Examination of External and Internal Enablers of Organizational E-Readiness to Implement E-Commerce. A Study of Ghanas Financial Sector

E-commerce has become a global imperative for firms that must remain competitive, amidst a very complicated and increasingly convoluted environment. E-commerce could therefore make the difference between whether a firm goes bankrupt or stays profitable, leading some analyst to regard e-commerce proliferation as a double-edged sword that creates new opportunities for some firms while presenting challenges to other firms (Hong& Zhu, 2006). It is on this account that e-commerce has become an active research area in the information systems (IS) field (Hong& Zhu, 2006). The benefits of e-commerce, as opposed to traditional commerce, has been thoroughly debated in most studies, with some researchers noting that e-commerce cuts down on company expenses and improves its profit margins by cutting out sales agents while driving down operational expenses (Adadevoh, Yeboah& Kesse-Tachi, 2018, Hong& Zhu, 2006, Lin& Lin, 2008, Thornton& Marche, 2003, Wang& Cheung, 2004). Additionally, it improves business efficiency by enabling the company reach out directly to client for their product development inputs as well as blurs international barriers by providing access to distant markets (Alam, Khatibi, Ahmad& BinIsmail, 2008, Gupta, Iyer& Weisskirch, 2010). This confirms e-commerce adoption as an undebatable business imperative, especially for firms in developing nations who are naturally disadvantaged in their ability to reach out to take advantage of vast global markets opportunities (Alam et al. , 2008, Gupta et al. , 2010).