Electronic commerce adoption: an empirical study of small and medium US businesses

By combining two independent research streams, we examined the determinant factors of strategic value and adoption of electronic commerce as perceived by top managers in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in the midwest region of the US. We proposed a research model that suggested three factors that have been found to be influential in previous research in the perception of strategic value of other information technologies: operational support, managerial productivity, and strategic decision aids. Inspired by the technology acceptance model and other relevant research in the area, we also identified four factors that influence electronic commerce adoption: organizational readiness, external pressure, perceived ease of use, and perceived usefulness. We hypothesized a causal link between the perceived strategic value of electronic commerce and electronic commerce adoption. To validate the research model, we collected data from top managers/owners of SME by using an Internet survey.     

A model of electronic commerce adoption by small voluntary organizations

The study discussed in this paper uses case studies of six small voluntary organizations to determine the primary factors that influence electronic commerce (EC) adoption. The findings indicate that perceived benefits, including efficiency, information sharing, marketing and increased donations have a strong influence on EC adoption. The results also indicate that organizational readiness, including ability to attract volunteers and/or in-kind donations, ability to raise funds, and strategic readiness had a positive influence on EC adoption. Consistent with prior research on EC adoption in the commercial sector, strong support was found for the influence of perceived pressure, including pressure from both internal and external stakeholders. The study also concluded that perceived social risks associated with the loss of human contact and the perception of dollars being diverted from client programs to finance the EC investment had a strong influence on EC adoption. Implications for EC adoption and future research on EC adoption in the voluntary sector are discussed.     

Receptivity of Singapore's SMEs to electronic commerce adoption

This study surveys the receptivity of Singaporean small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to the adoption of electronic commerce. Utilising a portion of Rogers' model of innovation diffusion as the framework, and treating electronic commerce (EC) as a form of new innovation, we analyse factors affecting EC diffusion. A multiple regression analysis is carried out, with the five attributes of innovation highlighted by Rogers, to determine the attributes that affect the willingness to adopt. Out of the five factors affecting the adoption of electronic commerce by SMEs, only relative advantage, compatibility and trialability appear significant, with the overall regression explaining around 36% of willingness to adopt.     

What drives global ICT adoption? Analysis and research directions

Information and communication technology (ICT) adoption is increasing globally and offers unique opportunities for information systems (IS) and electronic commerce researchers to undertake research that will have an impact. The purpose of this article is to survey the academic literature on this topic and provide research directions for future work. We analyze economic, social and other factors that drive global ICT adoption and the individual, organizational, industry and economy impacts. We do this with respect to a set of relevant problems, technology opportunities, theories, research methods, and solutions. The integration of these areas enables us to establish a balanced picture of the current state of global ICT adoption research. It also offers a useful means to analyze the kinds of research that needs to be pursued to make additional progress in the related area of e-commerce research. With these ideas in mind, we present five emerging research directions in three different categories: new economic geography, rational expectations theory, and new empirical methods. We also analyze several topics in the global arena of emerging technologies.     

The effect of innovativeness on the adoption of B2C e-commerce: A model based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour

This paper analyses the factors that lead Internet users to becoming online shoppers. In particular, assuming that Internet is an innovation affecting the way individuals shop, a model of electronic commerce adoption is proposed that adds personal innovativeness to the traditional formulation of the Theory of Planned Behaviour. The theoretical model proposed is tested on a sample of Web users with no experience in online shopping. The results denote that electronic commerce acceptance is determined by attitudes to the system, subjective norm and personal innovativeness in the domain of information technology. Moreover, we find that personal innovativeness has a moderating effect on the acceptance of electronic commerce.     

The role of the internet in business-to-business network transformations: a novel case and theoretical analysis

It is widely accepted that the development of electronic commerce and Internet technology has lead to various new opportunities to transform the nature of business-to-business networks, for instance through disinter-mediation, reintermediation and formation of virtual enterprises. However, discussions of the role of the Internet in such transformations in the electronic commerce literature have predominantly focused on the potential of the Internet to reduce transaction costs, particularly search costs. It is now recognised within the strategic management literature that factors other than transaction costs, largely ignored in electronic commerce literature, are important in shaping business-to-business networks. Therefore, this paper seeks to uncover new roles that the Internet can play in the strategic choices for organisations wishing to utilise electronic commerce and Internet technologies. It does this through detailed analysis of the strategic choices of an actual case company, one of which involves Internet-enabled distributed manufacturing, using three widely known theories of strategic choice: Transaction Cost Economics, the Resource-Based View, and Network Theory. Our analysis shows that in addition to its impact on transaction costs, the Internet can also impact on asset specificity of transactions, the imitability of resources, knowledge sharing in relationship management, and the scalability of business strategies. The contribution of this paper is to articulate several novel research propositions concerning the potential of the Internet in the transformation of business-to-business networks.     

