INVESTIGATING THE E-SERVICE ADOPTION OF SMEs IN OMAN USING THE TECHNOLOGY READINESS MODEL 2.0 WITH A FOCUS ON BUSINESS SIZE

Abstract

The study examines the technology readiness of SMEs for the adoption of e-services based on company size. This reveals opportunities to better exploit the potential of e-services adoption for SMEs in Oman. The problem this study focused is that despite the increasing availability and benefits of e-services, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Oman have been slow to adopt them. This lack of adoption can limit their ability to compete and grow in an increasingly digital market. Studies show that business size plays an important role in the adoption of e-services, and this is one of the main reasons for conducting this study. A quantitative survey method was used to select the sample among SMEs in Oman. SmartPLS 4.0 was used to conduct a multigroup analysis (MGA) to determine the moderating effect of firm size of SMEs in Oman.The main findings show that motivators (optimism and innovativeness) are important predictors of SMEs' willingness to adopt e-services. The study also found that among demographic factors, firm size significantly explains differences between SMEs' readiness to adopt e-services, while it is predicted by motivators and inhibitors.This study has added to the literature by investigating the moderating effect of firm size on SMEs' readiness to adopt e-services in Oman. It could also provide additional benefits to many SMEs that could lead to the adoption of e-services.
 Keywords: Technology Readiness, Technology Adoption, E-services, SME, Business Size.