عوامل موثر بر استفاده از خرید اینترنتی در سازمان های کوچک

Many companies have jumped on the Internet bandwagon in an attempt to get rich quick in today’s marketplace. While there have been numerous success stories, the amount of reported failures has been extremely high. In spite of all the recent failures, a select few organizations have been able to use e-commerce as a means to increase the overall profitability of their firm. An often-overlooked factor in website effectiveness and development is the effect of individual user differences on the acceptance of the new technology. This exploratory study examines how individual user views and preferences affect the use of the Internet as a purchasing medium.

Recent reports indicate annual on-line consumer sales have increased 40% in the past year (Moore, 2002). Despite this growth in online retailing, many companies continue to struggle with the development of effective Internet-based systems. Even with the proper supporting infrastructure, many established businesses have struggled with their expansion into the on-line arena. These organizations have discovered that their sales fall far short of what they had originally expected. For many, the goal was to dramatically increase sales and profitability. Unfortunately, many have discovered that such ambitious goals represent a brass ring that is difficult to reach. What causes some of these businesses to succeed and others to fail? There are many underlying reasons why so many businesses fail when competing in the on-line arena. Failing to pay attention to customer desires and required supporting infrastructure are two common lapses. Specifically, most companies do not comprehend the driving factors that sway their customers to use the Internet as a purchasing tool. This can lead to poor performance when customer concerns are neglected. A recent study reports that 28% of all attempted purchases failed and four out of five ordering on-line have experienced at least one failure (Boston Consulting Group, 2000).

Table 5 presents the results of the cluster analysis performed on the four individual preferences listed in Fig. 1. Each of the groups presented in the six-cluster model represents a viewpoint regarding the adoption of Internet purchasing. One-way ANOVA results for each of the four clustering variables were significant at the P<0.01 level. Based on a Scheffe’s pairwise comparison, all of the clusters varied from at least one of the other groups. Together, these results give support to our initial research question, which states that individuals who use Internet purchasing can be grouped based on end users’ viewpoints and preferences regarding the Internet. Approximately 14.1% of the individuals were classified into cluster 1 (Ambivalent Users). These appear to be the individuals who are indifferent towards using the Internet. They are neither overly in favor of the Internet for purchasing or are strictly opposed to using the Internet. Approximately 26.7% of the individuals were classified into cluster 2 (Technology Acceptors). These are the individuals who find using the Internet to be easy and are very comfortable with using technology. However, in general they find the Internet only somewhat useful (PERCEIVED USEFULNESS has only the 4th highest ranking) when it comes to ordering goods and supplies. They accept using the technology, but perhaps do not find it to be the most useful purchasing medium.