How IT purchasing preparedness facilitates e‐marketplace usage

Purpose – This research aims to examine the extent of e‐marketplace usage from the buyer perspective. Three types of e‐marketplace – third party exchange, consortium exchange, and private exchange – are compared and the impact of the buyer's information technology (IT) purchasing preparedness on the extent of e‐marketplace usage is evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – A web‐based survey of 359 purchasing professionals in the USA is used in the analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the extent of e‐marketplace usage among the three e‐marketplace types. Multiple regression methodology is also used to test the impact of IT purchasing preparedness on the extent of e‐marketplace usage. Findings – The results indicate that there is no significant difference among the three types of e‐marketplaces in regard to the extent of current e‐marketplace usage and planned e‐marketplace usage. Additionally, IT purchasing preparedness appears to have a positive impact on e‐marketplace usage. Research limitations/implications – The research empirically confirms the positive impact of IT purchasing preparedness on e‐marketplace usage. Nevertheless, it was limited to the buyer side and did not examine the interaction of IT purchasing preparedness and other influencing factors. Practical implications – The research provides useful information for companies who are using or plan to use the e‐marketplace for purchasing. It also helps market participants to choose an appropriate e‐marketplace based upon their own IT purchasing preparedness. Originality/value – This research fills the gap in the existing e‐marketplace literature and provides empirical evidence for e‐marketplace usage and the impact of IT purchasing preparedness.