Factors Affecting the Acceptance of Internet and E-Business Technologies in Atlantic Canada's SMEs: A Structural Equation Model

This study examines the impacts of relevant factors on the acceptance of internet and e-business technologies in Atlantic Canada’s SMEs (smalland medium-sized enterprises). A research framework was developed and nine hypotheses formulated to test the relationships. A survey was conducted and a total of 162 valid responses were obtained from business owners, managers, etc. Support was found for five out of the nine hypotheses formulated. The key findings are as follows: The sampled SME’s organizational readiness is positively related to their intent to use Internet/business technologies (dependant variable); the two constructs of the technology acceptance model (TAM) were found to be important mediators in the relationship between the management support construct and the dependant variable. Further, no evidence was found to suggest that management support positively influences the intent to use Internet/business technologies among Atlantic Canada’s SMEs. The implications of the study’s findings for policy making and research were discussed.