SMEs’ online channel expansion: value creating activities

John Jeansson (), Shahrokh Nikou (), Siw Lundqvist (), Leif Marcusson (), Anna Sell () and Pirkko Walden ()
Additional contact information
John Jeansson: Linnaeus University
Shahrokh Nikou: Åbo Akademi University
Siw Lundqvist: Linnaeus University
Leif Marcusson: Linnaeus University
Anna Sell: Åbo Akademi University
Pirkko Walden: Åbo Akademi University

Electronic Markets, 2017, vol. 27, issue 1, No 6, 49-66

Abstract: Abstract SMEs are faced with new business opportunities through online channels, i.e., electronic commerce and mobile commerce. The model by which they create and capture value is challenged, making the adoption of a business model that fits the organisation a crucial strategic decision. The purpose of this paper is to study value creating activities taken by SMEs when making a transition to an online multichannel context. Sixteen SMEs in Sweden are studied using a qualitative research approach and through the lens of an e-transit business model configuration. The results show that SMEs are required to take various value creating activities denoted as primary and secondary transition activities and that there is a discrepancy between actions taken and their perceived degree of importance. One main conclusion is that the combination of value creating activities an SME should focus on during different stages of an online channel expansion differ depending on the type of transition (e.g., from physical store to electronic commerce or from electronic commerce to mobile commerce) and will change over time.

Keywords: Business model; Channel expansion; Online transition; Value activities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12525-016-0234-1 Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:elmark:v:27:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1007_s12525-016-0234-1

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... ystems/journal/12525

DOI: 10.1007/s12525-016-0234-1

Access Statistics for this article

Electronic Markets is currently edited by Rainer Alt and Hans-Dieter Zimmermann

More articles in Electronic Markets from Springer, IIM University of St. Gallen
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().