S-commerce success for SMEs in an emerging economy: a technology-organization-environment-based approach

Md. Alamgir Hossain, Nusrat Jahan, Abdullah Al Masud, Md. Jahid Hasan, Kajal Modak and Fatem Tuz Zohora

RAUSP Management Journal, 2026, vol. 61, 42-59

Abstract: PurposeThis study aims to examine a competency model of social commerce (s-commerce) for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) performance and explores the moderating effect of locus of control on s-commerce success.Design/methodology/approachBased on the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework, the authors collected 414 samples and analyzed them using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe study finds that information and communication technologies, business processing, security and privacy, trust and governmental support each have a significant positive effect on s-commerce success for SMEs. Customer service, organizational culture and support from business partners do not significantly affect s-commerce success. In addition, locus of control strongly moderates the relationships between specific TOE factors – namely, business processing, security, trust and government support – and s-commerce success, either strengthening or weakening these effects depending on the individuals’ locus of control.Research limitations/implicationsThe study records data from a single country and looks at SMEs from a variety of industries, thus caution is required to generalize the findings.Practical implicationsThis study highlights how emerging technologies drive s-commerce success, especially in boosting revenue and sales through advanced generation and materials.Social implicationsThese results highlight the value of s-commerce in the TOE framework for understanding key aspects of SME performance and sustainability.Originality/valueThis study identifies key future research areas for SMEs’ e-commerce, emphasizing digital marketing strategies to guide future research on s-commerce growth.

Keywords: S-commerce; SMEs; Technology-organization-environment framework; Technology adoption; Organizational cultures; Environmental factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:rauspp:rausp-12-2024-0258

DOI: 10.1108/RAUSP-12-2024-0258

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