Integrating TAM, TPB and TOE frameworks and expanding their characteristic constructs for e-commerce adoption by SMEs

Abstract

Purpose– This paper aims to propose a framework that integrated the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and technology-organization-environment (TOE) and extended the constructs to enrich literature and capture some peculiarities of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). Individually, the frameworks of extant TAM, TPB and TOE are insightful to the understanding of e-commerce adoption but a bit parochial in their constructs and so, can rarely provide clear lenses to deal with SMEs.Design/methodology/approach– The adoption of e-commerce depends largely on the users’ conscious assessment of the influencing constructs as proposed, among others, in theories of reasoned action, TAM, TPB and TOE. This paper reviewed, synthesized and extended the constructs of these models in an integrated framework. The proposed integrated framework led to 18 propositions to promote and facilitate future research, and to guide explanation and prediction of e-commerce adoption in an organized system.Findings– The introduced constructs in the integrated framework (e.g. company mission, individual difference factors, perceived trust and perceived service quality) introduce socio-technical systems and improve the theoretical base of adoption.Research limitations/implications– Neither the adoption drivers nor the constructs in the theoretical framework are mutually exclusive and exhaustive; rather, they are complementary and could incorporate other factors. Although the theoretical implications of the findings of this paper extend the scope of adoption drivers, the proposed framework needs to be tested empirically.Originality/value– The integrated and extended theoretical framework links three adoption drivers and attempts to improve existing knowledge on e-commerce adoption and to provide bases for more informed decision(s).