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Interviews, questionnaires and focus groups were conducted to determine the training needs of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in relation to the Internet, e‐commerce and electronic data interchange (EDI) in the UK, Poland, Slovak Republic, Germany and Portugal. The main findings indicated that there is a lack of skills and knowledge regarding use and implementation of these information and communication technologies (ICTs), and managers require training in both the business and technical issues associated with these ICTs. As a result of these studies, a Web‐based intelligent training system (WITS) has been developed. The aim of the system is to provide awareness in how to implement the Internet, e‐commerce and EDI into business processes. The WITS system aims to address the needs of SMEs by providing computer‐assisted instruction on the main elements identified for e‐commerce success. This paper describes the rationale for the structure of the WITS system, the means by which the content was classified into modules in the training system, the level of information provided, and the type of interface guidelines used to improve usability of the system.

Use of the Internet continues to grow at an explosive rate. While entertainment, education and communication serve as important applications of the Internet, e‐commerce continues to emerge as an increasingly significant business phenomenon. However, little empirical research exists to identify factors that influence the extent to which individuals use the Internet and e‐commerce. With the aid of survey research and a neural network, this study analyzes a wide range of variables in an attempt to identify accurate predictors of this usage. The results of the analysis identify gender, overall computer usage, job‐related use, and home access as important characteristics that should influence use of the Internet and e‐commerce.

This paper aims to trace the history, application areas and users of Classical Analytics and Big Data Analytics.

The paper discusses different types of Classical and Big Data Analytical techniques and application areas from the early days to present day.

Businesses can benefit from a deeper understanding of Classical and Big Data Analytics to make better and more informed decisions.

This is a historical perspective from the early days of analytics to present day use of analytics.

Many older people are discovering the Internet, and some are also making good use of electronic commerce and all that goes with it. Others, however, are not adopting these technologies. This paper questions why some older people adopt Internet technologies while others do not, and offers a research framework, based on actor‐network theory, for investigating adoption of Internet technologies by older people. In this paper, innovation translation is used to illustrate how specific cases of adoption have occurred. Innovation translation presents a different view of innovation than the better‐known theory of innovation diffusion, but one that the authors argue is better suited for research in socio‐technical situations like this.

This study aims at contributing to the discussion related to what causes Canadian small and medium‐size enterprises (SMEs) to be reticent about accepting internet and e‐business technologies (IEBT) in their operations. The research also seeks to gain an understanding of the relative importance of each of the selected factors in the research setting.

A survey was conducted in the Atlantic region of Canada. Questionnaires were mailed to key SMEs' informants. Data analysis was performed using the partial least squares (PLS) approach. A research framework based on the technology‐organization‐environment (TOE) frameworks was used to guide the research effort. Such contingent factors as perceived benefits, management commitment/support, organizational IT competence, external pressure, information systems (IS) vendor support, and availability of financial support, were used to develop relevant hypotheses.

The study's findings indicated that perceived benefits, management commitment/support, and external pressure are significant predictors of IEBT acceptance in the sampled SMEs; the results did not show that organizational IT competence, IS vendor support, and availability of financial support positively influence IEBT acceptance in the sampled SMEs.

Policy makers, industry leaders, and small business operators wishing to understand some of the reasons why certain SMEs in the country lag in the adoption of IEBT and related technologies can benefit from the information provided in this study. The study also alerted the attention of local IS vendors and financial institutions to what can be done to strengthen IS adoption in Canadian small businesses.

A handful of previous research in Canada has researched IEBT adoption; however, some of these studies are dated. A such, this current investigation of IEBT acceptance in a less endowed part of the country is timely and welcoming; it also serves to complement other prior studies in the country and elsewhere. A scan of the extant literature indicates that no previous study in the country has modeled some of the factors (e.g. the availability of financial support) as were used herein. The inclusion of such a factor enriches insight in this area of study.

The purpose of this study is to investigate e-commerce as a new means to ensure that the urban demand for food can be met during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Because a number of COVID-19 e-commerce models have emerged, this paper discusses whether and (if so) why and how e-commerce can ensure the food supply for urban residents if social distancing becomes a norm and the transport and logistics systems are hindered.

This study used qualitative research methods following the lack of empirical data. The authors referred to relevant literature, statistical data and official reports and comprehensively described the importance of e-commerce in ensuring the safety of food supply to Chinese urban residents under the impact of the epidemic. Corresponding to the traditional case study, this study presented a Chinese case on ensuring food supply through e-commerce during an epidemic.

