Thesis (MTech (Business Information Systems)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2007 / E-commerce, as one of the applications of the Internet, has been considered as a possible
channel for small businesses to be benefIted. However, due to their nature, it is challenging to
involve e-commerce in small businesses; some new risks arise that typically are not
adequately addressed in SMMEs' (Small, Micro and Medium Enterprises) established risk
management programs. Therefore, to obtain the benefits from e-commerce adoption, SMME
owner/managers need to identify and manage these risks.
Identifying SMME owner/managers' perceptions of e-commerce related risks, and how they
manage them is crucial for ascertaining the factors that affect the successful small business
e-commerce adoption, as their perceptions influence their decision-making process. This
research identified South African SMME owner/managers' perceptions of e-commerce related
risks, and their effects on e-commerce and SMMEs' development. The investigation was
conducted by using a quantitative research methodology, drawing on the data obtained from a
sample of 50 questionnaires, and the 17 interviews out of the 50, by using qualitative research
methodology to achieve the research objectives.
The SMME owner/managers' perceptions imply that they are unaware of e-commerce related
risks, they lack risk management attention to and skills in e-commerce related risks and their
businesses, which can affect the development of e-commerce adoption and SMMEs. The
perceptions also exhibited the SMME owner/managers' attitudes to risk-taking; the research
provides a platform for SMMEs to understand their risk management performance. On the
other hand, the perceptions reflect the orientations of developing SMMEs' e-commerce
adoption such as: how to provide SMMEs with a better understanding of obtaining the benefits
from e-commerce adoption? How to help SMMEs to manage e-commerce related risks? In
conclusion, this research study proposed a model to assist SMMEs to understand
e-commerce related risks in order to obtain the maximum benefits of e-commerce adoption.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:cput/oai:localhost:20.500.11838/2074 |
| Date | January 2007 |
| Creators | Yang, Ping Ping |
| Publisher | Cape Peninsula University of Technology |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Rights | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/za/ |
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