Motivations for Engaging in e-Business

This study seeks to identify the reasons organizations implement e-business applications. Nineteen such motivations were identified from the literature. A survey was constructed to evaluate the importance of these motivations as well as their level of satisfaction with the results achieved in each area. Four hundred and fourteen responses were obtained. Factor analysis revealed four factors (motivations). They were labeled marketing, communication, e-profitability, and research. A psychometric assessment of the questionnaire revealed satisfactory results, but did identify areas were further refinements are warranted. The relative importance and satisfaction with performance in each of these five factors are analyzed. Implications for research and practice are discussed.