E-Commerce Research Trend: Transforming Qualitative Models into Quantitative Forms for Measuring E-Commerce Success in the Age of Digital Transformation

This study examines the theoretical models used in electronic commerce (e-commerce) research and provides insights into future directions for measuring e-commerce success in the age of digital transformation. Based on the literature review, e-commerce development can be divided into seven phases, including initiation (between 1993 and 1994), start-up (between 1995 and 1999), growth (between 2000 and 2004), customer data analytics (between 2005 and 2009), social media (between 2010 and 2012), emerging technology (between 2013 and 2021), and generative AI (from 2022 onward). A comparative analysis is conducted to examine the theoretical models employed in e-commerce success studies. In total, 56 distinct models are identified and classified into four categories: most-used (4), often-used (4), rarely used (10), and single-use models (38). Four models were identified as the most effective for e-commerce research: the technology acceptance model (TAM), the technology–organization–environment (TOE) framework, the DeLone and McLean information systems success model and its extensions (D&M), and diffusion of innovation (DOI). However, this results in theoretical diversification and underscores the need for a more integrative, system-level approach, combined with organizational-level measurement, to conceptualize e-commerce success. A few studies have attempted to transform qualitative data into quantitative forms for comparative analysis. A case study is used to develop a transformative approach that demonstrates how a qualitative model can be converted into a quantitative one. As a result, an initial quantitative operationalization of the e-commerce success model – the EBS measurement model – is developed to translate qualitative success dimensions into measurable constructs, which can be used as a tool to provide an overall measurement through CSFs for businesses in measuring e-commerce success.