Mobile commerce adoption among the bottom of the pyramid: a case of street vendors in Thailand

Abstract

Purpose This study aims to investigate the applicability of technology acceptance model in explaining technology adoption among street vendors in Thailand as a representation of emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach A pen-and-pencil survey was administered to 370 street vendors in Bangkok; 356 usable surveys were analyzed for a completed rate of 96.2 per cent. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data. Findings This study contributes to the existing technology acceptance literature as follows: First, the predictive power of the technology acceptance model is strong and holds true for street vendors. Second, it revealed that the relationship of entrepreneurial orientation and technology adoption is completely connected through the decision-making process (i.e. trust and system characteristics, otherwise known as usefulness and ease of use). Finally, the degree of product differentiation strengthens the positive relationship between perceived usefulness and the intention to use mobile commerce. Originality/value This study advances the previous research on e-commerce adoption in settings outside the formal sector. More specifically, this study developed and validated the extended technology acceptance model in the smallest-scale of entrepreneurs, street vendors, to increase the understanding of the adoption of m-commerce.

Acceptance of mobile commerce in low-income consumers: evidence from an emerging economy

“…The second-best predictor of intent to use m-commerce was perceived trust. This confirmed that trust is a critical component of economic transactions in online environments ( Ashraf et al., 2014 ; Flavián and Guinalíu, 2006 ; Gefen et al., 2003 ; Gefen and Straub, 2004 ; Hansen et al., 2018 ; Nguyen and Huynh, 2018 ; Nor and Pearson, 2007 ; Pavlou, 2003 ; Sing and Matsui, 2017 ; Tan and Sutherland, 2004 ), and is positively related to the adoption of e-payment, m-payment and m-banking by consumers in Vietnam, Thailand, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom ( Nguyen and Huynh, 2018 ; Pipitwanichakarn and Wongtada, 2018 ; Shaikh and Karjaluoto, 2015 ; Shin, 2009 ; Slade et al., 2013 ). In fact, the first online purchase study of the Electronic Commerce Observatory of Ecuador suggested that more than 70% of Ecuadorians interviewed named trust as the main reasons for not making online purchases, and 44.9% declared that they did not buy in national portals for reasons related to lack security and support during the purchase process.…”

“…The dynamics of emerging markets do not have to parallel the assumptions made by theories derived from developed markets, industrialized countries (Burgess and Steenkamp, 2006), or in countries in which technology adoption is the maturity stage already (Pipitwanichakarn and Wongtada, 2018). It is necessary to strengthen the technology adoption theoretical body that will explain what drives the use of technology in the BOP segment and develop accurate and reliable ICT acceptance behavioral models (Zaremohzzabieh et al, 2016) in order to guide organizations in the development of successful, profitable and sustainable initiatives supported by technology.…”

“…Perceived trust proved to be positively related to the intention to use m-commerce ( Pipitwanichakarn and Wongtada, 2018 ), to adopt e-payment and m-payment ( Nguyen and Huynh, 2018 ; Shin, 2009 ), to use e-banking ( Sánchez-Torres et al., 2018 ; Zhang et al., 2018 ), to adopt m-banking ( Shaikh and Karjaluoto, 2015 ), to the intention to use e-commerce ( Ashraf et al., 2014 ; Gefen et al., 2003 ; Gefen and Straub, 2004 ; Sing and Matsui, 2017 ; Tavera and Londoño, 2014 ) and to use a new technology service ( Lee and Song, 2013 ). On the other hand, Oh and Yoon (2014) observed that perceived trust was the second predictor of the intention to use online information services.…”

Critical determinants for mobile commerce adoption in Vietnamese small and medium-sized enterprises

“…The study confirms that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, IT trust, level of e-commerce adoption, security, and IT infrastructure significantly impact the adoption of m-commerce. Pipitwanichakarn and Wongtada (2019) extend TAM for investigating organizational m-commerce adoption in Thailand. The study indicates that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, trust, and entrepreneurial orientation are the critical determinants for the adoption of m-commerce.…”

Using Smartphone in Batik and Traditional Textile: Intention Measurement and TAM Approach

“…At a glance, the growth of mobile businesses appears promising (Pipitwanichakarn and Wongtada, 2019;Park et.al., 2019;Choe, 2018;eMarketer, 2017). Along with the development of mobile internet services, more and more consumers are adopting smartphones as their main communication device.…”