Growth Of E-business Research Articles

The establishment of an e-business strategy model from traditional theories

The growth of e-business presents companies with both opportunities and challenges. In this environment organisations need timely and sound e-business strategies. This paper, as a part of a research project, offers an e-business strategy model from long-standing traditional economic, accounting, and other related theories. This model can provide quantitative support for strategic decision making in an e-business. A short example of an empirical study is also given to show the potential use of the strategy model.

E-Business Law in China: Strengths and Weaknesses

With 123 million Internet users, China represents a phenomenal potential market for e-business. The astounding success of China in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) can be partially explained by a series of reforms of policies, regulations, and laws. Can the introduction of China's new electronic signatures law produce the same results for e-business in China? This paper analyses the electronic signatures law as a tool fashioned by Chinese lawmakers to encourage e-business growth in China as they encouraged FDI. We find that China has created an electronic signature law that mirrors the open, flexible, and ever-changing e-environment. The fact that the law is not technology-specific, but rather technology-neutral, allowing for technological advances, is one of its strong points. A negative aspect of the law is its lack of a set guideline for identification requirements for purchasers of a reliable electronic signature, more commonly known as a digital signature, from electronic certification service providers. Despite the few negative aspects, the electronic signatures law should encourage the development of e-business in China.

An Exploratory Study of Apparel Dress Model Technology on European Web

Dedication The authors dedicate this study to Pol Thiry (1940-2007), who was Professor of the University of Mons-Hainaut, Mons, Belgium, and whose diligence and exceptional friendship helped in initiating a productive relationship in research with Pace University, United States of America, that continues undiminished with further international studies. Introduction Electronic business (e-Business) continues to advance in countries of the European Union. Indices display activity adoption of e-Business as generally high, as indicated in Figure 1. Actual adoption of e-Business infrastructure is also largely high, but different by the countries, as indicated in Figure 2. Estimates indicate that 17% of firms in these countries conducted e-Business marketing and sales on the Internet in 2005 (European Commission, 2005b, p. 8). European consumers buying apparel on the e-Business Web are estimated to be 40 million in 2006 and are forecasted to be 73 million in 2009 (Horyn, 2005). Growth of e-Business in the European Union, as in the United States, affords analysis of business-to-consumer (B2C) competitive design that can contribute beneficially to the field. European apparel firms are as challenged as American firms in having a competitively creative e-Business design on their sites (Koo, Koh, & Nam, 2004). They have to be conscious of consumer expectations and perceptions of service, risk, price, product and experience (Jarvenpaa & Todd, 1997) and fulfillment, promotion and quality (Urban, Carter, Gaskin, & Mucha, 1986), in differentiating an experience on the sites. Differentiation and innovation in an e-Business design by European firms may give an edge to an apparel Web site. Design is defined in terms of style and usability on a Web site. Literature in differentiation indicates factors of perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness from the frequently cited technology acceptance model (TAM) as important in influencing consumers to adopt information technology (Brown, Massey, Montoya-Weiss, & Burkman, 2002; Davis, 1989; Venkatesh, Morris, Davis G., & Davis F., 2003), if not enjoy and buy on a Web site (Koufaris, 2002). Usefulness may be defined as the extent to which a consumer perceives a site enhancing a shopping process task, and ease of use may be the extent to which the consumer perceives the site to be free of effort in the process of shopping (Venkatesh & Davis, 2000). An ideally designed Web process for shoppers is differentiated in ease of use and usefulness of the site. Sites considered easy to search for information may influence less price sensitivity (Lynch & Ariely, 1998). Literature indicates economic benefits to firms from factors that facilitate shopping tasks (Saeed, Hwang, & Grover, 2003). The focus of this study is to examine the importance of design factors that can contribute to a differential in the experiences of European goal-focused shoppers on European Union apparel dress model sites. Literature Review Though guidelines in the design and differentiation of Web sites have been defined in European and American literature (Cronin, 1995; Lynch & Horton, 1999; Nielsen, 2002), apparel sites do not always achieve desired impact, due to design and also to perceptions of product, price, risk, service, and quality. Consumers continue to abandon shopping carts, though their goal may be to buy on a site. They form flash impressions of sites in 1/20th of a second (Caudron, 2006) and search for products, if not prices, on competitor sites. Differentiation in the design of apparel sites for especially goal-focused shoppers on the Web is examined in our study of sites in the United States (Lawler & Joseph, 2006). In that study goal focusing is indicated to be deliberate, efficient, fast, rational and task-focused shopping (Hoffman & Novak, 1996). Goal-focused shoppers are frequently independent of the help of on-line sales and service staff and are indicated to have a definite objective to buy already identified products on the Web without the help of staff (Moe & Fader, 2001). …

