E‐commerce adoption in the retail sector: empirical insights

Abstract

Purpose -To investigate the determinants of e-commerce adoption in the retail sector using duration analysis. Design/methodology/approach -The study proposes a conceptual model based on technology adoption and population ecology models. It identifies specific determinant factors organized under three areas: perceived benefits, organizational readiness, and external influences. Duration analysis is applied to data on 392 retailers. Findings -Organizational readiness and external influences were the main driving factors of the adoption decision. There is no strong support for the perceived benefits construct. This suggests that e-commerce adoption was to a great extent responsive to external pressures. Research limitations/implications -Major limitations include insufficient data. Future research can collect other types of data. Other extensions include the investigation of the effect of e-commerce adoption, the construction of a formal theoretical model, and the collection of data from other countries. Practical implications -The study provides guidelines to entry anticipation. It appears that many retailers mimetically responded to the online entry of other retailers. Managers should be also aware of the suitability of e-commerce adoption to their organization. In order to be proactive, firms can put more emphasis on internal factors and rely less on outside signals in their strategies. Originality/value -The paper investigates the e-commerce adoption decision among retailers using a unique database collected from public sources, avoiding potential subjectivity bias. It traces the timing of e-commerce adoption incorporating both fixed and time-varying covariates.

Interorganizational imitation heuristics arising from cognitive frames

“…For example, the adoption of the online channel by brick-and-mortar retailers in the US was sporadic between 1995 and 1998 even though during that time Amazon.com had become a phenomenon and the media was generally drumming the success stories of online ventures creating the conditions the Internet channel to be viewed as an opportunity. There was a pick-up in adoptions for the 1998 holiday season and ultimately by the 1999 holiday season transacting online had become imperative (Nikolaeva, 2006). Thus, many brick and mortar retailers did not adopt the channel until they started perceiving too much competitive pressure.…”

Conceptualization, Operationalization, and Validation of the Digital Data Stream Readiness Index

“…In previous studies, the concept of organizational readiness was successfully used to predict and explain organizations' adoption, use and institutionalization of Information Technology (IT) related initiatives (Shahrasbi & Paré, 2014). As pre-condition for organizational change, the readiness is a relevant measure in adoption studies and it has proven to be a valuable conceptual tool for organizational researchers interested in understanding the level of compatibility and consistency of IT change and firms' business (Nikolaeva, 2006), the effects of a positive culture towards the adoption of IT (Motwani, Subramanian, & Gopalakrishna, 2005), and firms' capabilities for executing IT change (Molla, Cooper, & Pittayachawan, 2011). Despite the long established tradition of organizational readiness as a foundational concept, the extant literature relies on two distinct views of readiness: a structural view -focusing on firms' access to resources and capabilities favoring change -and a psychological view -emphasizing organizational members' attitudes, beliefs, and intentions.…”

Can Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Successfully Become Multichannel Retailers?

“…B&M firms, generally driven by external influences, have increasingly adapted themselves to the newer business model of online retailing (Nikolaeva, 2006). The concept of a business model refers in part to how a business is conducted; when selling is done online using the Internet, thereby practically eliminating the need for physical store locations, the business model is referred to as online retailing.…”