Abstract
This research has studied an established Irish retail business as it takes its first tentative steps into the e-commerce arena. Although the adoption of e-commerce is widely studied in the academic world, only a small percentage of these studies focus on the Small to Medium size Enterprise (SME) retail sector. SMEs account for 97% of Irish companies and employ up to 800,000 people (Chamber of Commerce Ireland, 2006). Whilst examining the SME’s adoption of e-commerce, the factors that affected the adoption process were specifically identified and understood. This was achieved by conducting an action research case study. Action research merges research and practice thus producing exceedingly relevant research findings. The case study commenced in August 2003 and concluded in August 2004. It consisted of three distinctive action research cycles. The researcher worked in the SME throughout the research process, and had been employed there for the previous 5 years. This chapter demonstrates how the research was undertaken, and also discusses the justification, benefits and limitations of using action research. The research concluded that the adoption of e-commerce within the SME sector tends to be slow and fragmented, the presence of a “web champion” is paramount to the success of the project and Internet adoption is faster with the recognition of a business need. It also supported the evidence that an SME is more likely to adopt e-commerce when the SME owner has a positive attitude to IT.
Highlights
A Forfás study in 1999 found that 99.4% of enterprises in Ireland are SMEs, and that they account for just under half of total enterprise employment in Ireland
This study is concerned with the factors that inhibit or facilitate Internet adoption within an Irish SME context, and to understand how these factors affected the e-commerce adoption process
The following factors were identified as having affected River Deep Mountain High (RDMH)’s adoption process: Perceived benefits: It was reported in section 2.2 that the recognition of perceived benefits by an SME will facilitate the e-commerce adoption process
Summary
A Forfás study in 1999 found that 99.4% of enterprises in Ireland are SMEs, and that they account for just under half of total enterprise employment in Ireland. Significant opportunities exist for the Irish SME sector to create efficiencies in communications, shift the trading power balance in its favour and create new markets (Egan et al, 2003).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
