Compra de serviços eletrônicos (E-services) no mercado B2B: fatores motivadores e inibidores para as micro e pequenas empresas (MPEs)

Abstract

It is known that the Internet has grown dramatically in the Brazilian business environment. In companies providing electronic services (e-services), the understanding of online buying behavior reinforces the strategies of selling services by the internet channel. In order to enable consumer companies to use and to buy e-services, it is critical that service providers know the motivations, fears and resistances considered when purchasing an online service. For the development of this research, a Theoretical Model was tested contemplating the constructs, Management Initiative, External Factors, Convenience, Safety Data Access, Lack of Time, Lack of Knowledge and Experience, Cost, Perceived Risk, Technological limitations, Purchase Intent and Purchase Behavior, considering their respective cases. To this end, it was conducted a theoretical survey that covers electronic commerce (e-commerce) of products and services, as well as the understanding and analysis of constructs that affect the online services buying behavior. Subsequently, it was carried out a qualitative research from 28 interviews with Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) to structure the constructs and to build scale. Considering primary the quantitative research, we carried out a survey with a sample of 537 MSEs in RS in order to investigate the issues presented above. The analysis was based on multivariate statistics and held first an exploratory factor analysis to group the variables and to confirm the Theoretical Model. We used the structural equation modeling to test the model, to investigate and to analyze the elements that compose the phenomenon of study. Thus, it was possible to propose a scale to measure the motivating factors and inhibitors, as well as buying behavior and buying intent of e-services for MSEs in B2B market. The research results indicate satisfactory indexes of the Theoretical Model, considering the uniqueness of the scale. Prominent contributions are the proof that Management Initiative, Convenience and Safety Data Access of Online Services are motivating factors that positively influence the Purchase Intent of e-service; Lack of Knowledge and Experience, High Cost and Perceived Risk are inhibiting factors that influence negatively Purchase Intent of e-service for MSEs in B2B market; and Purchase Intent has a positive influence on the Purchase Behavior of studied companies.