传统企业电子商务战略启动:阶段特征与决策行为差异

E-business Strategic Initiative for Traditional Firms:The Feature of Initiation Stages and the Differences of Decision Behaviors

"互联网+"战略提出中国传统企业可通过实施电子商务实现网络使能的企业转型。已有多数研究检验高层管理者、IT规划和商务变革在网络使能转型中的作用。尽管对于传统企业来说电子商务战略启动很重要,但如何在战略层面推进电子商务战略启动,在战略和信息系统领域还缺乏相关的研究。特别是,信息技术采纳和扩散范式无法解释电子商务战略启动的新特征,也少有研究对高层管理者和组织因素如何影响电子商务战略启动进行实证检验,因此出现明显的研究缺口。从战略启动视角,检验高层领导团队沟通对电子商务价值和风险感知的驱动作用以及战略决策对电子商务战略执行的中介效应。基于LECHNER提出的战略启动框架,从高层管理者和组织两个层面提出研究模型,探究电子商务战略启动的阶段特征以及差异化的决策行为。为了解释决策群体认知、e就绪、战略决策和战略执行之间的关系,提出一系列假设。通过收集170家传统企业由信息系统和商务管理者填写的两阶段匹配调查数据,采用PLS结构方程对决策群体认知、e就绪、战略决策和战略执行之间的关系进行检验。实证研究表明,电子商务战略启动是由领导团队沟通、战略决策和战略执行构成的关联结构,群体决策认知和战略决策起重要中介效应;将e就绪作为电子商务战略执行的基础要素,研究结果确认了e就绪对战略决策行为的调节作用,即较低的e就绪水平会抑制决策群体对风险的认知能力,导致电子商务战略启动的非理性决策。研究结果为传统企业电子商务战略启动提供了有价值的机制启示,揭示了传统企业网络使能转型中电子商务战略执行的阶段特征,e就绪的调节效应说明企业应该增加对组织资源准备的聚焦,增强企业网络使能转型的准备经验,进而支持电子商务实施。对于探索如何促进传统企业"互联网+"转型提供了战略启动层面的实践启示。

The strategy of ＂Internet plus＂ proposes net-enabled transformation of traditional firms in China through adopting e- business at firm level. Most net-enabled transformation research has examined the role of business executives, IT planning and business innovation. While it is important to e-business strategic initiatives for traditional firms, how to promote e-business initia- tive at the strategic level is limited in strategy and IT literature. Specifically the paradigm of IT adoption and diffusion cannot be of significance to understand the new characterizes of e-business strategic initiative. Little research has examined how business executives and organizational factors may impact e-business strategic initiatives and presents a clear gap in previous research. From strategic initiative perspective, this paper aims to examine the the drivers of leader team communication for e-business value and risk perception, and the mediating effect of strategic decision making on e-business strategy implementation. Based on the literature of the stage of strategic Initiative which is proposed by Lechner, this paper developed a research model to study the stages of e-business strategic initiative both at business executives and organizational levels. We presented a series of hypothesis to explain the relationships among strategic perceptions of top managers, e-readiness, strategic decision making and strategy im- plementation. Data gathered from 170 IT and business executives through a two-stage survey in traditional firms. We then tested the relationships between the constructs using a partial least squares structural equation modeling （PLS-SEM）. This paper pro- vides theoretical support for a critical causal link from leader team communication to strategic decision-making, and consequently implementing e-business strategy. Research results show that strategic perceptions and strategic decision making play an impor- tant mediating role. In addition, e-readiness of a firm is suggested as the foundation elements for support e-business strategy im- plementation. Research results also confirmed the moderate role of e-readiness on strategic decision-making behavior. Specifical- ly, low-level e-readiness of a firm amplifies the negative effect of leader team communications on risk perception that leads to ir- rational decisions of entrepreneurs for e-business initiation. This paper provides a valuable approach to the mechanism underlying the e-business strategic initiative for trad^tional firms. The research particularly explored the stages of e-business strategy implementation in the net-enabled transformation of traditional firms. Furthermore, the moderate effects of e-readiness can help entrepreneurs increase the focused attention of organization re- sources that support e-business adoption, and enhance their experiences for how to prepare net-enabled transformation. The re- search findings further offer practical implications on how to promote ＂Interuet plus＂ strategy for traditional firms from strategic level.