Investigating the maturity level of e-commerce in small and medium companies in Tehran province

Dissertation or treatise to receive a master's degree in information technology management

Trend of advanced information systems

Abstract [1] Farsi

E-commerce as one of the most important aspects of innovation in business processes has been used by many organizations and companies worldwide. Small and medium-sized companies, as the major part of the economy of any country, play a fundamental role in improving and upgrading economic indicators, and for this reason, adopting innovative and new methods and tools for conducting business processes and affairs such as e-commerce will play an important role in the success of such organizations. The main issue in this research is to examine the maturity level of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies. Considering that it has not been long since the Internet entered the business of small Iranian industries, and each of these industries is in different stages of e-commerce development. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to examine the maturity of e-commerce in each of these companies and, as a result, suggest factors that improve the level of e-commerce.                                                                                       

Key words: maturity, e-commerce, small and medium-sized companies

[1] Abstract

Introduction

Information technology[1] has changed the way of doing things and by bringing "electronic commerce[2]" has caused a fundamental evolution in the exchange of business information and required products and services. E-commerce is one of the most important topics today that has attracted the attention of researchers. Electronic commerce creates unique opportunities for developing countries to compete in the global economy. The ever-increasing growth of technology, especially information technology in the world, has reduced the barriers and problems of time and space related to business affairs, and public access to the Internet has made it possible to trade and do business through the Internet, or in other words, electronic trade and electronic business have a special place in developed countries. In recent years, developed countries have gradually abandoned traditional paper-based business and physical exchange of documents, and have turned to electronic business. Due to the fact that small and medium-sized companies play a significant role in the economy of countries, in recent years, researchers have accepted e-commerce by these industries. The integration of e-commerce in the business activities of small and medium-sized companies causes a change in the way of doing business and adopting new technologies, and thus small and medium-sized companies can grow and this can help reduce the existing gap between developing and developed countries. On the other hand, the adoption of e-commerce may put small and medium-sized companies in a better competitive position to compete in the global markets that they are facing today. The use of e-commerce is influenced by factors that have positive or negative effects on e-commerce. Organizations that do not use this new tool become strategically vulnerable. They are one of the types of organizations, companies or small industries [3] that play a major role in the economy of countries. In using e-commerce, large companies usually face less financial and infrastructural obstacles, while medium and small companies generally have limited resources and especially financial resources to use this tool (Grandon [4], 2007 p. 216).

Trade Electronic not only for big businesses, also in this economic period of time can have a positive effect on economic growth, social structure, employment, as well as regional and local development of small companies and make them an important part of the economy. Moving towards globalization and rapid technological changes, the Internet and electronic commerce can create new opportunities for small and medium-sized companies (Skopela [5], 2006). The use of electronic marketing by companies, both small and large, has created many advantages, and these advantages have strengthened the motivation of small companies to this phenomenon.Any organization that does not pay the necessary attention to e-commerce will face a decrease in profitability in the short term and the possibility of losing its life in the long term. For this reason, planning to identify the maturity level of e-commerce is one of the strategic measures of organizations (Azizi, 2014). Know how to use e-commerce. Applying the maturity model in e-commerce also provides the opportunity to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of e-commerce, so that the specific indicators of that stage can be defined according to the stage of electronic evolution. For example, a company that is in the initial stage of using e-mail should not expect internet sales. In the e-commerce maturity model, there is a belief that the use of e-commerce can be done in stages. Companies cannot reach its high levels from the very beginning of using e-commerce, but must start the establishment process from the initial stage of development of this phenomenon through evolutionary stages.

E-commerce is not an absolute concept that has a state of zero and one and black and white, but it is a fuzzy concept and can accept a value between zero and one. The concept of fuzziness in e-commerce means that e-commerce can be considered as a spectrum. In the e-commerce literature, sending e-newsletters to customers, receiving information from them, e-payment, using e-mail, etc. are all examples of e-commerce. Based on the fuzzy philosophy, more detailed planning can be done for the development of e-commerce. By using the e-commerce maturity model, companies can participate in e-commerce according to their level of e-readiness. Applying the maturity model in e-commerce also provides the opportunity to evaluate and measure the effectiveness of e-commerce, so that the indicators of that stage can be defined in accordance with the stage of e-development. In the e-maturity stage, there is a belief that the application of e-commerce can be done through stages in an evolutionary way. Companies cannot reach high levels of e-commerce from the very beginning, but must start from the initial stage of development of this establishment process through evolutionary stages (Farokhzad et al. 2014).

1-4- Research objectives

Measuring the maturity level of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies in Tehran province.

Designing a conceptual model of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies in Tehran province.

Improving e-commerce maturity in small and medium companies in Tehran province.

1-5- Research questions

Research questions:

What are the main components of organizational maturity of e-commerce in small and medium companies?    

What is the conceptual model of e-commerce maturity in small and medium companies? 

What is the status of the main components of e-commerce in small and medium companies? 

Because it is based on the collection and analysis of secondary information from the subject literature, and based on the primary information of experts (experts and trustees). Therefore, the result of this research process was to discover the maturity level of e-commerce in small and medium-sized companies in Tehran province. We want to obtain information about the state of maturity of e-commerce in small companies. The statistical sample is made by the available sampling method, from experts and knowledgeable people.

1-8- Structure of the research:

The first chapter of the research deals with the introduction of the problem and the necessity of the research. In this chapter, we try to clarify the importance of the problem for the readers and specify the basic questions that must be answered. let's pay The third chapter is dedicated to the research method and methodology. The fourth chapter deals with the collection and analysis of findings, and the fifth chapter is dedicated to conclusions and suggestions.