E-business Diffusion Model: Empirical Investigation of Web Functionality and Partnership Quality

Abstract

Using resource-based view and social exchange as theoretical foundations, this study attempts to examine: whether firms that are capable of providing more web functionalities are more likely to facilitate e-business diffusion, and whether firms with stronger partnership quality result in more mature e-business diffusion stages. Based on a survey of 170 IS managers from large organizations in Taiwan, this study uses one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and Tukey's studentized range testing to investigate the research hypotheses. The empirical results show that different e-business diffusion stages (including initiation, implementation, and assimilation stages) can clearly be distinguished across web functionality (information, transaction, customization, and back-end integration) and partnership quality (partner interdependent, coordination, trust, and commitment). Based on the research findings, implications and limitations are then discussed for future possible research.