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Understanding Factors Affecting e- commerce Adoption in Botswana SMEs RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION

Managerial characteristics and Perception of e-commerce adoption Fin d in g s, Int erp re ta ti o n o f Th eo ry , S u m m a ry , Disc u ss io n Co n clu sio n & Im p li ca tio n s

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1.6 Structure of the Thesis

This section provides a snapshot of the chapters and sections that are covered in this thesis. Each chapter begins with a short introduction that highlights the areas that will be covered in various sections of the chapter. A summary and conclusion is provided at the end of each chapter to focus the reader on what issues have been covered and also guide the reader on the subsequent chapters.

Chapter 1 Introduction and Rationale: This chapter provides the introduction to the research and the problem area. It introduces the reader to the research context by discussing pertinent issues regarding SMEs and e-commerce adoption in the global world as well as in developing countries. The chapter also provides a background on the development of small and medium enterprises in Botswana in relation to ICT and e-commerce, and also introduces Botswana’s landscape, the e-readiness and e-commerce environment, and the sectors of ICT, tourism and manufacturing. The scope of the study is then briefly outlined, followed by the research questions and objectives. A section on the conceptual framework, which outlines how the research questions were answered in the course of the thesis, is introduced. The ‘structure of the Thesis’ is the last section of this chapter, which gives details of the contents of each chapter.

Chapter 2 Literature Review: This chapter sets out to review related literature on e-commerce adoption and non-adoption in SMEs. Picking up from the first chapter that defined the research questions and objectives, the first sub-section in chapter 2 provides a brief history of e-commerce and also lays the foundation for the classification of SMEs, the potential benefits of engaging in e-commerce, and the SMEs readiness for undertaking e-commerce initiatives. A brief discussion of globalisation factors is made, and its impact on SME e-commerce adoption, followed by a review of the digital divide phenomenon. These discussions assist in bringing a focus on the characteristics of the SME e-commerce environment. The chapter then reviews factors that affect e-commerce adoption in SMEs, and later discusses aspects of e-commerce development such as the stages of growth models, website adoption and functionality, and the Web 2.0 applications. Later, the discussion shifts to e-commerce

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adoption theories and models that have been used to analyse SME e-commerce adoption in the past. The following are discussed: the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) framework, the Perceived E-readiness Model (PERM), the Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DIT), and the Resource Based Theory (RBT) combined with Contextualism. This is followed by a summary and conclusion to end the chapter.

Chapter 3 Research Paradigms and Methodology: This chapter introduces philosophical issues relating to research in information systems. The positivist, interpretive and critical paradigms are reviewed in the general sense and later applied in the area of e-commerce adoption in SMEs. The next section deliberates on the consideration of the research paradigm that was selected for this study. Based on various considerations from the research questions and the review of the literature, the interpretive paradigm emerges as most suitable to undertake in-depth studies in e-commerce adoption in SMEs. Next, considerations are made of a suitable research methodology from amongst seven methodological approaches such as; design and creation, experiments, surveys, ethnographies, action research, grounded theory, and case studies. The case study methodology is chosen as the most suitable as it provides a multi-pronged, naturalistic method of responding to the research questions. The next section considers the data characteristics that would be used in answering the research questions. Data collection techniques are discussed that would best suit the in-depth interpretive study. A diagrammatic sketch of the conceptual framework is provided as a guide on how the research was undertaken. The chapter ends with a summary and conclusion.

Chapter 4 Research Implementation: This chapter provides details of the research methodology in action, as developed from Chapter 3. The chapter first provides research planning issues, and then explores the foundation of undertaking this study by providing the researcher’s background and their role in this study. The chapter later provides some explanation of the data collection process, detailing the contexts of the sampled SMEs and how the interview process took place. An introductory preview of the SMEs and how they were selected is given. Other data collection procedures that are employed are explained such

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as: documents and web analysis; direct observation, telephone interviews, and analysis of the local business environment. The next section explains how data analysis was achieved, by mainly utilising Miles and Huberman’s (1994) approach, and a manual analytical process of making comparisons and reflections on meanings in a hermeneutic fashion. The following section deliberates on the principles for evaluating and conducting interpretive studies and how they were applied in this study. The contribution to knowledge and considerations for ethical issues are also discussed as critical aspects of interpretive research. The next section discusses the methodological limitations that were encountered during the data collection process and the measures that were taken to overcome them. The summary and conclusion, ends this chapter.

Chapter 5 Presentation of Case Findings: This chapter sets out to provide the contextual view of e-commerce in nine SMEs based on the interactions between the researcher and the managers or owners of the firms. This is presented based on the conceptual framework which sought to answer the research questions based on six dimensions of analysis. Firstly, the nature and business characteristic, is important to provide a foundation of resources from the SMEs nature and business characteristics. The second dimension relates to the use of ICT and Web Applications, which gives more information relating to resources such as e-mail, Internet and website applications in each of the SMEs. The third dimension is concerned with

managerial characteristics and perception of e-commerce adoption, which looks at the role played by SME managers and owners to influence e-commerce adoption decisions in their organisations. The fourth dimension deals with factors that affect e-commerce adoption or non-adoption, and the fifth dimension is focused on how factors interact to determine the level of e-commerce adoption. The role of the local business environment and its impact on the SMEs is discussed as a component from the external context of the firm. The next section interprets the case findings in terms of e-commerce adoption theories. The last section for each of the SMEs is the summary of findings. The chapter ends with an overall summary.

Chapter 6 Discussion ofFindings: This chapter discusses the findings of the research. Firstly, a summary of findings for each case are presented. This is followed by a discussion on the

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nature and characteristic of the business environment. This is done by integrating the findings from each of the SMEs through cross-case analysis and the literature review. The chapter discusses several factors, their manner of impact and how they emerge in each of the selected SMEs. The interaction of factors is discussed and how they influence the level of e-commerce adoption in the selected SMEs. Website development and applications in the SMEs is discussed to show the extent of e-commerce adoption. Aspects of non-adoption in the SMEs are also discussed. The chapter then discusses the national e-readiness issues and the role of governments in assisting SME e-commerce development. Furthermore, the chapter compares e-readiness current data (for GITR, 2012) for Botswana and the UK, and Botswana and Rwanda. These discussions then culminate into reviewing the role of government, particularly the government of Botswana in facilitating e-commerce adoption in SMEs. The last section is a summary and conclusion of the whole chapter.

Chapter 7 Conclusions: This is the last chapter in the thesis. It provides a summary of the major research findings based on the research questions. A section on the research contribution is provided reflecting on aspects of research and practice. A critique is also offered regarding the research contribution and the theoretical approach. Some ethical considerations that were undertaken are discussed, including the data collection instruments. The chapter also discusses the set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive IS research based on Klein & Myers (1999), and specifically applies these to the research undertaking in this study. A discussion on the research implications is presented, focusing on research, practice, and recommendations for further studies. The last section of this chapter is the final conclusion of the thesis.

References to all articles used in the study are provided at the end of the Thesis. An Appendix section provides a sample of interview questions, ethical instruments used during the implementation of the research, and information relating to some outputs of the study such as the government of Botswana research permit, and the recorded interviews.

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