¶ … Social E-Commerce on the Innovative and Entrepreneurial Capabilities in the GCC
The advancement of social media has changed how individuals and companies conduct their business. The increase in use of smartphones has made it possible for more users to advertise their products on social media and provide links to their sales pages. Statistics indicate that by 2015, goods and services sold through online social networks globally attained the $30 billion mark. The research aims at evaluating the effects of social e-commerce on the innovative and entrepreneurial capabilities in the GCC. This research study indicates that social e-commerce has had a positive impact on the level of innovation and entrepreneurship in Gulf nations. It is recommended that through social e-commerce, entrepreneurs ought to lay more emphasis on engagement, which is generating relationships, communication and connections with an audience. What is more, embracing comments and conceptions from users, far and wide, is bound to increase the level of innovation through new ideas and inventions.
Introduction (Objectives and Importance of Study)
In the past decade, e-commerce has progressively grown to become prevalent in day-to-day business and individuals' lives. In particular, e-commerce has been pertinent in the growth and development of entrepreneurship across the globe (Al-Alawi and Al-Ali, 2015). With the adoption and advancement of Web 2.0, e-commerce has gone through fruition to become social e-commerce. This has augmented consumer participation and facilitated greater economic value (Huang and Benyoucef, 2013; Laudon and Traver, 2007). In the contemporary, social e-commerce is largely employed to delineate commercial activities facilitated by social media. Increased use of social network websites, for instance, Facebook and Twitter, has influenced the world, instigating social, political, and economic changes. Social e-commerce encompasses social media advertising, user recommendation, as well as direct sales via social network websites (Qatar SME Toolkit, 2016). Hashim et al. (2016) delineate that social e-commerce is deemed an innovation of technological advancement. However, this encompasses embracing of information
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) encompasses Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. In particular, these nations are amidst the top nations across the globe with high penetration in the smartphone market. Statistics indicate that by 2011, the level of penetration in these nations had reached 75%. In particular, smartphones have made major contributions to the increase in time spent on social media together with increasing level of online shopping (Qatar SME Toolkit, 2016).
Country
Size in Sq. Km
Population
Internet Users
Internet Penetration (%)
Data Date
Bahrain
1,346,613
1,297,500
96.40%
Dec-14
Kuwait
17,818
3,996,899
3,022,010
75.60%
Dec-14
Oman
309,500
3,286,936
2,584,316
78.60%
Dec-14
Qatar
11,521
2,194,817
2,016,400
91.90%
Dec-14
Saudi Arabia
2,149,690
27,752,316
18,300,000
65.90%
Dec-14
United Arab Emirates
77,700
9,445,624
8,807,226
93.20%
Dec-14
Source: Internet World Stats.0
The main objective of this study is to determine the effects of social e-commerce on the innovative and entrepreneurial capabilities in the GCC. The study ascertains the manner in which social media has facilitated both business and individual endeavors, with respect to innovation and entrepreneurship in these Arab nations.
Methodology
The research aims at evaluating the effects of social e-commerce on the innovative and entrepreneurial capabilities in the GCC. This is an empirical research as opposed to a conceptual study. While an empirical research is data-based, conceptual research is based on abstract or theoretical ideas. To meet the objectives of this study, this section addresses the techniques that will be used to collect and analyze data. The study will utilize both primary and secondary data to investigate the effect of social e-commerce on proficiencies of invention and entrepreneurship in GCC nations. The researcher collected primary data through telephone interviews with 35 top entrepreneurs that utilize social e-commerce in different market segments. The different participants in the study came from all the six nations: five from every nation, except for Saudi Arabia that had six participants. The data was collected through web-based questionnaires that were designed, piloted and distributed online to the target population. Questionnaires allowed the researcher to collect information of an unlimited number of respondents. As a result, the researcher was able to easily quantify the data and come up with significant findings (Crowther and Lancaster, 2008). Some of the information that was collected include: research data on social commerce sales, increase in entrepreneurship and level of innovation…
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