INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW

The search for a more suitable and effective way to be a step ahead in the business world has necessitated various organisations to make efforts to adopt e-commerce. This has served has an increase advantage to be above competition and at the same time reduce cost and increase profit (Hong and Zhu, 2006). The e-commerce environment has not only opened a new market channel for organisations to help promote and sell their products but also create an avenue to interact with their customers including a better customer support. Although organisations are able to recognise the unlimited advantage this form of business has introduced, many have faced different obstacles in adopting and implementing e-commerce. This has made it necessary for organisations willing to adopt e-commerce especially in developing counties to determine the right conditions to adopt e-commerce and to understand the necessary factors needed for the process.

The success or failure of e-commerce adoption in an organisation is fundamentally inclined to the organisation e-readiness (Molla and Linker, 2005a). That is the degree or extent the organisation is able to adopt electronic services (e-commerce). There are various advancing literature and research on e-commerce adoption and implementation, most are focused on either adopting a specific technology such has a specific e-commerce application while others are focused on the factors affecting the organisation externally such has the environmental constraints, government policy etc. (Ruikar et al,2006). This research is mainly focused on the key organisational components such as critical factors required within an organisation for successful ecommerce adoption and implementation.

This field is very different compared to the traditional ways of conducting business. This makes it crucial and important for managers to plan e-commerce adoption and implementation properly (Daniel and Grimshaw, 2002). And a step towards achieving this is by making an e-readiness assessment of the organisation. The assessment is used to evaluate the business to develop a strategy for e-commerce adoption.

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