An analysis of the business characteristics of adopters and non-adopters of World Wide Web technology

  • Authors:

  • Sigi Goode;Kenneth Stevens

  • Affiliations:

  • Department of Commerce, Australian National University, Australia E-mail: &lcub/sigi.goode&semi/ken.stevens&rcub/@anu.edu.au;Department of Commerce, Australian National University, Australia E-mail: &lcub/sigi.goode&semi/ken.stevens&rcub/@anu.edu.au

  • Venue:
  • Information Technology and Management
  • Year:
  • 2000

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Abstract

The World Wide Web has received considerable media attention in recent times. Little is known concerning the technology’s appeal for commercial applications, and the topic deserves investigation. This study aims to analyze the differences between adopter and non-adopter businesses according to their organizational characteristics. Six characteristics consistently associated with the adoption of technology, business size, age, industry, use of an IT support unit and IT budget, and degree of technology experience, are selected from the literature. A sample of 245 adopter businesses is gathered using on-line directories and “keyword” searches of the World Wide Web. A sample of 245 non-adopter businesses is obtained from the state business telephone directory. The study finds a number of interesting associations. No significant relationship is found between business size and World Wide Web adoption. Adopters tend to be younger yet more experienced with technology than non-adopters. Businesses that made use of IT budgets and IT support units also tended to be adopters, however adoption did not rely on the existence of these two factors. The study raises a number of additional findings that are of interest but are not directly related to this work. These findings merit further research.