E-commerce adoption factors affecting the SMEs: A case study investigation of a developing economy - Pakistan
Year: 2018
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of many economies to contribute to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). New technological innovations have helped many SMEs to increase their Electronic Commerce (e-commerce) capabilities after the development of latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools, mainly in developed economies. However, this development is very rare in developing economies. This study draws from the similar studies in the small and medium business of developed economies, how they struggled and adopted e-commerce as a business tool to conduct the business online. Also, many previous studies only focused on developed economies, and the e-commerce adoption studies in developing economies are insufficient. Therefore, the primary objective of this study is to increase the body of knowledge regarding the development and adoption of electronic commerce in SMEs of a developing economy after determining relevant e-commerce adoption factors. The study primarily focuses on four SMEs and, more importantly in the context of Pakistan as a developing economy, within three financial cities of Pakistan; Islamabad, Lahore and Rawalpindi. In Pakistan, there are approximately 4.1 million economic institutions (such as banks, commercial organisations including retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers and buyers who generate, distribute and purchase goods and services) out of which approximately 99 percent are SMEs (SMEDA, 2014). With the help of theoretical adoption framework, this study also (extends) the TOE (Technological, Organisational and Environmental) model to find out different adoption factors which are organised into four TOE model categories that includes; technological factors, organisational factors, environmental factors and individual extended factors. Based on the qualitative case study analysis of four SMEs, it was found that lack of entrepreneurship, lack of e-commerce skills, absence of innovation awareness among the society, lower literacy rate and owner-managers characteristics are the major factors that influence the adoption of electronic commerce within the SMEs of Pakistan as a developing economy.
Source: TeesRep (Teesside University)
Authors: Nazir, Muhammad Arsalan, Zhu, Xiaoxian
Institution: Teesside University
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2904757141