| African and Hispanic American businesses lag behind in the utilization of electronic commerce. As the global market expands, electronic commerce utilization will be important to the survival of these businesses. This research sought to identify the factors that motivate, as well as, the obstacles that hinder the adoption and utilization of electronic commerce among African-American and Hispanic-American certified minority business enterprises (CMBEs) in the state of Florida. Rogers (2003) innovation characteristics were used to measure the perceptions of electronic commerce. The conceptual model used in this study consisted of several independent variables: the characteristics of the owner; characteristics of the business; the owner's exposure to electronic commerce; and the owner's utilization of electronic commerce which were shown to have some influence in the use of electronic commerce. The level of electronic commerce utilization was thought to be dependent on the independent variables. Theories of adult learning were also used to further identify factors that may motivate and/or hinder the learning and skills that are a prerequisite for electronic commerce adoption and develop learning strategies to promote the adoption and utilization of electronic commerce. Two research strategies were used: (1) a quantitative analysis of survey data, and (2) a qualitative analysis with interview data. Findings from the surveys and interviews identified the business environment, capital to implement and the lack of technical knowledge as major factors influencing the use of electronic commerce. |
