Over the past decades, e-marketplaces have been playing significant roles in the global economic development. The mounting trend of the world’s Internet population offers incredible opportunities for the firms, both large and small, to use the Internet-based e-marketplace applications in view of managing the firm-consumer interactions effectively. Firms’ entry to e-marketplace is resulted in market expansion, internationalization, and resource maximization. This study attempts to construct a theoretical framework to look at the factors affecting small firms’ entry to e-marketplace. Following an interpretive research paradigm, this study first explores various barriers and benefits that small firms face while participating in e-marketplace and validate those factors by analyzing 23 interviews conducted through a semi-structured interview guide. By applying both, inductive and deductive methods, the interpretive analyses build a theoretical framework comprising a range of variables classified as technological, organizational, and environmental factors. The theoretical framework is the guideline and also provides grounding for a quantitative research to the study of small firms’ e-marketplace entry behavior in a wider population. The study concludes with the implications for small firms’ market expansion and internationalization through e-marketplace participation.

在过去的几十年中，电子市场在全球经济发展中一直发挥着重要作用。全球互联网人口的增长趋势为大型企业和小型企业提供了难以置信的机会，以有效地管理企业与消费者之间的互动，使用基于Internet的电子市场应用程序。企业进入电子市场是导致市场扩展，国际化和资源最大化的结果。本研究试图构建一个理论框架，以研究影响小企业进入电子市场的因素。遵循解释性研究范式，本研究首先探讨小公司在参与电子市场时面临的各种障碍和收益，并通过分析通过半结构化访谈指南进行的23次访谈来验证这些因素。通过应用归纳法和演绎法，解释性分析建立了一个理论框架，其中包括一系列归类为技术，组织和环境因素的变量。理论框架是指南，也为定量研究为更广泛人群中的小公司的电子市场进入行为提供了基础。该研究的结论是通过电子市场的参与对小公司的市场扩展和国际化的影响。理论框架是指南，也为定量研究为更广泛人群中的小公司的电子市场进入行为提供了基础。该研究的结论是通过电子市场的参与对小公司的市场扩展和国际化的影响。理论框架是指南，也为定量研究为更广泛人群中的小公司的电子市场进入行为提供了基础。该研究的结论是通过电子市场的参与对小公司的市场扩展和国际化的影响。