Training for E-Commerce Success in SMEs

INTRODUCTION Rapid developments in Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), such as electronic commerce (e-commerce), have revolutionized the way that business is conducted. E-commerce refers to the process of buying and selling goods and services electronically involving transactions using Internet, network, and other digital technology. It offers companies tremendous opportunities to improve their business performance in new and innovative ways. However, its huge potential benefit would only be realized by capable managers who can deal with these emerging technologies and implement them wisely. A skills shortage has been categorized as one of the challenges facing global e-commerce by Bingi and Khamalah (2000). The demand for highly knowledgeable and skilled managers and workloads places enormous pressure upon companies to improve or update their current knowledge and skills. This is particularly important in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) as compared with their larger counterparts, as they are often described as “lacking the expertise needed to set up the technologies necessary, despite having a great deal to gain from doing so” (Anonymous, 1998). Training is often seen as the most effective way to help SMEs to cope with the increasing demand on improving their skills, while not increasing staffing. A pilot project supported by the European Commission’s Leonardo Da Vinci Program was set up to address training issues and provide online training and support for SMEs in participating countries. To provide the training in the