Factors affecting the adoption of information and communication technology in small and medium enterprises: a perspective from rural Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can play an important role in the national economy of developing countries. The adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) has enabled local SMEs to participate in the international market. However, little research has addressed issues related to SMEs adopting ICTs, especially in rural areas of Middle Eastern developing countries such as Saudi Arabia. Using the extended technology-organization-environment framework with personal innovativeness, this study examined the factors that influence the adoption of ICTs among SMEs in rural areas of Saudi Arabia. The study found that relative advantages, top management support, culture, regulatory environment, owner/manager innovativeness and ICT knowledge had a significant relationship with ICT adoption among SMEs in Saudi Arabia, whereas compatibility, complexity and a competitive environment had no significant relationship with ICT adoption. The findings of this study will potentially help SME managers/owners and the Saudi government in the successful adoption and diffusion of ICT in SMEs located in rural areas in Saudi Arabia.     

Consumers’ perceived risk: sources versus consequences

In this study, we examine an important factor that affects consumers’ acceptance of business-to-commerce (B2C) electronic commerce—perceived risk. The objective of this paper is to examine the definition of perceived risk in the context of B2C electronic commerce. The paper highlights the importance of perceived risk and the interwoven relation between perceived risk and trust. It discusses the problem of defining perceived risk in prior B2C research. This study proposes a new classification of consumers’ perceived risk based on sources. It highlights the importance of identifying the sources of consumer’s risk perceptions in addition to the consequences dimensions. Two focus group discussion sessions were conducted to verify the proposed classification. Results indicate that Internet consumers perceive three sources of risk in B2C electronic commerce: technology, vendor, and product.     

Factors influencing health care professionals’ adoption of mobile platform of medical and senior care in China

A mobile platform of medical and senior care (MPMSC) is a platform that can provide one-stop medical and senior care services through mobile devices. This study developed a research model based on the value-based adoption model to understand the factors influencing health care professionals’ adoption of MPMSC. Empirical analysis has shown that perceived value and legal concerns can predict health care professionals’ intention to adopt MPMSC and that outcome expectations, perceived mobility, perceived effort, and privacy concerns can predict perceived value. Research findings can enhance the understanding of the factors influencing the adoption of MPMSC by health care professionals.     

International Diffusion of Digital Mobile Technology: A Coupled-Hazard State-Based Approach

The convergence of the Internet, electronic commerce, and wireless technology has created the basis for the rapid global diffusion of mobile commerce. We believe that one approach to understand mobile commerce diffusion is to study the diffusion of digital mobile devices required in mobile commerce activities. Although prior research in technology diffusion has identified a set of variables that affect the entire diffusion process, our knowledge about the factors that dominate at different states of a diffusion process is still incomplete. This research puts forward a new theoretical perspective to enable managers to better understand the states of technology diffusion in the context of digital mobile phones. Our empirical methods involve a coupled-hazard analysis of an interdependent event model to test the effects of country characteristics, the digital and the analog mobile phone industry characteristics, and the regulatory policies on various states of digital mobile phone diffusion across countries. We conduct non-parametric and parametric survival analysis of the model. The results illustrate a broader set of factors that drive the diffusion speed from the early to the partial diffusion state than from the introduction to the early diffusion state.     

A model of Internet adoption by SMEs

The study discussed in this paper used evidence from seven small firms to determine the significant factors that influenced their Internet adoption. Evidence from four firms was used to create a preliminary model of Internet adoption by SMEs. An additional three firms were then examined to refine the preliminary model. The study concluded that three factors significantly affect Internet adoption by small firms: perceived benefits, organisational readiness, and external pressure. The study identified both similarities and differences between Internet adoption and EDI adoption in small firms. The findings have important implications for managers and service providers.     

