Factors Affecting the Development of E-Commerce Application in Textile and Clothing Companies in Isfahan

Abstract

Development of the E-Commerce in manufacturing companies and planning in this area requires knowledge on the factors affecting the decisions made by manufacturing companies to use e-commerce tools. These factors can be divided into two categories: internal and external. The internal factors show the characteristics of domestic firms that will shape their behavior, while the external factors represent the business environment of firms and include e-commerce infrastructure and supportive agents, governmental, legal and cultural factors and social factors. In this paper, the role of internal and external factors in the use of e-commerce tools in textile and clothing enterprises of Isfahan was discussed using factor analysis technique and correlation coefficients. Field survey results indicate that internal factors (prospective and strategic management, business size, flexibility, performance and expected performance) have the greatest impact on the use of e- commerce tools. Afterwards, the appropriate supporting factors (availability of skilled work force and ease of use) and favorable social and cultural factors make greater use of e-commerce tools possible for textile and clothing companies in Isfahan.