E-Commerce Adoption: A tool for small and M.Ed.ium-scale enterprises (SMEs) empowerment through internationalization.

Abstract

Electronic commerce, commonly known as e-commerce can be regarded as the utilization of electronic systems such as the internet and other computer networks to aid the sharing of business information among trading partners, coordination and implementation of business transactions. Existing studies in Nigeria concentrated on factors that limit Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in adopting e-commerce technology and most of these studies were examined from consumers perspectives, however, little or no study have examined the impact of e-commerce adoption on the performances of SMEs. This paper employed the use of a quantitative research approach to analyse the behavior, experience, perspective of Small and Medium Scale Enterprises operators towards electronic commerce adoption in Nigeria. Based on the quantitative approach imbibed in this study, questionnaire was used to capture data that examined the objectives of the paper. The questionnaire was distributed both manually and electronically to total sample of over 250 SMEs. Data collected were analysed using descriptive analysis. The study showed that e-commerce has potentials to improve the performance of SMEs operators if factors limiting the adoption of ecommerce like security issues, under developed infrastructures, poor delivery logistics and poor courier systems, infrastructure facilities, incompatibility of business with ecommerce etc. The paper recommended improved infrastructural facilities and better strategies that will improve consumers and business technological knowledge and ensure favourable environment for e-commerce adoption.