Corporate Motivation to Risk Prevention: Applied Exploratory Analysis in Construction Sector in Catalonia

In this article, we have undertaken an exploratory analysis of the extrinsic and intrinsic factors affecting an employer's safety motivation in the construction industry, and their correlation with firm size, management level, and perceived risk. We have employed a model based on previous research by Michael Wright for the Health and Safety Executive (UK). Methods: A sample of managers from 198 construction firms in Catalonia (Spain) were interviewed collecting relevant data. The exploratory factor analysis of this data detected two factors: extrinsic (prosecution, inspection, external pressure) and intrinsic (legal, responsibility, internal involvement). Confirmatory factor analysis did not rule out the presence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors (Wright), and the analysis with covariates (MIMIC model) showed significant positive relationships between extrinsic factors, management level, and perceived risk. It also showed a significant positive relationship between intrinsic factors and firm size. Conclusion: The aim of this study was to make a preliminary diagnostic of an employer's safety motivation. Our findings indicate that it is possible to develop external motivators (advice from inspection bodies, union activities, publicity of prosecution records, etc.) that are addressed to top managers and to firms more exposed to risk. We have also found that it is possible to develop internal motivators by introducing experience modification ratings, social accounting, advertising in the mass media, and promotion campaigns, particularly among bigger firms. Our findings will be useful to government agencies, company managers, and consultants and may be adapted for use in motivating midlevel staff to adopt participatory intervention programs.© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Extending the TAM for a t-commerce

Broadband communication at home allows television to become an e-commerce medium that merges video, voice, and transactional data. t-commerce is electronically mediated commerce using interactive television. Theoretical and empirical analysis was undertaken and reported here to explain the factors that influence potential users’ adoption of t-commerce by extending the technology acceptance model. The study also compared the factors influencing t-commerce adoption between experienced and inexperienced users. Seven factors were identified: perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, perceived enjoyment, trust, attitude, normative belief of family and friends, and subjective norm. Although the factors were not the same between the two groups, the differences were not large. Perceived enjoyment is the most important factor affecting attitude and behavioral intention toward t-commerce. From a theoretical point of view, the study extended the TAM for t-commerce adoption by potential users in the home environment. Moreover, this study also provided practical implications for t-commerce providers.     

Factors influencing secondary school teachers’ adoption of teaching blogs

Recently, there has been a significant proliferation in the number of teaching blogs; however, little has been explored about what motivates teachers to adopt teaching blogs. The purpose of this study is to find out which factors can significantly influence teacher decisions regarding their teaching blog adoption and the relative importance of these influences. This study extended Rogers’ (1995) Innovation Diffusion Theory (IDT) that incorporates relevant factors from two sources: from within individual IT adoption literature and from within blog research literature emphasizing knowledge sharing motivation. The model includes four dimensions (which are individual, innovation technology, school and environmental characteristics) and 14 factors. A total of 325 valid questionnaires were obtained.Discriminant analysis was employed to test the hypotheses. The results revealed that secondary school teachers’ decisions to adopt teaching blogs are strongly associated with eight factors: perceived enjoyment, codification effort, compatibility, perceived ease of use, personal innovativeness, enjoyment in helping others, school support and perceived usefulness, ordered by their relative importance. The research results also have important implications for researchers, secondary school managers and blog services providers.     

An Evaluation Model for Electronic Commerce Activities within SMEs

The exponential growth that has recently characterized the diffusion of electronic commerce (EC) applications could lead companies of any size to plan new investments. The first business experiences show that EC should be considered a competitive instrument not simply affecting economic transactions, but significantly influencing the business organizational structure and strategic objectives. Although this issue has recently been object of considerable attention, the research on the evaluation of EC adoption for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) is still relatively new. This paper aims at supporting SMEs in choosing the most suitable EC approach according to their peculiarities and strategic goals. This objective has been pursued through the classification of five main EC activities, which are characterized by different requirements and attainable results. The identification of the main business variables involved in an EC project and the resulting classification of SME profiles should help the entrepreneur in becoming aware of his/her organization. Finally, a cross analysis between EC activities and SME profiles allows developing a framework suggesting the most suitable EC approach for each business profile. This framework provides SMEs with a simple and easy to use tool to perform a qualitative evaluation of the EC opportunity.     

