A Combined-Method Study of Small Business Internet Commerce

Abstract

:Small business Internet use has gained much popularity among researchers in information systems and entrepreneurship over recent years–with many undertaking surveys of small business Internet commerce. The newness and dynamic nature of this area, however, means that multiple research methods are needed to obtain an all-around understanding of the key issues. In this paper, we demonstrate that, by combining survey techniques with case study research, we can combine quantitative and qualitative data for a better understanding of small business Internet commerce. Such multidimensional understanding is necessary as a foundation for ongoing longitudinal studies and hypotheses generation.