Social Commerce Adoption Using Technology and Trust Factors: An Empirical Investigation of SMEs

Abstract

Social commerce has become an important platform for business owners and managers as it assists organisations to connect with customers and gain competitive advantages. Nevertheless, there are not many empirical studies that have focused on small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in developing nations. Hence, the aim of this study is to investigate the effects of technological and trust factors on the adoption of social commerce by SMEs in Malaysia. This study tested the model and related hypotheses by using structural equation modelling. The results obtained from a survey conducted on 232 SMEs in Malaysia revealed that technological factors (Perceived Usefulness, Service Quality Compatibility), followed by trust factors (Reliability, Social Influence, Attitude), have the most significant effect on behavioural intention to use social commerce. The conclusion and contribution of this study as well as limitations and future research directions, are also presented.