The effects of individual, organizational and environmental factors on the adoptions of e-commerce by SMEs in the Netherlands. An examination of factors influencing managerial beliefs, attitudes and the use of an e-commerce system using the technology acceptance model.

摘要

Since the 1990s the use of the Internet and electronic commerce (e-commerce) hasudexploded, yet few SMEs seem to benefit from its potential. The lack of personaludinvolvement and low level of use are an indication that managers still have not committedudthemselves to e-commerce. Consequently they are not reaping the full benefits first hand.udThe objectives of the study are to identify key factors and relationships likely toudinfluence e-commerce use by SME managers in the Netherlands and to investigate whetherudrelevant and significant factors can be combined in a new model to predict how SMEudmanagers will use new technology.udTo achieve these objectives, a well-established model of IT usage behaviour, theudTechnology Acceptance Model (TAM), was used. Building upon TAM, a theoreticaludresearch model was developed to investigate a large number of external variables that areudpossible antecedents of managerial beliefs, attitudes, and the use of IT. E-commerceudsystems were chosen as the IT tool under review. A cross-sectional field survey wasudconducted to investigate the theoretical research model. The results are based on theudanalysis of questionnaire data from 114 managers from Dutch SMEs. Using StructuraludEquation Modelling (SEM) the results show significant support for external variables,udmostly of an individual nature, in the categories of demographics, managerial and ITudknowledge, individual characteristics, and company characteristics. Contrary toudexpectations, two categories - social factors and environmental characteristics - had few orudno variables with a significant relationship.udThis study further presents empirical evidence to suggest a limited number ofudantecedents under managerial control influencing beliefs, attitudes, and use. A betterudunderstanding of the various factors that may impede or increase effective utilization of ITudcan facilitate the design of organizational or managerial interventions that address theseudissues.udBuilding on the core TAM model a new model, the e-Tam Model, has beenuddeveloped based on the results of the theoretical research model. In this model, it isudhypothesized that IT usage is directly and indirectly influenced by seven external variablesuddivided into three categories: demographics, personality, and company characteristics.udUsing the e-Tam Model, effective and increased use of managerial IT tools can beudpromoted. This will enable managers to have a better use of e-commerce systems leading inudturn to better margins and opportunities.