Examining the impacts of relevant contextual influences on the extent of use of e-business technologies: Perspectives from Atlantic Canada's SMEs

The spread of internet and e-business technologies (IEBT) globally is attracting the attention of both practitioners and researchers. Needless to say, IEBT have enabled businesses (both large and small) to improve their reach and enhance productivity. The literature has shown that the acceptance of such technologies lags behind in small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This present study is designed to enrich our knowledge with regard to the impacts of relevant contextual factors on extent of IEBT use among SMEs. For illustrative purposes, this study uses a survey to sample opinions in one region of Canada. The contextual factors considered in the study include management support, technology characteristics, pressures from sources external to the business, and government support. These are among the cited factors that influence the acceptance of IEBT and e-business in SMEs. A research model was developed, and relevant hypotheses tested. Data analysis was performed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. The results revealed that aforementioned factors positively impact the extent of IEBT use in participating SMEs. The implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.