E-Commerce

Abstract

The emergence of e-commerce (EC) is changing business theory and practice. Educational institutions and companies are trying to educate and train students and employees in EC applications and technology. Because EC is evolving and changing so rapidly, organizations face numerous challenges, and there are opportunities in developing curricula for EC. Surprisingly, few good studies look closely into the development of curricula and teaching methods for EC processes, practices, and technologies. In this article, we discuss EC education with particular emphasis on potential opportunities and challenges faced in developing and implementing e-commerce curricula. The ideas and framework presented herein are based on relevant EC literature, the authors’ own experiences, curricula from universities with EC programs, and information gathered from colleagues who teach e-commerce and related courses. We highlight possible shortcomings in EC education and training and propose a framework for improving the effectiveness of an EC education.