrastructure and ready to participate in global venture or offshore projects. It was found
that SMEs are not equipped with software development process (CMM). It is first time
that a comprehensive research is being conducted on this topic for small and medium
software development firms in national software industry of Pakistan.