A Framework for Understanding Adoption and Diffusion Processes for Mobile Commerce Products and Services and its Potential Implications for Planning Industry Foresight

Mobile commerce (m-commerce)—is the term for the extension of electronic commerce (e commerce) from wired to wireless computers and telecommunications, and from fixed locations to anytime, anywhere and anyone(Keen and Mackintosh, 2001), also defined as all activities related to a (potential) commercial transaction conducted through communications networks that interface with wireless (or mobile) devices(Tarasewich et al 2002, Barnes 2002). M-commerce is gaining more and more attention from both the IS research community and business organisations. This paper will propose a framework for understanding the adoption and diffusion processes for m-commerce products and services from a holistic perspective, and how they can be implemented in field research. We think that the information and knowledge derived from such research could be used by industry when drawing up foresights for m-commerce by producers/suppliers in the mobile commerce industry (MCI). The arguments in this paper are theoretically oriented and try to briefly point out the potential implications of adoption and diffusion studies for making industry foresights. The validity of this framework in practice still depends on empirical studies with adequate adoption and diffusion models. These will be done in the future.