The authors found that three e-commerce models played a substantial role in preventing the spread of the epidemic and ensuring the food supply for urban residents. The nationwide e-commerce platforms under market leadership played their roles by relying on the sound infrastructure of large cities and its logistics system was vulnerable to the epidemic. In the worst-affected areas, particularly in closed and isolated communities, the local e-commerce model was the primary model, supplemented by the unofficial e-commerce model based on social relations. Through online booking, centralized procurement and community distribution, the risk of cross infection could be effectively reduced and the food demand could be effectively satisfied. The theoretical explanation further verifies that, apart from e-commerce, a governance system that integrates the government, e-commerce platform, community streets and the unofficial guanxi also impels the success of these models.

Lessons from China are drawn for other countries struggling to deliver food to those in need under COVID-19. The study not only provides a solution that will ensure constant food supply to urban residents under the COVID-19 epidemic but also provides some reference for the maintenance of the food system of urban residents under the impact of a globalization-related crisis in future.

The confinement resulting from the current COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all human activities. With technology, many of these activities such as business processes are being transformed. As such it is important to understand how these transformations are taking place and how to address the new challenges with equally innovative strategies.

The purpose of this chapter is to analyse and explain the influence of e-commerce as an independent variable, in consumption habits, and as a dependent variable, in times of COVID-19, for consumers in Durango Mexico. To do so, a quantitative methodology was adopted, in which each of the variables is diagnosed, followed by ANOVA and regression tests to determine the proposed relationship.

The findings show that e-commerce does have an impact on consumer buying habits in the city of Durango, that the ‘surf the internet’ dimension is the one that occurs most frequently and that price is the factor most highly valued by consumers.

This paper aims to evaluate the level of awareness and current usage rates of business‐to‐consumer (B2C) e‐commerce in Bahrain.

A literature review was conducted along with a questionnaire. The questionnaire was distributed in different universities across Bahrain. This paper discusses the global growth of e‐commerce and then narrows it down specifically to Bahrain. After discussing the benefits of e‐commerce, it introduces the technical and non‐technical limitations and analyzes the questionnaire on the non‐technical limitations in Bahrain.

The number of Bahraini residents who participated in e‐commerce was very low, mainly due to the feeling of insecurity when it comes to the level of regulations over the internet and privacy issues when it comes to providing personal information online.

The focus of this paper is to discuss e‐commerce from a consumer's point of view. Only the non‐technical limitations in B2C e‐commerce are broached and studied. The technical limitations and business aspects of e‐commerce are not discussed. Moreover, only a selected age group sample was chosen for the initial research.

The paper provides useful information for businesses considering establishing a B2C environment in Bahrain, allowing them to identify what factors they may have to overcome in order to be successful.

This paper will help in identifying key behavioral issues that are deterring performance of doing online purchasing and transactions. The survey results can help ease the acceptance of e‐commerce in Bahrain.

This study empirically examines the role of the Internet in global business‐to‐business (B2B) marketing strategies of Multinational Corporations (MNCs) based in the United States and Australia. The results demonstrate that uses of the Internet in a global B2B setting often parallel its domestic uses but that variables that facilitate or inhibit its implementation for global operations are somewhat different in global markets. The findings suggest that MNCs in the two countries are using the Internet in their global B2B operations predominantly for business enhancement purposes as compared to revenue enhancement. Results also show that for global B2B operations, the Internet is viewed by MNCs as a tool to enhance competitive intelligence, streamline operations, and enhance the marketing processes. It is also deemed essential for a firm’s long‐term competitive stance by large as well as small and medium‐sized MNCs.

To determine the status of internet and e‐commerce adoption by the Taiwan semiconductor industry, the research is designed to help government and enterprise in formulating strategic plans and making resource allocation decisions.

Using the three‐level model of internet commerce adoption (MICA), a survey of 287 companies and web sites was designed. Semiconductor firms were placed into five categories: integrated circuit (IC) design, manufacturing, packaging, IC testing, and peripheral device manufacturing.

The MICA model shows the internet adoption ratio for semiconductor firms as 82.6 percent, significantly higher than the electronics and electrical machinery industry sector (56.5 percent). The IC manufacturing and packaging segment are in the processing stage, the final stage of development for the MICA model. One‐third of the IC testing industry segment falls into the provision stage, and 36.1 percent web sites are in the processing stage. The IC design and peripherals industrial segments are located in the provision stage.

The IC manufacturing segment is conducting more financial transactions than the other segments – a result that matches earlier research showing that larger companies are most likely to implement e‐business applications. Many enterprises in the industry are lagging with the adoption of the internet indicating a need for education and training.

This benchmark study provides a framework for evaluating the internet adoption status of semiconductor and other high technology firms. The MICA model is demonstrated to be suitable for evaluating the different stages of internet adoption.