Adoption of E-Business by Small and Medium Enterprises in Kenya: Barriers and Facilitators

Abstract

The study looks into the internet-based electronic business adoption profile of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as the factors affecting their willingness to adopt ebusiness usage. The study adopted a literature review methodology where a wide spectrum of literature was interrogated. This methodology has its limitation in that there is need to empirically validate the findings through studies in different geographical regions and economic sectors. It is noted that e-business adoption is significantly influenced by its perceived benefits. The benefits are majorly financial. However, based on the literature reviewed, the main barriers to e-business adoption appear to be the unwillingness of managers to be responsible for technological change. Ignorance surrounding the technology is fuelling concerns about security, costs, legislation and interoperability. This paper is presented in the following order: introduction, problem statement, literature review, theoretical framework, methodology, findings, conclusion and recommendations.