Evaluating e-business models for the UK and Malaysian companies.

Despite the benefits offered by e-business, there is a lack of indication that its functionality is being widely harnessed in practice. Research evidence suggests that the fear of lagging behind in adopting the technology (Internet) has rushed many firms to blindly engage in e-business initiatives without deriving much benefit. In addition, firms are facing technical, managerial, and cultural issues while adopting e-business strategies in business, which has resulted in failing to appreciate its potential benefits. In addition, most of the research on e-business depends heavily on qualitative methods such as case studies and anecdotes suggesting a weak connection between theory and measures. This thesis is inspired by the perceived lack of theory and empirical data to guide and characterise the internet-based initiatives and gauge the scale of their impact on firm performance. It seeks to better understand and utilise the factors that contribute to the success of e-business implementation. Building upon e-business literature, an E-Business Capability (EBC) framework is developed. A questionnaire is designed and data from 143 UK and 208 Malaysian firms is collected to empirically test the model using structural equation modelling (SEM) approach. More specifically, a set of twenty empirical models are tested to ascertain the validity and impact of e-business capability factors (EBC) on business performance. Results from the analyses have revealed that the proposed factors (business strategy, supply chain strategy and e-business adoption) embedded with "technological", "organisational" and "people" (TOP) dimensions, play a significant role in influencing e-business to be implemented successfully in multiple industry sectors. In addition, this study also seeks to add an international dimension to this debate by investigating the influence of EBC factors in the context of developed (UK) and developing (Malaysian) countries.The results of this study show that the proposed conceptual model is able to provide an efficient framework to assess the firm's readiness for Internet adoption in the hope of reaping the e-business benefits. This theoretical framework has included a number of e-business requirements that need to be taken into consideration within the firm. These specific indicators are able to measure the readiness of a firm for emerging e-business. In addition, these indicators also allow managers to identify which of the factors lack strategic implementation when considering e-business adoption. Therefore, managers are able to evaluate the readiness for current and future e-business development within their firms and how they must enhance "technology" "organisation" and "technology" dimensions within each of the EBC factors to improve e-business performance. This study is able to guide researchers in how an empirical study may be conducted based on the theoretical foundations in the e-business implementation domain. For practitioners, this study offers a useful framework to assess the "technological" conditions incorporated into each of the EBC factors to leverage e-business initiatives and pursue better e-business performance.