Exploratory Study of the Factors that Influence the Adoption of Electronic Commerce in a Latin-American Context

Electronic commerce is a technological tool that provides benefits to companies that decide to adopt it. However, among small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), its use is incipient. In order to take advantage of the benefits that electronic commerce may provide, it is necessary to know the factors that directly or indirectly influence its adoption. This study proposes a research model that intends to explain these factors in a Latin-American context. The results show that perceived benefits and perceived behavioral control are significant factors that influence the intention to adopt electronic commerce. In turn, government support and technological innovation influence the intention to adopt electronic commerce indirectly through perceived benefits and perceived behavioral control respectively. The current study contributes to enhance our knowledge about the factors that influence the adoption of electronic commerce using a research model that can be replicated in Latin-America.