An empirical study of customers’ perceptions of security and trust in e-payment systems

It is commonly believed that good security improves trust, and that the perceptions of good security and trust will ultimately increase the use of electronic commerce. In fact, customers’ perceptions of the security of e-payment systems have become a major factor in the evolution of electronic commerce in markets. In this paper, we examine issues related to e-payment security from the viewpoint of customers. This study proposes a conceptual model that delineates the determinants of consumers’ perceived security and perceived trust, as well as the effects of perceived security and perceived trust on the use of e-payment systems. To test the model, structural equation modeling is employed to analyze data collected from 219 respondents in Korea. This research provides a theoretical foundation for academics and also practical guidelines for service providers in dealing with the security aspects of e-payment systems.     

Network effects as drivers of individual technology adoption: Analyzing adoption and diffusion of mobile communication services

Adoption research has largely ignored the dynamic impact of network effects on technology adoption and diffusion. For example, some technologies become more attractive the more social peers use them as well. But adoption at the same time increases the value for the peers and thereby their adoption decisions as well. Unfortunately, interdependencies like these make adoption and diffusion patterns very complex. Drawing on network effect theory, we develop an adoption and diffusion model that explicitly considers the role of direct and indirect network effects for individual technology adoption, using mobile commerce adoption as application example. By applying a simulation approach we can exemplify and analyze the fundamental adoption dynamics given rise to by network effects. We thereby propose a way of how to incorporate network effects into adoption research and disclose the role of the technology diffusion lifecycle for individual adoption.     

Perceived potential for value creation from cloud computing: a study of the Australian regional government sector

ABSTRACT

Cloud computing is gaining increasing interest as an enabling technology for improved productivity, efficiency and cost reduction. It also has the potential to add value to reliability and scalability of organisation’s systems, which would allow organisations to better focus on their core business and strategies. This research paper aimed at exploring the perceived potential for value creation from cloud computing in Australian Regional Governments. Using the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework, the Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory and Desires Framework (DF), a conceptual research model is devised. The key identified factors that are likely to influence adoption of cloud computing are identified along with the implications to current policies, anticipated benefits and challenges of adoption of cloud computing. The research employed a qualitative approach involving 21 in-depth interviews with Australian local councils’ IT managers. The findings of this research are mapped to the research model factors, thereby presenting and validating a number of value-adding concepts that are expected to contribute to investment decisions on cloud computing adoption.     

Variable use of standards-based IOS enabling technologies in Australian SMEs: an examination of deliberate and emergent decision making processes

Use of inter-organizational systems (IOS) is widely recognized as pivotal to organizational success. However, the nature of decision making processes regarding the adoption and use of IOS-enabling technologies has received little research attention. The authors explore approaches to decision making relating to SMEs’ use of these technologies and outline the drivers and implications of such decision making. Data were collected through two crosssectional surveys and multiple case studies. The surveys allowed for the identification of two groups of three SMEs each—the first group increased and the second group decreased the use of IOS-enabling technologies over time. This identification provided the context of strategic change or transition in the use of these technologies over time. The study’s results challenge widely held assumptions about the performance benefits of higher-level, deliberate planning over functional-level, emergent decision making regarding SMEs’ technological choices. Results also show that SME managers mainly use flexible IOS technology adoption and implementation strategies to promote organizational performance. Further, two main factors drive flexible decision making: a lack of managerial power and a lack of financial resources. Overall, the study offers insights into the link between IOS-enabling technology use and organizational strategy, and advances research concerning the contingencies influencing SMEs’ decision making in this context.     

A meta-analysis of mobile commerce adoption and the moderating effect of culture

This research aims to discover the general factors that influence mobile commerce adoption. A meta-analysis of previous empirical studies on individuals’ mobile commerce adoption behavior was conducted and the proposed mobile commerce adoption model was tested using structural equation modeling. Furthermore, moderator analysis was carried out using partition tests by dividing context into subgroups of eastern and western culture, to investigate the moderating effect of culture. Results confirm the proposed model, and moderator analysis indicates that culture does have specific moderating effects on mobile commerce adoption. The findings of this paper will yield theoretical and managerial implications for the future.