Challenges in E-Commerce Adoption within the Iranian Paper Industry: A Barrier Analysis

The paper industry is one of the key sectors in Iran that, similar to other industries, requires the adoption of electronic facilities—particularly e-commerce—in order to achieve growth and progress. The present study was conducted with the objective of identifying the barriers to implementing e-commerce in Iran’s paper industry. From a methodological standpoint, this research is exploratory in nature and employs a qualitative approach. Initially, the theoretical foundations of barriers to implementing e-commerce in Iran’s paper industry were examined. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ۱۰ experts and professionals engaged in paper-related industries and electronic commerce in Tehran, each with over five years of relevant experience. Following content validity assessment by experts, a questionnaire was developed using the Delphi technique. After three iterative rounds and achieving expert consensus, the barriers were classified into five categories: regulatory & institutional barriers, financial & infrastructural barriers, organizational & managerial barriers, cultural & behavioral barriers and technological & operational barriers. Data analysis revealed a total of ۴۶ barriers to e-commerce implementation in Iran’s paper industry. Theoretically, this study enriches the literature on e-commerce adoption barriers in developing economies by providing a sector-specific model, while practically it offers policymakers and industry managers actionable strategies to overcome structural, behavioral, and contextual challenges in Iran’s paper industry.

کلیدواژه ها:

E-commerce implementation ، paper industry ، structural barriers ، behavioral barriers ، Contextual Barriers