Skip to main content
Log in

The benefits of e-business adoption: an empirical study of Swedish SMEs

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Service Business Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The global nature of business today and the advances in information and communications technologies have compelled corporations to employ emerging technologies in order to remain competitive. In recent years electronic business has been adopted by many corporations to improve operational efficiency, profitability, and to strengthen their competitive position. This study examines the impact of web-based e-business on the small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) in Sweden. The analyses of data collected for this study provide valuable information to the executives of manufacturing and service SMEs. The findings show that the SMEs in the sample have benefited from e-business implementation in both operational and performance areas of their organization.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Barau A, Konana P, Whinston A, Yin F (2001) Driving e-business excellence. MIT Sloan Manage Rev 43(1):36–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Cote L, Vezina M, Sabourin V (2005) The strategic management process in business. Ivey Bus J 1–7

  • Evans N (1999). Flexibility, adaptability are key to e-business. InternetWeek, 16

  • Fillis I, Johannson U, Wagner B (2004) Factors impacting on e-business adoption and development in the smaller firm. Int J Entrep Behav Res 10(3):178–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Grandon E, Pearson JM (2004) Electronic commerce adoption: an empirical study of small and medium US businesses. Inf Manage 42:197–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu X, Lin Z, Zhang H (2003) Trust promoting seals in electronic markets: an exploratory study of their effectiveness for online sales promotion. J Promot Manage 9(1/2):163–180

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Internet Usage in Europe (2006) Available at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats4.htm

  • Kosan L (2001) E-business eats up culture—firm’s soft skills predict. eWeek, p. 58

  • Lefebvre LA, Lefebvre E, Elia E, Boeck H (2005) Exploring B-to-B e-commerce trajectories in manufacturing SMEs. Technovation 25:1443–1456

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mendo FA, Fitzgerald G (2005) A multidimensional framework for SME e-business progression. J Enterp Inf Manage 18(6):678–696

    Google Scholar 

  • Patton MA, Josang A (2004) Technologies for trust in electronic commerce. Electron Commer Res 4:9–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Peet S, Brindley C, Ritchie B (2002) The European Commission and SME support mechanisims for e-business. Eur Bus Rev 14(5):335–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quayle M (2002) E:business: the challenge for UK SMEs in the twenty-first century. J Oper Prod Manage 22(10):1148–1161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Risk Management Magazine (2004) December, p. 9

  • Sanderson J (2004) Opportunity and constraint in business-to-business relationships: insights from strategic choice and zones of manoeuvre. Supply Chain Manage Int J 9(5):392–401

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shih SC, Wen HJ (2005) Integrated e-enterprise security design and implementation: a case study of e-service in supply chain management. Int J Electron Bus 3(2):154–173

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Straub D, Klein R (2001) E-competitive transformations. Bus Horiz 44(3):3–12

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taylor M, Murphy A (2004) SMEs and e-business. J Small Bus Enterp Dev 11(3):280–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thuraisingham B (2005) Directions for security and privacy for semantic e-business applications. Commun ACM 48(12):71–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wright B (2000) E-Business: the great IT catalyst. Manufacturing computer solutions: IT strategy issue 19–20

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hooshang M. Beheshti.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Beheshti, H.M., Salehi-Sangari, E. The benefits of e-business adoption: an empirical study of Swedish SMEs. Service Business 1, 233–245 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-006-0010-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-006-0010-y

Keywords

Navigation