E-business in the developing world: an empirical study of payment methods and their implications

The recent trend of outsourcing manufacturing and services from the developed economies is creating buoyant economies in the developing world. With advances in technological infrastructure, these new markets are being transformed by e-business. In this paper, we discuss issues regarding methods of payment for internet purchases in China, India and Pakistan. The relationship between factors that may influence the establishment and growth of e-business within these economies are investigated empirically. A logit model of payment method preference is subsequently developed from these analyses. Finally, a general discussion regarding obstacles, limitations and ways forward for e-business in these economies is provided.

User acceptance of information technologies for enterprise development

From the industrial revolution to the age of space travel, the same pattern keeps emerging. For a sustainable business process, the emphasis is no longer on raw technology but on how to make the new technology reliable, secure, inexpensive and easy to use. Products that used to require years for their development are now being produced in months or even weeks, and rushed to the market. Globalisation, technological advancement and change in legislation landscape have led to strategic shifts for enterprise development. The emergence of e-business, especially, has transformed the international trade landscape. As this development has the potential to benefit economic growth and living standards around the world, it is imperative that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) supports barrier-free e-commerce. Moreover, global competition combined with technological innovation has created an environment that opens a window of opportunity for enterprises. This paper outlines the challenges and issues of sustainable enterprise development in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) era. Through the findings of web-based-survey, user acceptance of a new business development is tested in the 'virtual world' by the intended users/customers. The experiences of these early users/customers are forwarded to the enterprises that make final decision.

Using electronic Customer Relationship Management to improve manufacturing processes

The objective of this paper is to introduce a methodology for developing an e-CRM system that assists an aerospace manufacturing company to overcome the challenges of an e-CRM deployment. The underlying principles of CRM are well established ? those manufacturers that can effectively attract and retain the customers will see significant benefits on their profitability (Brickle 2002). Kalakota and Robinson (2001) stated that on average, companies lose half of their customer base every five years and that the cost of obtaining a new customer is five to ten times more than maintaining an existing one. Therefore, it is of strategic importance for a company to track customers' needs, behaviours, and lifestyles and use this information to create a specific value-proposition. The emergence of e-business and the global internet 'new economy', present opportunities and challenges for manufacturers to build strong customer relationships. The research study presented here demonstrates that adopting a structured methodology when implementing an e-CRM solution enhances the benefits of such a system. More explicitly, the companies involved achieved a customer transaction transparency, thus reducing instances of unresolved client transactions, eliminating duplication of effort and providing ease of access to clients and suppliers alike. The research methodology adopted was case study-based.

The proposal of a comparative framework to evaluate e-business stages of growth models

This study proposes a comparative framework for contrasting e-business growth models within the context of small and medium enterprises. Growth models act both as a mechanism for understanding e-business growth and as an aid to implementation and policy development. This study reviews the performance of 65 e-business growth models, which are identified via perspective, stages and content. Furthermore, the study provides a narrative of the identified models appraising layout, characteristics, number and purpose of stage. A comparative framework is presented illustrating perspective, development, emphasis, empirical verification, focus, source and barriers to growth. The review of literature revealed that existing research was limited in scope and rigour and existing models do not accurately portray e-business growth. Models were identified as lacking empirical verification, not considering alternative perspectives or barriers to e-business growth. The paper concludes by identifying the need for a representative and empirical model and the appropriate methodology to attain this outcome.

