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Small businesses play an important role in the U.S. economy and there is anecdotal evidence that use of the Web is beneficial to such businesses. There is, however, little systematic analysis of the conditions that lead to successful use of and thereby benefits from the Web for small businesses. Based on the innovation adoption, organizations, and information systems (IS) implementation literature, we identify a set of variables that are related to adoption, use, and benefits of information technology (IT), with particular emphasis on small businesses. These variables are reflective of an organization's contextual characteristics, its IT infrastructure, Web use, and Web benefits. Since the extant research does not suggest a single theoretical model for Web use and benefits in the context of small businesses, we adopt a modeling approach and explore the relationships between "context-IT-use-benefit" (CIUB) through three models-partial-mediator, reduced partial-mediator, and mediator. These models posit that the extent of Web use by small businesses and the associated benefits are driven by organizations' contextual characteristics and their IT infrastructure. They differ in the endogeneity/exogeneity of the extent of IT sophistication, and in the direct/mediated effects of organizational context. We examine whether the relationships between variables identified in the literature * The names are arranged in alphabetical order. All authors have contributed equally in the development of this manuscript. This research was partially supported by a grant from the Center for Study of Western Hemispheric Trade, University of Texas, El Paso. † Corresponding author. 468Multiple Conceptualizations of Small Business Web Use and Benefit hold within the context of these models using two samples of small businesses with national coverage, including various sizes, and representing several industry sectors. The results show that the evidence for patterns of relationships is similar across the two independent samples for two of these models. We highlight the relationships within the reduced partial-mediator and mediator models for which conclusive evidence are given by both samples. Implications for small business managers and providers of Web-based technologies are discussed.

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Using 414 business undergraduates at two universities in the US, a 28-item computer self-e cacy scale is validated and used to examine the relationship between (a) training and computer self-e cacy and (b) user attitudes and computer self-e cacy. Survey responses were collected both at the beginning and end of an introductory computer course. A principal factor analysis of the computer self-e cacy scale supported a conceptually meaningful four-factor solution with high alpha reliabilities. Results suggest that training signi® -cantly improved the computer self-e cacy of males and females in this study for all factors. Training programs seemed more eOE ective for male and female respondents with positive attitudes toward computers. Training programs seemed less eOE ective for respondents with negative attitudes toward computers. Implications of these ® ndings are discussed and research opportunities described.