Critical success factors facilitating SMEs’ e-commerce in developing countries

Hijrah Saputra, Alessandro Creazza, David B. Grant

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionScientificpeer-review

Abstract

There has been numerous research concerning e-commerce application. Nevertheless, these studies were mostly conducted in developed countries and few are concentrated on SMEs and within the emerging countries. This restricts the attention to e-commerce application by SMEs, particularly in emerging countries. Moreover, most of the earlier studies that discussed SMEs are concentrated mainly on preadoption problems, which had a tendency to investigate the issues that enable (or consider the obstacles that challenge) e-commerce adoption rather than the post-adoption issues, which focus on postimplementation benefits and advantages. Therefore, the intention of this research is more to clarify the post-adoption process, by exploring the key success factors for SMEs in applying e-commerce for the achievement of business sales or transaction. Investigating post-adoption factors would be benefits and advantages for SMEs as it will acknowledge the importance of those factors, especially logistical factors to support their business after they implement e-commerce. Additionally, there is a lack of attention how logistics operation capability would determine the success of SMEs when they apply the e-commerce system in their business operations. Hence, to fill this gap in the logistical area, this research attempts to focus on and explore the aspect of logistics capability (as one of the key success factors of SMEs’ e-commerce implementation) in relation to the improvement of SMEs’ business transactions applying the e-commerce system in a developing country. This research applies a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) as the relevant methodology since the investigation will review the factors clarified in particular literature. Meanwhile, the other methodology such as factor analysis or multiple criteria decision analysis (MDCA) seems inappropriate in this context since those approaches related to the complexity and conflict of numeric data. The SLR methodology implements an effective approach utilizing evidences to classifying, selecting and analysing research data. To perform a SLR, this study implements an approach encompassing the following steps: question design, locating studies, study selection and evaluation, analysis, lastly reporting and using the results. Literature review for last 17 years period offers sufficiently comprehensive analysis for the research in this topics. Some of the key success factors (KSFs) facilitating SMEs’ e-commerce in developing countries have been identified.
These are classified as the internal, external and combined (both internal and external) factors. Internal factors include human resources, and marketing. External factors comprise customer demand, law and regulation, and secure payment system. Meanwhile the combined factors involve information and
communication technology (ICT) and logistics capability. However, the research will emphasise the logistical aspect in relation to SMEs e-commerce. This study provides benefits to understand the key success factors of effective e-commerce logistics capabilities in developing countries due to its facilitation towards the effective achievement of SME’s e-commerce transaction. This study also lies the
foundation to acknowledge the major problems faced by national logistics system related to the SMEs e-commerce practice. This study provides potential and applicable guidance in practice for government to facilitate SMEs e-commerce development in developing countries related to the logistics capabilities, which is remain applicable for SME’s in general.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationProceedings of the 4th Edition ProLog Conference 2018
PublisherUniversity of Hull
Publication date28.06.2018
Publication statusPublished - 28.06.2018
MoE publication typeA4 Article in conference proceedings

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Critical success factors facilitating SMEs’ e-commerce in developing countries'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this