Analyzing e-business value creation from a resource-based perspective

In recent years, scepticism about the value of e-business and information technology (IT) at the level of an individual firm has been renewed. In this sense, information systems researchers face pressure to answer the question of whether and how e-business creates value. To respond to this challenge, this paper develops a conceptual model, grounded in the resource-based theory, for assessing e-business value creation. This model posits three relationships: Internet resources and e-business value, Internet resources and e-business capabilities, and e-business capabilities and e-business value. To test hypotheses, a sample comprising 1010 Spanish firms is employed. The results show that, as hypothesized, Internet resources per se are not positively associated with e-business value. Furthermore, although Internet resources are not positively related to e-business value, they are found to play a critical role in creating e-business capabilities. In addition, the results confirm that e-business capabilities are key drivers of e-business value.