SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability
The recent emergence of e-commerce has brought a shifting paradigm into global markets. This revolutionary framework relying upon technological progress has conveyed a new era of commerce. More than ever, businesses are using digital marketplaces to stay relevant and competitive. Suddenly, buying on...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/7/166 |
| _version_ | 1797503070962188288 |
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| author | Joana Costa Rafael Castro |
| author_facet | Joana Costa Rafael Castro |
| author_sort | Joana Costa |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The recent emergence of e-commerce has brought a shifting paradigm into global markets. This revolutionary framework relying upon technological progress has conveyed a new era of commerce. More than ever, businesses are using digital marketplaces to stay relevant and competitive. Suddenly, buying online has become part of their daily routines. Accessibility, flexibility, and convenience make the internet the ideal platform for modern age consumers. Small and medium enterprises predominate in almost every industry generating employment, income, and sustainability. Nonetheless, e-commerce adoption among these organizations is yet to be widely undertaken. This article has a twofold objective: first, it gathers data regarding the emergence of e-commerce adoption by SMEs through a systematic literature review encompassing 32 indexed articles (published between 2003 and 2021). Secondly, it provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis identifying strategic options and guidelines for a smooth digital transition among these players. Lastly, some recommendations to policy makers were clipped to work as facilitators, given SMEs specificities. The future is digital and the struggle for e-commerce adoption and exploitation among these organizations is at the top of the agenda. It is central in maintaining the vibrancy of the business ecosystem, and is therefore a turnkey for economic recovery. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-bed0ec219ea74cb29aa56425e88e7d0d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0718-1876 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T03:45:15Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-bed0ec219ea74cb29aa56425e88e7d0d2023-11-23T09:09:36ZengMDPI AGJournal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research0718-18762021-11-011673043306210.3390/jtaer16070166SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and SurvivabilityJoana Costa0Rafael Castro1DEGEIT—Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalDEGEIT—Department of Economics, Management, Industrial Engineering and Tourism, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, PortugalThe recent emergence of e-commerce has brought a shifting paradigm into global markets. This revolutionary framework relying upon technological progress has conveyed a new era of commerce. More than ever, businesses are using digital marketplaces to stay relevant and competitive. Suddenly, buying online has become part of their daily routines. Accessibility, flexibility, and convenience make the internet the ideal platform for modern age consumers. Small and medium enterprises predominate in almost every industry generating employment, income, and sustainability. Nonetheless, e-commerce adoption among these organizations is yet to be widely undertaken. This article has a twofold objective: first, it gathers data regarding the emergence of e-commerce adoption by SMEs through a systematic literature review encompassing 32 indexed articles (published between 2003 and 2021). Secondly, it provides a quantitative and qualitative analysis identifying strategic options and guidelines for a smooth digital transition among these players. Lastly, some recommendations to policy makers were clipped to work as facilitators, given SMEs specificities. The future is digital and the struggle for e-commerce adoption and exploitation among these organizations is at the top of the agenda. It is central in maintaining the vibrancy of the business ecosystem, and is therefore a turnkey for economic recovery.https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/7/166SMEse-commercee-businesssurvivabilitydigitalizationresilience |
| spellingShingle | Joana Costa Rafael Castro SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research SMEs e-commerce e-business survivability digitalization resilience |
| title | SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability |
| title_full | SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability |
| title_fullStr | SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability |
| title_full_unstemmed | SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability |
| title_short | SMEs Must Go Online—E-Commerce as an Escape Hatch for Resilience and Survivability |
| title_sort | smes must go online e commerce as an escape hatch for resilience and survivability |
| topic | SMEs e-commerce e-business survivability digitalization resilience |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/0718-1876/16/7/166 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joanacosta smesmustgoonlineecommerceasanescapehatchforresilienceandsurvivability AT rafaelcastro smesmustgoonlineecommerceasanescapehatchforresilienceandsurvivability |