E-COMMERCE ADOPTION AND UTILISATION IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES: AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION FROM A GCC COUNTRY

摘要

The present study is the first stage of an extensive research of e-commerce adoption and utilisation in developing countries, using Saudi Arabia as a case study. After an investigation of the literature and finding very little that focused on the Gulf Council Countries (GCC) region, the exploratory investigation was conducted in order to identify factors that influence e-commerce adoption and utilisation in a GCC country. Adopting a qualitative approach, the study attempts to shed light on issues concerning current practices and perceptions of Saudi private organisations with regard to ecommerce adoption and utilisation. Due to space restrictions, this paper concentrates on presenting the results of the study's interviews and provides an understanding of many issues related not only to organisational and environmental contexts, but also to the attributes of the innovation per se. The results in association with relevant literature were used to extend and confirm choices of contextual factors, allowing the researchers to focus the scope for further investigation.