Issues Influencing Electronic Commerce Activities of SMEs: A Study of the Turkish Automotive Supplier Industry

This study aims to investigate the issues of electronic commerce activities in small and medium sized enterprises as a consequence of organizational change initiated by the adoption of information technologies. The fundamental issues influencing electronic commerce practices of SMEs are their insufficiency of cognitive learning and organizational strategy, financial and distribution problems specific to SMEs, limitations of supply chain management, reluctance of organizational culture for electronic change, problems of information technologies usage, insufficiency of human resource, resistance of top management to organizational change as required by the adoption of information technologies, integration problems of new technologies with the existing systems, lack of confidence on the side of customers towards electronic commerce. A study of the Turkish Automotive Supplier Industry has revealed that electronic commerce has been adopted and its benefits are accepted. However, the industry has to overcome some technical and managerial difficulties to implement it more efficiently and effectively.