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This paper aims to consolidate the state of research on information behaviour. Regardless of the scholarly surge on information behaviour using numerous models and extended ones, gaps still exist on the development of more pragmatic frameworks that explain and/or predict the information behaviour across different fragmented environmental situations. Therefore, this paper extends technology-organization-environment (T-O-E) framework and synthesizes different research positions into a multi-dimensional framework that assists small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to understand their information behaviour and to make informed decisions on the adoption of emerging information communication technology (EICT).

This study deployed an inductive approach; data were generated from unstructured and semi-structured interviews with 20 participants drawn purposively from Luton directories.

This study developed a more integrated framework underpinned by T-O-E framework, which helped to identify how EICT adoption is critically shaped by perceived information need, information sources selection and the factors determining information source selection.

Qualitative research is normally subjective, inductive, interpretive and limited on the sample used. However, because of the limited number of interviews used, as well as industry-specific nature of the study, the generalization of the framework and the findings will be difficult, hence, the need to test the framework on a broader population and cross-context testing.

The T-O-E framework is extended to Expectancy (T-O-E-E) to provide a more robust insight into information behaviour of SMEs from a multi-dimensional perspective. It also offers a more analytical framework for exploring critical issues identified and demonstrates the capacity to provide a reliable explanation to the findings. Further, it serves as a tool for assessing the benefits or challenges of SMEs information behaviour especially on the EICT adoption decision.

Research on the demographic characteristics of top management team (TMT) on e-commerce adoption has really advanced. Although some of such studies factored location factors as e-commerce adoption drivers, rare attempts have been made to unravel if the differences in the demographic composition of TMT and the rate of adoption may be explained by the differences in the firm’s geographical location. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to bridge this knowledge gap by proposing a framework that conceives and measures geographical location as a contextual variable between e-commerce adoption and TMT composition.

Data were generated from the opinions of owners/managers of 226 SMEs drawn purposefully from registered SMEs in five industries located in three geo-political zones of Nigeria. Two cities (a state capital and a commercial nerve centre) were studied and a four-step hierarchical regression (spanning factor-loading) was used to test the hypotheses.

Evidence from the study shows that the hypothesized relationships between demographic factors and e-commerce adoption (main/direct effects) were statistically significant (supporting H1-H4). The two moderators (physical infrastructures and industrial specialization) that explained location factors were equally statistically significant in moderating the relationship between the demographic composition of TMT and e-commerce adoption.

Sampling the opinions of SMEs in some industries of three geo-political zones of Nigeria limits the power of generalization. Therefore, extended data and measures are required to replicate the study in order to build external validity and reliability, and possibly theories. Further, some errors seem unavoidable in the course of converting the data through SPSS procedure just as all the measures used appear subjective and prone to common method bias. Other demographic and location factors not captured in the study may be handled by future studies.

The work will be of benefit to the academia and practitioners in terms of showing how location factors dictate the relationship between the demographic composition of top management and e-commerce adoption. The paper raises pointers that stimulate future research and advised policy-makers on even or near-even distribution of infrastructural facilities.

This study aims to develop adoption barriers model that captures location factors and non-transparency in government support programs, and attempted to unveil why certain locations offer more adoption opportunities than others.

The opinions of small and medium enterprise (SME) owners/managers in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria were purposefully sampled. Two major cities (the commercial nerve center and a state capital) in each zone were chosen for the study and the data were analyzed using multiple regressions.

Irrespective of the need to enhance operations through real-time knowledge sharing and network externalities; evidence from the study shows that SMEs in Nigeria are yet to exploit the full potentials of e-commerce solutions. This is evidenced by non-transparency in government support programs, location factors, weak finances, firm’s size, confidentiality of information, infrastructural inadequacy and lack openness and business integration.

Sampling the opinions of SMEs in Nigeria limits the power of generalization. Therefore, extended data and measures are required to replicate the study to improve external validity and reliability, and possibly build theories. Also, some errors seem unavoidable in the course of converting data just as all the measures used appear subjective and prone to common method bias.

Though e-commerce adoption draw-backs enjoy huge literature, location factors and non-transparency in government support programs as critical inhibitors seem least studied. Therefore, this paper complements literature, stimulates future research and advises policymakers on promulgating, and real implementation of, appropriate policy frameworks to create information, communication, technology (ICT)-friendly environment within which e-commerce diffuse amongst SMEs.

This paper aims to propose a framework that integrated the technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and technology-organization-environment (TOE) and extended the constructs to enrich literature and capture some peculiarities of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). Individually, the frameworks of extant TAM, TPB and TOE are insightful to the understanding of e-commerce adoption but a bit parochial in their constructs and so, can rarely provide clear lenses to deal with SMEs.

The adoption of e-commerce depends largely on the users’ conscious assessment of the influencing constructs as proposed, among others, in theories of reasoned action, TAM, TPB and TOE. This paper reviewed, synthesized and extended the constructs of these models in an integrated framework. The proposed integrated framework led to 18 propositions to promote and facilitate future research, and to guide explanation and prediction of e-commerce adoption in an organized system.

The introduced constructs in the integrated framework (e.g. company mission, individual difference factors, perceived trust and perceived service quality) introduce socio-technical systems and improve the theoretical base of adoption.

Neither the adoption drivers nor the constructs in the theoretical framework are mutually exclusive and exhaustive; rather, they are complementary and could incorporate other factors. Although the theoretical implications of the findings of this paper extend the scope of adoption drivers, the proposed framework needs to be tested empirically.

The integrated and extended theoretical framework links three adoption drivers and attempts to improve existing knowledge on e-commerce adoption and to provide bases for more informed decision(s).