Supporting the e-business readiness of small and medium-sized enterprises: approaches and metrics

Government initiatives are continuously being designed to create stable and supportive environments for developing new industries. Presents a conceptual model for use by governments in creating and sustaining an appropriate climate that facilitates the national adoption of e-business. It focuses specifically on the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Also suggests six categories of e-business readiness metrics and measures to be used for assessing how a country is performing in terms of providing a positive e-business readiness climate. Examples of innovative initiatives are provided from Canada, The Netherlands, Norway, and Singapore. Concludes that a balance among attention to infrastructure components has not yet been achieved in these countries.