Extracting a Model of e-commerce performance appraisal for SMEs

A great number of organizations have adopted e-commerce as one of the most vital innovations in carrying out their business processes across the globe. Every country's economy encompasses small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) that play a fundamental role in development and improvement of that country's economic induces thus the prosperity of such enterprises is dependent on adopting new innovative ways. E-commerce is certainly an innovative way of performing business processes. In this study, taking advantages of literature review, the different models of e-commerce adoption by SMEs are surveyed and so analyzed in order to identify the most common and important components of them which are most effective on the SMEs performance. Basing on the prior researches and the studies conducted by the other researchers, the primary model of e-commerce adoption by SMEs has been attempted to be defined. Technical implications, organizational factors, and inter-organizational systems have been recognized as the key components of the cited model. As the next step, the questionnaires have been designed according to the both model description and also expert opinions in order to gathering the related data from the statistical sample which encompasses both academician and also professional people familiar to the related subjects. By analyzing the gathered data, the effective variables with significant correlations with the e-readiness and performance indicators have been identified as the result of the study. With the help of such a model, the SMEs could be able to identify their performance weaknesses and strengths and also formulation proper strategies and guidelines in order to enhance their performance key indicators related to adopted e-commerce. In this study the IT balanced score card (ITBSC) approach and its criteria have been leveraged in order to appraisal the e-commerce performance.