Factors influencing adoption of electronic commerce by exhibition stalls businesses in Nairobi central business district
Abstract
The introduction of internet based electronic commerce offers significant opportunities for
large and small firms across the world to expand their customer base, downsize their
operation expenses and at the same time compete in the global market. In the Kenyan context
the use of internet to conduct business offers great opportunity to small and medium sized
enterprises. Some of the benefits include, interacting directly with their customers, entry into
new markets, reduced costs associated with traditional business methods like obtaining
business licenses, permits and operational costs among others. However many small and
medium sized enterprises and especially the exhibition stalls business have failed to tap into
e-commerce or achieve the threshold required to realize the benefits associated with ecommerce.
This research sought to investigate the factors that are influencing the adoption of electronic
commerce among SMEs in Kenya with particular reference to exhibition stalls in Nairobi’s
CBD. The specific objectives of the study included determining the effect of skills, cost and
access to ICT, ICT infrastructure, and cyber insecurity on the adoption of electronic
commerce among exhibition stall business in Nairobi`s Central Business District. The study
adopted the following research methodology; First, the use of survey research design to
collect data using a well developed questionnaire. The target population is exhibition stall
operators or owners and managers within Nairobi`s Central Business District.
In this research the researcher used purposive sampling which allows the researcher to hand
pick the respondents having information relevant to the study. Using the rule of thumb the
researcher selected 300 respondents. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistical
analysis. The analyzed data was presented and interpreted through charts graphs and
frequency tables.
The research findings of the study are that there is a major relationship between cost and
access to ICT, ICT infrastructure and cyber in the adoption of e-commerce. The study reports
that most of the exhibition stalls have adopted e-commerce. It is also revealed that the
government has not formulated proper policy or put in place effective legislation to curb
cyber crime. It is recommended that business owners need to be abreast with e-commerce
developments and should not resist exploring new technological innovations for global
business. It is also recommended that the government should put in place effective legal
infrastructure and security measures to deal with cyber insecurity which hinder the adoption
of e-commerce.
Publisher
University of Nairobi
Collections
- Faculty of Education (FEd) [5964]