New directions for research on SME-eBusiness: insights from an analysis of journal articles from 2003 to 2006

Authors

  • Craig M Parker School of Information Systems, Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 2135
  • Tanya Castleman Deakin Business School, Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 2135

Keywords:

Small and medium enterprises, SMEs, electronic business, adoption, internet, web

Abstract

Previous research which consolidates the growing body of academic literature on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and electronic business (eBusiness) has taken the form of meta-analyses which focus on analysing adoption factors, pre-2000 articles and a small number of journals. This paper makes a valuable contribution to the analysis of SME-eBusiness research by addressing the limitations of past literature analyses because it presents an extensive literature review of 120 SME-eBusiness journal articles published between 2003 and 2006 in 53 journals. This paper is unique, when compared to meta-analyses of adoption factors, because it analyses the SME-eBusiness literature broadly on the basis of the data collection approaches used, countries and eBusiness technologies studied, and the primary research objective of each article. This approach to the analysis revealed a number of limitations in the existing research such as the tendency: to treat SMEs and eBusiness applications homogeneously rather than as highly diverse, complex entities; to repeat adoption factor studies which have now reached saturation point; and to focus on SMEs themselves without considering the complexity of relationships which many SMEs have with family, friends, other businesses and eBusiness solution providers. These limitations highlight the need for new research directions which move beyond identifying and evaluating adoption factors. The paper concludes by outlining a number of broad research directions which might help overcome the limitations with the existing body of SME-eBusiness research.

Author Biographies

  • Craig M Parker, School of Information Systems, Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 2135
    Craig Parker is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Information Systems at Deakin University, Australia. Dr Parker was foundation Director of the Master of Electronic Commerce at Deakin University, and continues to teach postgraduate students in the area of eBusiness. He is co-editor of the Journal of Information Systems and Small Business and Associated Editor for the Journal of Electronic Commerce in Organizations. He has spent over a decade conducting research on interactive business simulation approaches to teaching eBusiness, and on small business use of eBusiness. He also conducts research and supervises student research projects in the areas of eBusiness adoption by small firms. He has published and presented his research widely in national and international venues. He is a member of editorial boards for several leading international journals.
  • Tanya Castleman, Deakin Business School, Deakin University 221 Burwood Highway, Burwood, Victoria, 2135
    Tanya Castleman is Professor of Information Systems and Head of the Deakin Business School. Her research concentrates on the social and organisational aspects of eBusiness. She has investigated the social and organisational dynamics of companies and their relationship to eBusiness design, adoption and use. Her research examines these issues in both large and small organisations as well as in supply chains and virtual networks. In addition to her academic research which is internationally recognised, Tanya has conducted research consultancies on a range of eBusiness topics.

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2014-05-28

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Vol. 1 No. 1-2 (2007)

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