Assessment of e-commerce awareness and readiness toward veteran's handicraft products development at veterans general hospital.

Abstract

This paper examines the business development of veteran’s handicraft products, produced by disabled veterans in the Veterans General Hospital. The research assesses two parts; the awareness in the potential of e-commerce to develop the current local business to an e-business, in terms of marketing, product, price, productivity and distribution channels, and the readiness of the overall organization to transforming to the e-business. Qualitative research is conducted in the form of focus group discussions in each group of employees in different layers of operation and responsibility. The information collected is summarized and listed in each main theme; the awareness of e-commerce potential, the readiness to e-commerce business, factors that affect the e-commerce approach and other concerns. The result from focus group discussions shows that, most of employees are aware and realize the potential of e-commerce in terms of market developments, penetrate new target group customers, and may create value added to the handicraft product, which has uniqueness and reflects the Thai traditional values. However, in terms of the readiness, the organization still lacks of many factors that are necessary for the development of an e-commerce approach, such as incompatible policy of payment process and delivery the product, the lack of productivity to serve increasing demand, and the lack of knowledge of e-business in the group of marketing staff. This paper provides recommendations for the implementation of the e-commerce approach and policy to support e-business in the VGH, that can raise the income and morale of the disabled veterans in the VGH accordingly. KEY WORDS: E-Commerce / E-Marketing / Veteran handicraft / Handicraft products