The Business Digitalization Process in SMEs from the Implementation of e-Commerce: An Empirical Analysis

The main objective of this research is to carry out a comprehensive analysis of how e-commerce affects the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Mexico. This study will pay special attention to the role of business digitalization and the optimization of operational processes in this context. Our research involved creating a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) to examine our hypotheses. According to our research, incorporating e-commerce, digitalizing business processes, and improving operational efficiency significantly contribute to corporate performance. Our results show direct effects that, together with indirect effects of business digitalization and operational efficiency, enhance the positive influence of online commerce. This research fills a gap in the literature by investigating the relationship between e-commerce, business digitalization, operational efficiency, and business performance. It provides essential insights into the direct impact of e-commerce on corporate performance and the indirect impact through the mediation of business digitalization and operational efficiency. The results show significant implications for business managers, as the findings can help them to invest in technologies that foster e-commerce, which, by improving business digitalization and operational efficiency, will result in better corporate performance and the ability to adapt to today's turbulent environment.