Exploring the Values of Mobile Phone Technology in Tanzania Tourism SMEs

SMEs have been one of the reliable sources of income and employment worldwide. Mobile technologies have widely been used in performing a number of activities for SMEs. Mobile phone technology is maintained by a single or few operators which leave endusers with huge relief as they no longer deal with technical issues. However, despite the notable advantages of using mobile phone technology in SMEs, their values have been explained in a generic way. Specifics on direct and indirect benefits and concerns on particular aspect and circumstances have not been explored. The main challenge is that it is difficult to single out the values of a technology in organisations because there are other separate factors which also contribute to the overall performance. Identifying specific values of mobile technology on the performance of SMEs is vital for improving the utility of such performance in accomplishing the strategic objectives. This study explores values of mobile phone technology in Tanzania tourism SMEs. The methodology is grounded in the theory of Value Focused Thinking, which uses deep facetoface interviews, with the employees and managers the in Tanzania tourism SMEs. The analysis shows that mobile phone technology improves collaboration and sharing of information between SMEs stakeholders. Among the main concerns to the SMEs level include the security, battery capacity, mobile network coverage, Quality of service and operational costs. Also, implications and future studies are highlighted in this study.