Paper Title
E-Commerce Adoption Among Malaysian Franchisees

Abstract
This paper presents some findings from a study researching the diffusion and adoption of e-commerce among businesses, particularly the franchise companies. It examines the perception of e-commerce adoption by the owner/manager of Malaysian franchisee companies. Research model for this study was drawn on the literature on information and communication technology, information system, and electronic data interchange. By combining two independent research streams, we examined the determinant factors of strategic value and adoption of electronic commerce as perceived by owners/managers in Malaysian Franchise Association (MFA) companies.A survey was conducted with 22 franchisees in Malaysia. In addition to the survey, face-to-face interviews were carried-out with eight of the owners/managers regarding e-commerce. In general, MFA companies have not responded activelyto the global growth of e-commerce. Part of the reason is they are waiting for their franchisor to open-up to them in term of online retailing. However, they believe e-commerce, particularly having a company website is necessary to improve their company image, communications, information flow and contact with stakeholders.The main findings of the current analysis include a list of key factors that affect franchisees� decision to adopt e-commerce, and some indications of the relative strengths of the various relationships. Keywords- ICTs, e-Commerce, Franchise, Innovation, Diffusion.