The influence of the buyer-seller relationship on e-commerce pressures: The case of the primary metal industry

Existing data warrants research into the influence that large buyers have on the e-commerce adoption of smaller sellers. Based on a multiple case study of 12 organizations, the researchers discovered that the different stages of the buyer-seller relationship require the use of specific e-commerce activities. As the relationships evolve, so does the use of e-commerce. This phenomenon adds to the underlying complexity of SME e-commerce adoption and contributes to understanding their lower rate of adoption. Interestingly, e-commerce collaboration was absent from the relationships studied.