A DSS framework for maintaining relevant features of the Small Business B2C Websites
📝 Abstract
Managers are heavily engaged in strategic decision-making for businesses, particularly in a changing environment. One of the most important decisions for online small businesses, as part of their strategic planning, is selecting relevant features on their websites, both to attract and interact with consumers. However, only a few Australian small businesses use strategic tools for selecting their website features. As a result, businesses lose potential domestic sales in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between factors that influence consumers’ online purchasing, and owner/manager strategic decisions in selecting relevant features for websites. Results from employing qualitative case studies with small business owner/managers, and a content analysis of website features, inform the design of a Decision Support Systems (DSS) framework. This may assist owner/managers’ strategic decisions to implement competitive features on B2C websites that ultimately attract more consumers.
💡 Analysis
Managers are heavily engaged in strategic decision-making for businesses, particularly in a changing environment. One of the most important decisions for online small businesses, as part of their strategic planning, is selecting relevant features on their websites, both to attract and interact with consumers. However, only a few Australian small businesses use strategic tools for selecting their website features. As a result, businesses lose potential domestic sales in the business-to-consumer (B2C) sector. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between factors that influence consumers’ online purchasing, and owner/manager strategic decisions in selecting relevant features for websites. Results from employing qualitative case studies with small business owner/managers, and a content analysis of website features, inform the design of a Decision Support Systems (DSS) framework. This may assist owner/managers’ strategic decisions to implement competitive features on B2C websites that ultimately attract more consumers.
📄 Content
Australasian Conference on Information Systems
Khatun & Miah 2015, Adelaide, Australia
A DSS framework for maintaining relevant features
1 A DSS framework for maintaining relevant features of Small Business B2C Websites
Madhury Khatun
College of Business
Victoria University
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
Email: madhury.khatun@live.vu.edu.au
Shah Jahan Miah
College of Business
Victoria University
Melbourne, Victoria
Australia
Email: shah.miah@vu.edu.au
Abstract
Managers are heavily engaged in strategic decision-making for businesses, particularly in a changing
environment. One of the most important decisions for online small businesses, as part of their
strategic planning, is selecting relevant features on their websites, both to attract and interact with
consumers. However, only a few Australian small businesses use strategic tools for selecting their
website features. As a result, businesses lose potential domestic sales in the business-to-consumer
(B2C) sector. The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between factors that influence
consumers’ online purchasing, and owner/manager strategic decisions in selecting relevant features
for websites. Results from employing qualitative case studies with small business owner/managers,
and a content analysis of website features, inform the design of a Decision Support Systems (DSS)
framework. This may assist owner/managers’ strategic decisions to implement competitive features on
B2C websites that ultimately attract more consumers.
Keywords
Decision Support Systems, B2C e-commerce, small business, strategic decisions, website features
- INTRODUCTION
Managerial characteristics are heavily engaged in strategic decision-making, to address changing
demands in the business environment (Baizyldayeva et al. 2013; Eisenhardt 1989; Miah et al. 2014).
Managers as decision-makers analyse problems and create opportunities within the business
environment (Hall 2008). IT (information technology) artefact design research for managerial
decision-support solutions is therefore acknowledged to improve business strategies (Hevner et al.
2004; Miah et al. 2014). Business strategy has become an important area to continuously meet the demand of the change in external environment and organisations address such needs internally for maintaining their business performance (St-Jean et al. 2008). Bergeron et al. (2004) found that small business strategies without IT alignment provide a lower level of business performance. It is certain because, in most of the cases, small business owner/managers are poor planners and their goals are unclear, inadequately defined and short-ranged rational (Mazzarol 2004). Only a few small-businesses use IT artefact as strategic decision support tools for improving business decision making (Duan and Xu 2005; Sexton and Van Auken 1985).
In the online small-business environment, millions of consumers interact directly with companies on the Web and evaluate products and services on many websites until choose one sites (Haag and Cummings 2009). Therefore, an effective support of strategic decision is of paramount importance for small-businesses to addressing the changing environment and attracting consumers. However, in Australia, many consumers purchase from overseas websites that creates the potential loss of online sales of small businesses in the business –to- consumer (B2C) sector. What are the factors that bring consumers in overseas websites? What issues exist in Australian websites and what could be a solution to attract consumers? The objectives of our study are to find answers to the questions and provide a potential research solution through designing an IT artefact for this growing need. To achieve such objectives, it is important to analyse the internal and external business environmental factors for business decision-making (Mintzberg et al. 1976). These factors, in particular the external business Australasian Conference on Information Systems
Khatun & Miah 2015, Adelaide, Australia
A DSS framework for maintaining relevant features
2
environmental factors, such as customer demands, general economic condition, regulations, new
technology and competitions, are critical to maintain satisfactory business performance (Beynon-
Davies 2013; Pedersen and Sudzina 2012). It is a critical aspect for small businesses to address the
external business environment as they have the limited support and capability.
Although many owner/managers of online small businesses have developed business strategies, they
are irrelevant in most cases, and limited in their web presence (Fisher et al. 2007). The lack of strategy
relates particularly to the setting-up features on their websites (Fisher et al. 2007). Small businesses
often find it difficult to implement technologies due to resource constraints (Raymond 1985).
Typically, owner/managers are n
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