Exploring the impact of e-commerce adoption on management strategy in Research Proposal

Exploring the impact of e-commerce adoption on management strategy in Gulf Cooporation Council Countries(GCC) Enterprises - Research Proposal Example This study traces the adoption of e-commerce in SMEs in Saudi Arabia and explores what impact this phenomenon is having on management strategy. A survey of 50 managers is conducted in order to identify what has changed in their strategic thinking over the last ten years, and this is analysed in the context of GCC development potential in the next ten years. Aim. The aim of this research is to explore the impact of e-commerce on management strategy in Saudi Arabia SMEs. In particular the project will attempt to find out how far managers are reacting to the changes in the business environment that e-commerce brings, and how far they are themselves trying to drive that change or even avoid that change. Objective of the Research. The research has three objectives : To trace how far e-commerce has developed in Saudi Arabia up to December 2011. To find out what Saudi SME managers think about e-commerce at the present time To identify what impact, if any, e-commerce is now having on Saudi S ME managers’ strategies for the future. Literature Review. ... Per capita income had been $17,000 in the mid 1980s but it had dropped to only $8,200 in 2003. (Looney 2004)The old rentier state dynamics are sorely tested when such a huge change occurs, and this one reason why considerable investment is now being made in the SME sector. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) consists of 6 Arab countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and is well connected with other Arab countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It also enjoys good relations with the United States, and plays a pivotal role in international diplomacy. Saudi Arabia is one of the more conservative members of this group, and takes a leading role in religious and cultural affairs due to its stewardship of key religious sites including Mecca Studies on the economy of Saudi Arabia have noted that there is an imbalance in the workforce, with a tendency for private businesses to recruit staff from outside the Kingdom, especially in h igh technology or specialized fields, leaving the domestic workforce ill-equipped to adapt to the changing workplace requirements. Education facilities and worker expectations are not yet well matched to the needs of the private sector. An interesting dilemma that is beginning to affect the economy is the growing number of well educated women who are now able and willing to take part in the development of the Saudi economy. E-commerce has been a part of international business for around two decades, but it has still not penetrated into all geographical areas of the world, and into all layers of society. People tend to think of the term â€Å"e-commerce† as meaning just the process of buying and selling goods online, but in fact it covers a far wider range of systems and processes than