EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF E-COMMERCE ADOPTION IN RURAL-BASED MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMES)

Dedy Lazuardi

doi:10.3059/insis.v0i0.23560

EXPLORING THE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF E-COMMERCE ADOPTION IN RURAL-BASED MICRO, SMALL, AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES (MSMES)

Dedy Lazuardi

Abstract

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in rural areas play an important role in the local and national economy, especially in creating jobs and supporting community welfare. However, e-commerce adoption by rural MSMEs still faces significant challenges, such as limited access to digital infrastructure, low digital literacy, and logistical barriers. This study aims to analyze the drivers and barriers of e-commerce adoption in rural-based MSMEs and identify strategic opportunities to increase adoption. Using the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) method based on the PRISMA Framework guidelines, this study reviewed 50 relevant articles from various reputable databases. The results show that the main drivers of e-commerce adoption include government support, community involvement and market opportunities. Meanwhile, inhibiting factors include limited internet access, low digital literacy and logistical challenges. The research also identified strategic opportunities, such as integration with large e-commerce platforms and digital literacy training tailored to the needs of rural MSMEs. This research makes an important contribution to the e-commerce literature by presenting a specific perspective on rural MSMEs, which has been underrepresented in previous studies. In addition, evidence-based recommendations are provided to policymakers, practitioners and researchers to encourage digital transformation of rural MSMEs through multi-stakeholder collaboration and structured interventions. This research is expected to pave the way for further studies on the dynamics of digitalization in rural communities as well as strategies to improve the competitiveness of MSMEs in the digital economy era.

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3059/insis.v0i0.23560

DOI (PDF): https://doi.org/10.3059/insis.v0i0.23560.g12920

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