Introduction
Electronic Business or E-business can be defined broadly as any business process that depends on an automated information system. In today’s business environment, this is done mainly using Web-based or Internet technologies. Electronic business methods and applications enable firms to link their internal and external data process systems and business operations more effectively and flexibly. Further, they allow these organizations to work more closely with suppliers and partners, and satisfy the needs and expectations of their customers better (Rahayu & Day, 2015) . Imperatively, E-business allows organizations to interweave their business drivers and initiatives with technology-based drivers and information systems using the Internet. Most businesses adopt E-business platforms to create, and maintain core values like speed, service convenience, and personalization of services to consumers. In this paper, the essay discusses research on E-business adoption in business.
Research on E-business Adoption
From the early 1990s, e-business (electronic business) has been introduced not only as a new way of doing business, but also as a critical component of people’s everyday lives. Players in different industries, individuals, and even governments and the political class are paying increased attention to e-business, and utilizing it as s strategic tool to drive many processes and activities. In its 2012 data, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) observes that averagely, 96% of its sampled firms in selected nations used the Internet and over 69% have websites (OECD, 2012). Further, more people are using the Internet for shopping, learning, social networking, communication and banking (OECD, 2012b).
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As they witness the strong growth of e-business, academics have increased their attention to e-business research with different studies observing increased number of e-business articles. Again, some notable journals dedicated to e-business have published many articles or revised their titles (Rahayu & Day, 2015) . Some of these journals include International Journal of Electronic Commerce , Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce . Websites and databases like the Find White Papers: Technology Research For Business Professionals have articles that are entirely dedicated to research on e-business and its importance to the business enterprises, consumers, and linking business processes for organizational success.
In most of these research studies, the adoption of e-business has been identified as not only distinct but also critical and a growing topic of study. For instance, in his review of about 172 e-business articles published from 1982 to 1998, Urbaczewski and colleagues (2002) found that a large number of the articles focused on e-business adoption issues. Currently, several e-business adoption articles are published annually as the percentage of research on adoption within the field continues to grow at a fast rate. Published articles that offer a reflective examination in e-business not only allow people, practitioners, and academics to gain a better understanding of the e-business situation, but also illustrate that e-business adoption is a growing and critical topic. These articles acknowledge that as a growing and critical research topic, e-business is quite different from other electronic initiatives applied in business based on theories, research approaches and methods, and its significance and contributions (Urbaczewski et al., 2002). Further, e-business adoption is a component of Information Technology acceptance and use research in business but is different from other IT adoptions because its setting involves a combination of technology adoption with marketing components (Pavlou & Fygenson, 2006). Further, under the topic of e-business adoption, several research questions can be investigated, for instance factors that facilitate e-business adoption in firms, barriers to e-business adoption, e-business adoption theories, and different adoption approaches across regions, business units and departments, and cultures (Chitura et al., 2008).
The adoption of e-business requires new approaches that entail innovation, technology, service, application and a corresponding business model based on the unique organizational structure. Imperatively, the implementation of e-business should be adopted before the realization of its benefits to a business enterprise. Scholars identify different terms linked to the adoption of e-business by practitioners and enterprises. Some of these terms include assimilation, diffusion, acceptance, intent to use and practical application of the technology initiatives. However, most researchers differ on how adoption relates to these terms (Chen & Holsapple, 2012). For instance, some argue that adoption and acceptance are separate decisions for individual consumers. However, others do not distinguish the two terms based on the technological theories that they use in relation to their applications. To some scholars, the conception of e-business and adoption of its technologies is derived from innovation diffusion literature that advances models like initiation, adoption, and routine use of IT business components in organizational processes and communication, especially the linking of both external and internal business data. Under this approach, terms like e-business readiness aim at evaluating the potential benefits that e-business adoption can bring to a business, and if the organization is ready to initiate and implement e-business. On its part, e-business acceptance and adoption aim at making decisions to utilize e-business while usage and implementation deal with the assessment of e-business success in a corporate (Chen & Holsapple, 2012). Therefore, pursuit of e-business by a business entity entails the commitment to pursue business goals, through a networked technology that supports information exchange and decisions aimed at value addition activities.
Another component of research in e-business adoption is the focus on regions, economies, cultures and other international variables. For instance, based on regions, researchers observe that e-business adoption began from the West and spread to Asian region, the Middle East and Africa, and finally in Latin America. The review of articles on e-business adoption demonstrates that the most studies regions on the topic by scholars include the United States, the European region, and Asia. Further, these scholars are categorical that the e-business adoption progress is widespread in organizations from advanced economies in comparison to those from developing ones (Rahayu & Day, 2015) . However, research interests in developing economies and how they are adopting e-business continues to grow. Imperatively, researches in e-business adoption must consider the cultural factors that enhance adoption of the technology in different regions across the world. Further, they must attempt to assess and compare studies across regions, particularly studies from developing economies so that they can understand how culture impacts the adoption of e-business platform in different regions with different cultural orientations.
Moreover, academic researchers seek different themes when exploring the fast-growing adoption of e-business in organizations. For instance, different research themes include the adoption of e-business in supply chain management, business communication, marketing, and public relations processes (Chen & Holsapple, 2012). Imperatively, e-business applications may serve several purposes in supply chain management like the transmission of order and the designing and improvement of products through collaboration in an organization. It follows that scholars can identify essential research opportunities on how businesses can adopt e-business applications in their processes, for instance, in their supply chain management (Rahayu & Day, 2015) . Further, researchers need to examine the adoption of current and fast-growing e-business technological applications like online shopping, the use of social media and networking sites for businesses, and the ever growing need to enhance business communication.
Conclusion
It follows that e-business adoption is a growing research topic for scholars and not just business practitioners because it offers many research opportunities. Research scholars need to appreciate that selecting the most relevant themes in business processes and adoption of e-business applications are critical to understanding the benefits that e-business presents to firms and individuals. Research on adoption of e-business continues to grow, especially in relation to how different social trends are impacting the overall success of e-business practices in organizations.
References
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