Yah Ping, Ki (2024) An Integrated Business Readiness Framework of E-Marketplace Retailers in Malaysia: Extended Theory of Planned Behaviour. Doctoral thesis, University of Wales Trinity Saint David.
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Abstract
The global pandemic happening in year 2020 has cause enormous changes to the world. Unemployment soared and many opt to start a small business via e-marketplaces, owing to the low barrier to entry. This phenomenon can be seen in Malaysia with an enormous surge of sellers onboarding Shopee and Lazada, the two leading e-marketplaces in Malaysia. Business of e-marketplace retailers grow exponentially during the pandemic; however, this growing trend did not last. With the loosening of movement control order, sales of e-marketplace retailers declined and many businesses, mainly micro and small businesses, were left with no choice but to exit the business. These businesses are not ready to face the volatility of market changes. The non-sustainability of e-marketplace retailers can cause the growth instability of e-marketplaces in Malaysia, thus hamper the digital entrepreneurial initiatives of the country. The study aims to develop an integrated business readiness framework for MSME e-marketplace retailers to assist them in preparing for future uncertainties. The researcher investigated from the behavioural perspective, the relationship between three behavioural intentions on organisational commitment and business readiness of e-marketplace retailers in Malaysia. The three intentions are intention to enhance digital marketing competence, intention to seek knowledge and intention to take risk. Factor analyses were conducted via PLS-SEM technique to investigate reliability and validity of each latent construct, thereafter, path coefficient evaluated relationship between intentions, and organisational commitment and business readiness. The antecedents of behavioural intentions, represented by (1) attitude, (2) subjective norm, and (3) perceived behavioural control postulated in the Theory of Planned Behaviour were selected as a measure of intentions. Current findings have validated the positive significant impact of behavioural intentions on organisational commitment and business readiness. Intention to enhance digital marketing competence shows direct positive significant impact on business readiness. Intention to seek knowledge and intention to take risk shows significant impact on business readiness with organisational commitment acts as a moderator. Current study is the first attempt to investigate business readiness of MSME e-marketplace retailers in Malaysia from the perspective of behavioural intentions, contributed to the literature on organisational commitment and business readiness. Results of this study has provided insights into how e-marketplace retailers, despite with limited resources, can improve business readiness. This research opens opportunities for researchers to consider behavioural belief when assessing a business's level of readiness. It also reveals theoretical gaps in pursuing and identifying more antecedents inspired from the theory of planned behaviour that can be used to measure the intentions that influence business readiness. Business readiness framework from this study will benefit MSME e-marketplace retailers to better prepare for future uncertainties. It will act as a guideline for e-marketplaces when formulating sellers’ growth strategies, thus becoming an impactful area of study in Malaysia’s e-marketplace industry. On a country level, it can aid the policy makers in formulating strategies to help micro and small businesses achieve sustainable growth, thus propelling Malaysia to produce a more equitable society.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > HF Commerce |
| Divisions: | Theses and Dissertations > Doctoral Theses |
| Depositing User: | Victoria Hankinson |
| Date Deposited: | 15 Oct 2024 09:14 |
| Last Modified: | 15 Oct 2024 09:19 |
| URI: | https://repository.uwtsd.ac.uk/id/eprint/3181 |
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