Aug 2026· Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research· Vol 21, pp. 247· 0 citations· 30 references
Abstract
The digitalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is not just a technological trend, but also a strategic path towards sustainable economic development. This study provides a comprehensive comparative analysis of SMEs digitalisation across the EU-27 during the post-pandemic period (2019–2025). The originality of this study stems from its comprehensive comparative analysis by integrating dynamic, cluster, concentration, and regression analyses, it provides updated evidence on the relationship between e-commerce adoption, enterprise turnover, and economic development, while highlighting cross-country disparities and convergence trends within the European Union. The results confirm a positive association between the adoption of e-commerce practices and enterprise economic performance, underlining the contribution of digitalisation to broader development objectives. The study provides relevant insights for policymakers seeking to strengthen digital ecosystems and support SMEs competitiveness, as well as for business managers aiming to leverage digital technologies as a source of growth and resilience. As the analysis is based on aggregated country-level data and the correlational methods, the findings should be interpreted as evidence of statistical associations rather than causal relationships and should not be directly extrapolated to individual SMEs.
Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in economic development; however, enhancing their competitiveness in the digital era remains challenging, particularly in effectively leveraging e-commerce as a digital transformation strategy. Although prior studies have explored determinants and outcomes of e-commerce adoption, the findings remain fragmented and insufficient in explaining how e-commerce contributes to sustainable SME competitiveness. This study aims to identify internal and external factors influencing e-commerce adoption, examine its impact on SME competitiveness, and develop an integrated conceptual framework relevant to SMEs in Malang City. A Systematic Literature Review (SLR) was conducted following PRISMA guidelines, analyzing 33 empirical studies published between 2015 and 2025 from Scopus, ScienceDirect, Emerald, SpringerLink, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and Google Scholar. The data were analyzed using thematic and content analysis to identify patterns and relationships across studies. The findings reveal that e-commerce adoption is driven by internal factors such as managerial capability, digital capability, innovation capability, and entrepreneurial orientation, as well as external factors including competitive pressure, customer demand, government support, and the digital ecosystem. Furthermore, e-commerce adoption enhances SME competitiveness through sales growth, profitability improvement, market expansion, operational efficiency, and sustainable competitive advantage. The study’s novelty lies in integrating the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capability Theory (DCT), and Technology–Organization–Environment (TOE) framework into a unified model explaining how e-commerce translates into competitive advantage. The study provides both theoretical contributions to digital transformation literature and practical implications for strengthening SME competitiveness in Malang City through strategic e-commerce adoption.
C. I. Gunawan, Edoardus Koisin, Hendrik Suhendri et al.· IC-ITECHS· 0 citations
The relevance of the study stems from the growing role of digital factors in shaping the competitive advantages of national economies and from the uneven capacity of EU Member States to convert digital potential into sustainable investment outcomes. Differences in the development of digital infrastructure, the security of online interactions, the capacity of digital markets, the international integration of the ICT sector, and technological performance necessitate a comprehensive assessment of business environment digitalisation in relation to the institutional, macroeconomic, market-structural, and financial dimensions of investment attractiveness. The study aims to refine a scientific and methodological approach to assessing business environment digitalisation in EU countries and to identify models of its interaction with composite investment attractiveness and its structural components. The empirical analysis is based on data for 27 EU Member States for the period 2015-2024. The methodological framework combines the normalisation and aggregation of five digital development indicators, the calculation of a composite business environment digitalisation index, the spatial positioning of countries, Pearson correlation analysis, and the estimation of the aggregate correlation sensitivity of the structural components of investment attractiveness. The findings reveal substantial differentiation in the digital profiles of EU countries and the absence of a directly proportional relationship between the achieved level of digitalisation and composite investment attractiveness. Germany, the Netherlands, France, and Ireland recorded the highest values of the digitalisation index; however, their investment positions differ in terms of the alignment between digital change and other components of the economic environment. The correlation analysis shows that the regulatory-institutional and market-structural components more frequently moved in the same direction as digitalisation, whereas macroeconomic stability displayed heterogeneous relationships and investment-financial infrastructure produced the most polarised distribution. Comparing the correlation between digitalisation and investment attractiveness with aggregate correlation sensitivity provided the basis for distinguishing synergistic, compensatory, imbalanced, and inverse models of digital-investment interaction. The practical value of the findings lies in the potential application of the proposed approach to diagnosing structural constraints on the realisation of digital advantages, comparing national trajectories of digital-investment development, and substantiating differentiated measures of digital, investment, and structural policy across EU Member States.
The findings indicate that e-commerce, cloud computing, customer relationship management, and digital marketing tools supported operational coordination, market reach, and customer engagement, but limited digital skills, implementation costs, cybersecurity risks, and infrastructure constraints restricted deeper adoption.
Sundeep Kumar, N. Kumar, Akash Singh· Journal of Global Entreprene...· 0 citations
This study examines the role of strategic flexibility (SF) in supporting sustainable growth among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in an emerging economy context. Specifically, it investigates the relationships between SF, business model innovation (BMI), competitive advantage (CA), and firm performance (FP) in Iranian SMEs. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), the study empirically examines a capability–innovation–performance model and contributes by extending existing theoretical relationships to the context of SMEs in an emerging economy. Using structural equation modeling (SEM), data were collected through 391 validated questionnaires from SMEs across different sectors in Iran. The findings reveal that SF has a direct and significant effect on both BMI and CA, while BMI positively influences CA and FP. However, CA does not show a significant direct effect on FP, suggesting that competitive positioning alone may be insufficient to generate performance outcomes in uncertain and resource-constrained environments. The results indicate that adaptive and innovation-oriented capabilities play a central role in enhancing long-term organizational resilience and sustainable performance among SMEs operating under institutional and market volatility.
Mohammadsadegh Omidvar, Giovanna Lusini, Maria Palazzo· Sustainability· 0 citations
This systematic literature review explores the relationship between digital maturity and economic sustainability, with government support as a moderating factor, and proposes a multi-level conceptual framework and actionable policy recommendations to support inclusive and adaptive SME digitalization.
Bisri Bisri· Dinasti International Journa...· 0 citations
This study investigates the relationship between innovation adoption and organizational growth among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Imo State, Nigeria. Innovation adoption, encompassing product, process, and technological innovations, is widely recognized as a key driver of firm performance and competitiveness. Using a quantitative research design, data were collected from 334 SMEs through structured questionnaires, with 320 valid responses analyzed. Descriptive statistics revealed moderate to high adoption of innovations, with product innovation being the most prevalent. Correlation and multiple regression analyses indicated that all three types of innovation significantly predict organizational growth, with product innovation having the strongest impact. Key challenges to innovation adoption included financial constraints, infrastructural deficits, limited managerial competence, and resistance to change. The study concludes that strategic adoption of innovations is crucial for SMEs’ growth and recommends that SMEs prioritize product and process innovations, adopt appropriate technologies, and build managerial capacity. Policymakers are encouraged to improve access to finance, infrastructure, and technical support to foster SME innovation and growth.
Onwuegbule, Obiageri Felicitas, Anukam Chidozirim Stephen, Odunna, Chuks Evans. et al.· International journal of res...· 0 citations