Normative and Cognitive Institutions Affecting a Firm’s E-Commerce Adoption

Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 157-174, 2010

42 Pages Posted: 23 Sep 2010

See all articles by Nir Kshetri

Nir Kshetri

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro - Bryan School of Business & Economics

Date Written: September 22, 2010

Abstract

Notwithstanding the proliferation of studies linking e-commerce with the macro-environment, theoretical frameworks on the institution-e-commerce linkage are not well developed. Our primary purpose in this paper is to extend theory on the institution-e-commerce linkage by explicating the influences of normative and cognitive institutions on individuals’ and firms’ e-commerce adoption behaviors. Broadly speaking, the approach employed in this paper can be described as a positivistic epistemology. The paper takes a conceptual or a theory-building approach. We first develop a conceptual framework that represents how a technology’s interaction with normative and cognitive institutions affects a firm’s relationships with the profession, other businesses and customers. We then apply the framework to develop a set of propositions on normative and cognitive influences on a firm’s e-commerce adoption behaviour. Our analysis indicates that normative and cognitive institutions, in spite of being less visible than regulatory institutions, are no less important in shaping the diffusion pattern of e-commerce.

Keywords: Normative institutions, cognitive institutions, social network, e-commerce, cultural affinity

JEL Classification: O33

Suggested Citation

Kshetri, Nir, Normative and Cognitive Institutions Affecting a Firm’s E-Commerce Adoption (September 22, 2010). Journal of Electronic Commerce Research, Vol. 11, No. 2, pp. 157-174, 2010, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1681118

Nir Kshetri (Contact Author)

University of North Carolina (UNC) at Greensboro - Bryan School of Business & Economics ( email )

401 Bryan Building
Greensboro, NC 27402-6179
United States
336-334-4530 (Phone)
336-334-4141 (Fax)

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