**1.1 Background and context of study**

Since the onset of Covid19 and its aftermath, many organisations and individuals alike have resorted to more indoor engagements, and as such, the application of social media technologies and eCommerce has been on the increase in business and government activities worldwide. Researchers assert that social media applications will have an increased role in the integration of eCommerce in organisations worldwide [1–3]. The features of the web, now commonly known as Web 2.0, include advanced Internet technology and applications, blogs, wikis, podcasting, RSS and social

networks [4] making it a compelling position for SMEs in developing countries and in the Southern African context. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) globally are of particular interest due to the significant contribution they make to the economies of their countries.

The development of eCommerce in the SME fraternity, globally, is of particular interest to most economies in the world. For SMEs in developing countries, reaching external markets has been a serious challenge adding on to the already existing lack of ICT infrastructure and lack of ICT skills [5]. In this study, therefore, the rationale is to leverage the power of Web 2.0 social media applications (WSMAs). Particularly, [5] noted that WSMA can leverage consumer eCommerce experiences of SMEs in developing countries and other regions of the world that exhibit similar geographical characteristics.

Extant literature has discussed how the proliferation of social media can aid in spreading ideas, forming impressions and changing the purchasing intentions of the intended audience [6]. The definition of eCommerce is deemed as the sale and purchase of goods and services through the internet in exchange for money and data transfer to complete the transactions [6]. ECommerce is at the forefront of transforming marketing strategies, based on new technologies, and facilitates product information and improved decision-making [6]. Furthermore, eCommerce can be succinctly defined as 'buying, selling and marketing on the Internet' according to [6]. The context of this study extends the normal eCommerce into an advanced form that incorporates social media and Web 2.0 technology. This is usually referred to as social commerce or s-commerce [6, 7]. This study adopts a more accommodative definition of eCommerce that incorporates the use of social media when the SMEs engage with social media technologies in static as well as in mobile locations to facilitate their mobility, commonly known as mobile commerce [7].

Developing countries especially in Sub-Sahara Africa have in the recent years experienced technological growth and a rise in the use of eCommerce platforms, especially during the Covid19 pandemic. Social media platforms have been used to engage in various kinds of communication with the ease of providing more information and variations [8]. Common social media applications that are of interest in this study include Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, Youtube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest [7, 8]. It is argued that SMEs in developing countries could leverage their business position to improve eCommerce opportunities by employing social media applications. According to Kapoor *et al.,* [8], social media provides various interactions that can result in a rich social structure for the benefit of all its stakeholders. The versatility to engage in advanced Web 2.0 eCommerce may favour large companies as compared with small enterprises as noted by Rahayu and Day [9].

The context of this study is Zambia, a landlocked country located in Southern Africa. Neighbouring countries include Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. The geography of the country is mostly high plateau with some mountains. The government system is a republic; the chief of state and head of government is the president. Zambia has a mixed economy in which there is a variety of private freedom, combined with centralised economic planning and government regulation. Zambia is a member of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC) (https://globaledge.msu.edu/countries/ zambia). Like many other developing and emerging economies, the Zambian government policies are becoming more and more favourable for SMEs who are the largest provider of employment and contributor to the nation's Global Development Product *Adoption of Web 2.0 Social Media eCommerce in SMEs: Conceptualising Theories and Factors… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.109604*

(GDP). There has been specific emphasis by the new government on SMEs' activities after a new political party took office in August 2021. There is a new ministry in charge of SMEs which implies that there is more hope to improve business activities of the SME sector.

SMEs generally walk a lonely terrain as there are several challenges that inhibit the growth of eCommerce. Generally, a perennial lack of finance has been experienced by many Zambian SMEs in rural and urban areas. For the majority of SMEs in Zambia, WSMA eCommerce is still in its infancy although there are few cases of progressive development in selected locations across the country. Some challenges inhibiting progress are similar to those described in previous studies and cited by Haji [10], such as the following: 1) limited physical infrastructure; 2) poor access to goods and services; 3) limited economic opportunities; 4) lack of human capital; 5) low population densities in the most remote and rural areas; 6) lack of financial inclusion and challenges for e-payment; and 7) lack of trust and e-commerce consumer protection. Ahuja and Khazanchi [11] have noted that social media can assist to alleviate peculiar challenges and close the gap between user interactions and channel preferences on a global perspective.

#### **1.2 Problem statement and research questions**

Social media is arguably one of the best online marketing strategies due to its vast audience [8, 11] and possibly benefiting in popularity due to the Covid19 pandemic. According to Curzi et al., [12], the affirmation of social media platforms has radically changed customers purchasing habits and the way businesses develop their e-commerce sites. Indeed, e-vendors no longer invest money exclusively on advertisements on their eCommerce platforms; rather there is a fierce online competition among companies promoting their goods and services on social media channels [12]. In addition, it is believed that social media facilitates social interaction among customers, leading to increased *trust* and *intention to buy* [12]. Notably, researchers [12] have shown how social media influences the e-commerce decision making. However, the theoretical underpinning of Web 2.0 eCommerce applications in SMEs in developing countries and in Zambia is little understood and still unclear. Furthermore, it is not known whether theories and models have a strong position to enhance our understanding of Web 2.0 eCommerce adoption in SMEs, to follow in the argument of Idris [13]. Furthermore, there has been scattered information in the research literature regarding the advances of Web 2.0 eCommerce in SMEs especially pertaining to behavioural, technological, organisational issues affecting (WSMA) development in developing country SMEs. Given this background, the research questions (RQs) being posed therefore are the following:

RQ1: What theories and models of eCommerce adoption research enhance the understanding of Web 2.0 eCommerce in Zambian SMEs?

RQ2: What factors affect Web 2.0 eCommerce adoption in a developing country context such as SMEs?

In view of the above research questions, the objectives of this study are as follows:


In seeking to answer the above research questions, this study will follow the qualitative inquiry in WSMA as a way of extending and contributing to Information Systems research in a developing country context. Hence, the research questions intend to stimulate understanding that goes beyond the current literature but answers to the meaning of what social relationships are formed in the wake of Web 2.0 eCommerce adoption.

The rest of this paper is organised as follows. Section 2 presents a review of literature on the theoretical underpinnings in Web 2.0 eCommerce adoption in the global and developing country SMEs. Furthermore, specific applications of these theories and models are also discussed in this Section. Section 2 also provides a review of the factors that affect Web 2.0 eCommerce adoption in view of social media development. The research methodology is discussed in Section 3, whereas the results and findings are discussed in Section 4. The discussion of findings is presented in Section 5. The conclusion and recommendations of the study are presented in Section 6 to close this paper.
