E-Readiness and Successful E-Commerce Diffusion in Developing Countries

Abstract

This chapter explores the impact of organizational and environmental e-readiness factors on the successful diffusion of e-commerce. It presents a conceptual framework of e-readiness and e-commerce success, identifies the constructs and variables to operationalize the framework and reports the e-readiness and e-commerce success assessments of a sample of business organizations from South Africa. Business managers and policy makers, by understanding the e-readiness factors affecting e-commerce diffusion can make effective decisions to exploit specific e-commerce opportunities. Furthermore, researchers can use the developed framework to study the level of e-commerce adoption, the success of the process that led to it and the benefits to users, organizations and the economy.