Unraveling the effect of organisational resources and top management support on e-commerce capabilities: evidence from ADANCO-SEM and fsQCA

Building on resource-based theory, we seek to explore the underlying impact of social and technical resources on e-commerce capabilities under top management support. To fully capture and understand the relationship between these important constructs, we apply a combination of complementary techniques, namely, advanced analysis of composites structural equation modelling (ADANCO-SEM) in Study 1 and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis in Study 2. Study 1 findings show that e-commerce infrastructure and skills, in addition to guanxi, positively affect e-commerce capabilities. Furthermore, top management support positively moderates the relationship between e-commerce infrastructure and e-commerce capabilities, but it has no effect on the relationship between guanxi and e-commerce capabilities and on the relationship between e-commerce skills and e-commerce capabilities. Based on the findings of Study 1, Study 2 further unveils two configurations – guanxi and e-commerce infrastructure, and guanxi and e-commerce skills – that can lead to e-commerce capabilities. The moderating effect of guanxi is confirmed empirically in post hoc analysis. These results refine the findings in the ADANCO-SEM analysis concerning the conditions for the formation of e-commerce capabilities. The empirical findings can help firms use organisational resources more efficiently and thus develop e-commerce capabilities and gain competitive advantages.