The effects of information technology in business communication and decision-making activities: An application in small and medium-sized enterprises operating in Kocaeli province and in a public institution

In order to maintain their position in the global environment, it is very important for developing countries to attach importance to innovation, to increase its science and technology capacity and to use information and communication technologies more efficiently.The main aim of this thesis is to reveal the usage of Information Technology and its effects in Business Communication and Decision-Making Activities in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises operating in the province of Kocaeli.For this purpose, a theoretical framework has been established through a literature review. The literature has been reviewed in order to detect the use of information technology in SME and its effects in decision making and communication processes. The results have been related with the previously created theoretical framework by an empirical research. Without discriminating between SME?s sectors, the empirical research has been made with questionnaires to "196" managers working in different management levels about decision making and communication processes. The level of IT usage and the training, promotion, technical support level of the SME are researched. For this purpose, two research models have been established and tested. The first research model has been tested the usage of Information Technology. The second research model has been tested its effects in Business Communication and Decision-Making Activities.In the first part of the thesis, Information and communication technologies are described and their usage in SME is discussed. In the second part, SMEs are mentioned. In the third part, decision and the decision-making process is described, afterwards this process in SMEs is explained considering the effect of IT technologies. In the fourth chapter, the prepared research model about the effects of IT technologies in communication and decision making activities are discussed, the application of this model with questionnaires in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises operating in Kocaeli province is explained. Thus, the usage of IT in enterprises in Kocaeli province and its effects in communication and decision-making activities are presented.In research results, the usage of hardware is widespread but Information systems haven?t been a part of SME?s culture and their units. The usage of Intranet, e-mail and Internet in SMEs have affected their decision making process positively. it is observed that e-commerce is at development stage. One of the results is that SMEs should attach importance to train their employees about IT technologies if they want to use IT efficiently.Researchers should investigate the use of information technologies and its applications, its effects to business performance and their relationship in more detail. Taking into account of the results of this thesis, it can be said if the future researchs for this subject are done considering business features with the perspectives of the managers, the contribution to the literature will be greater.Keywords: Information Technologies, Information Systems, Management Information Systems, SME?s, Decision-Making Process, Digital Division