World Applied Sciences Journal 6 (6): 818-824, 2009 ISSN 1818-4952 © IDOSI Publications, 2009 Corresponding Author: Dr. Mohammadali Sarlak, Payame Noor University, Lashkarak Highway, Nakhl Street, Tehran, 19569, Iran Electronic Commerce 1 818 Investigating on Electronic Commerce Acceptance Barriers in Dried Fruits Exporting Companies of Iran Mohammad Ali Sarlak, Asghar Abolhasani Hastiani, Lotfollah Forozandeh Dehkordi and Ali Ghorbani Payame Noor University, Lashkarak Highway, Nakhl Street, Tehran, 19569, Iran Abstract: Dried Fruit export industry is one the most underdeveloped industries regarding E-Commerce in Iran. This research is an attempt to study E-commerce acceptance barriers in Dried Fruit producing-exporting companies of Iran and presenting its solutions. To achieve this purpose, the most important acceptance barriers of E-commerce have been identified through reviewing of research literature and classified in the frame of Tri-radiate Model in three co-structural, content and context barriers as three research hypotheses. After distributing and collecting of questionnaires among 61 randomly selected Dried Fruit producing- exporting companies of Iran and analyzing data, all three factors of barriers were supported and co-structural barriers were identified as the most important factor in non-acceptance of E-commerce in Dried Fruit producing- exporting companies. The government and concerned commercial organizations can more consider the recommendations pointed in this research in order to execute E-commerce and remove found barriers for developing exports. Key words: EC (E-commerce) Dried Fruit Co-structural Factors Content Factors Context Factors INTRODUCTION There is a general agreement on the subject Nowadays, export development, as one of the sized companies are able to professionally and challenges for managers in charge of commercial and significantly present their products similar to those of producing organizations, requires modern solutions big companies [3]. and methods. In the meantime the role of use of Internet Several studies have been done on the use of EC and EC can not be denied in order to access the for export development considering significant sets of 1 potential customers in international markets. Chaffy, models and patterns in executing of EC and have taken a renewed theorist of EC defines it as: "EC is the act of electronically mature level of Iranian exporting companies products, services and information exchanging through into account. Farrokhzad [4], by studying over than 30 EC internet" [1]. models, expresses stages for developing EC by exporters Definitely, deciding on the use of EC depends on its (Figure 1). Studies done by Aghazadeh and Esfidani [5] advantages expected from its application by company and Nouri [6] support this model; these researches managers. Turban et al express advantages of EC as (1) measured the rate of EC growth in Iranian exporting advantages of EC for organization e.g. expansion of industrial companies. They concluded the highest growth the organizations markets to national and international of the companies is at "planed" stage. ones, cheap and quick supply of materials and services, shortening of distribution channels, having lower Research Problem: According to the reports of Iran levels of stock, … (2) advantages of EC for customers e.g. Customs, considering non-petroleum exports, weight and decreasing of goods and services costs, increasing currency value of dried fruits was %1.4 and %7.9 at the of customers rights of choice, round the clock end of 2007 [7]. purchase all over the week, quick access to information The primary assessment demonstrates that out of within a few seconds, working and studying at home, 97 companies activating in Dried Fruit Exporting Union E-auctions, … [2]. of Iran, only 26 companies have their private websites, that internet is a low cost choice. Small and medium