Michael A. Erskine

In this study, we examine the effects of bribery on the digitization of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) within Latin America. We apply neo‐institutional theory as the overarching theoretical framework to establish that bribery negatively influences digitization. We propose that firm characteristics (i.e., managerial experience and firm size) affect the firm‐level relationship between bribery and digitization. We also examine how the perceived tax burden mediates the effect of bribery on digitization. Our study is both theoretically and practically relevant. Theoretically, we are among the first to explicate the direct relationship between bribery and digitization. This novel perspective extends the information systems literature to explain digitization challenges in Latin America. For managers and policymakers, we present a path towards essential digitization for Latin American SMEs. Our empirical analysis uses secondary data from a World Bank survey of 1549 Latin American SMEs conducted over three years in six countries. Our findings show that bribery negatively influences digitization while SME characteristics positively moderate this relationship. In addition, we show that the perceived tax burden mediates the effects of bribery on digitization.

The supply of global information technology (IT) workers does not meet the demand of the industry. Therefore, researchers try to distill ways to increase and retain the IT talent pipeline. Ensuring that IT professionals remain in their IT careers is an essential element of such research. The influence of technostress on job turnover is evident. Yet, we know little about the impact of technostress on career turnaway and its interaction effects on the antecedents of turnaway intention. While job turnover may negatively impact a specific organization, career turnaway has negative implications for the industry. Losing IT professionals from the field means that additional efforts toward motivating, recruiting, educating, and preparing replacement talent are needed. By examining the dynamics of technostress on IT professionals' career turnaway intention (N=512), we reveal two critical findings. First, technostress reduces the IT professional's commitment to their IT career and increases exhaustion from their IT career experience. Second, technostress moderates IT professionals' commitment to their profession and career turnaway intentions. To remedy these concerns, we provide managerial advice and provide suggestions for future research.