Paper Title
The Antecedents of E-Markets Use by SMEs in Vietnam: A Preliminary Study
Abstract
E-markets are becoming an important channel for enterprises, including small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), to conduct their business, especially in the context of developing countries like Vietnam. However, research on the post-adoption stage of e-market adopting by SMEs in developing countries is scant. This study therefore investigates the antecedents of the use of e-markets in the post-adoption stage of SMEs. Through a comprehensive and systematic literature review, this paper first presents a conceptual framework of factors affecting the use of e-markets in the context of SMEs, which is then validated with data collected from SMEs in Vietnam through a survey with members of the Vietnam Association of Small and Medium. After data cleaning, 284 valid responses were used for data analysis. The data analysis from the Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) shows that one factor, top management support, was removed from the model. Additionally, external pressure split into two distinct factors: competitors' pressure and stakeholder pressure. The EFA results confirm the constructs' discriminant validity. The Cronbach’s alpha and composite reliability values of the refined variables strongly support their reliability. Furthermore, the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) values confirm the constructs' convergent validity. This study contributes to the identification of antecedents for the extent of e-market use by SMEs in Vietnam. It provides a conceptual framework for studying the antecedents of the extent of e-market use by SMEs in both Vietnam and other developing countries.
Keywords - E-markets, Small and Medium Enterprise, E-Market Post-Adoption, Developing Countries.