Social commerce adoption using TOE framework: An empirical investigation of Saudi Arabian SMEs

Social commerce is becoming an important hub for product sourcing, which helps companies to connect with customers and to gain competitive advantages. However, very little empirical research that focuses on small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) has been conducted to date. This study examines factors that affect social commerce adoption by SMEs. Using the Technology-Organisation-Environment (TOE) as the theoretical framework, the researchers tested the model and related hypotheses, employing structural equation modelling. The results from a survey of 181 SMEs in Saudi Arabia indicate that trading partner pressure in the environmental context, followed by top management support in the organisational context, and perceived usefulness in the technological context, have the most significant influence on behavioural intention to use social commerce. The research contributions and conclusion as well as limitations and future research directions are presented.