Technological Factors Relevant to Continuity on ERP for E-Business Platform: Integration, Modularity, and Flexibility

ABSTRACT Most enterprise systems (ES) solutions have evolved with the technological factors of flexibility, modularity and integration embedded to fit both business and information technology (IT) requirements for many organizations. Recently, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and business-to-business electronic business (e-business) have received much attention within both the practitioner and academic communities, especially concerning the technological factors. The purpose of this study is to develop a framework that could be used to investigate a possible relationship between ERP and other ES systems with the factors of flexibility, integration and modularity for e-business. In the 1990's, ERP systems were introduced to fulfill some of the technological requirements across functional areas within a corporate boundary. Moreover, with the exponential growth of Internet technology and the emergence of e-business, the focus of ERP systems has changed from an integrated functional focus within an organization to one reaching outside the organization throughout the value chain system. It is expected that an ERP system can facilitate an e-business effort of an organization. In order to serve as a platform for e-business, an ERP system must also be able to be extended to support a range of external constituents for a firm. The process must involve an investigation of ERP technological factors along with any other emerging ES solution of the firm. This study investigates ERP and other ES systems for e-business with a focus on the technological factors of flexibility, integration, and modularity.

A hybrid index structure for querying large string databases

Rapid growth in e-business has created a demand to efficiently index and search an increasingly large amount of strings. In this paper, we propose a hybrid RAM/disk-based index structure, called the HD-tree, making proper use of both RAM and disk spaces to achieve high performance for querying large string databases. Our experimental results demonstrate that the HD-tree outperforms the popular Prefix B-tree for prefix and substring searches. In particular, the average number of disk I/Os is reduced by a factor of two to three, and the total running time is approximately five times faster.

Identity management for improved organisational efficiency and e-business growth: managing enterprise knowledge

Identity Management is the creation, management and use of online, or digital identities. Millions of people around the world now use the internet daily at home and at work, facing a multiplicity of corporate applications and e-business interfaces. Many such applications and interfaces require a unique user name and as a result, an individual typically possesses not one but several digital identities. The importance of digital identity management for building trust relationships and the next generation e- and m-business services is becoming all the more evident with the proliferation of ubiquitous, pervasive and mobile computing systems, all of which require advanced, automated identity management systems for their effective and efficient operation. Indeed, growth of internet commerce (both wired and wireless) has been hindered by the lack of trust between consumers and service providers. As an organisation trying to meet the challenges of today's economy while at the same time trying to maintain a secure network environment, starting with the right e-business foundation is critical. A new perspective on knowledge management in organisations is being created. Knowledge Management is description, organisation, sharing and development of knowledge in the firm and even across firms. Organisations are viewed as bodies of knowledge, and knowledge management is considered as an increasingly important source of competitive advantage for organisations. This paper applies the knowledge-based view of the firm that has established itself as an important perspective in identity management. Identity Management has proven to be the right foundation for companies around the globe. Convergence in Information Technology means that there is no difference between Knowledge e-business, Content Community and Collaboration. When Knowledge Management is combined with Identity inter and intra-organisational interaction is possible in a secure, reliable, and effective manner. This innovative and collaborative approach to business will have a significant impact on the way businesses operate. In this paper, we tackle the technical aspects of identity management, approaches and challenges of managing identities in knowledge-oriented organisations for the benefit of the users and businesses. The importance of mobile identity management is illustrated in the emerging field of ubiquitous computing. The paper highlights an important concept of managing identity information known as Federated Identity Management, an important tool for managing knowledge within and among organisations.

Ebusiness barriers to growth within the SME sector

The development of Ecommerce within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Wales is restricted by a number of barriers. Various projects initiated by government and academic bodies exist to assist SMEs overcome these barriers. However, whether these projects represent the needs of SMEs is debatable. The opportunity for SMEs to exploit information communication technology has increased due to the improved affordability and sophistication of computing equipment, along with the development and utilisation of the Internet. This progress has seen the emergence of Ebusiness and Ecommerce, whereby SMEs can operate, communicate and trade in global markets. Recent surveys by academia, government and trade bodies have identified Wales as the worst performing region for Ebusiness in the UK with sceptical attitudes towards its increased adoption. This paper reports on a quantitative study investigating Ebusiness utilisation within SMEs in Wales. Specifically this paper focuses on the key barriers influencing the adoption of Ebusiness within SMEs in Wales. The survey of the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce (CCC) membership was undertaken in 2001. The CCC is a trade body of approximately 1000 SMEs encompassing a geographical area covering Cardiff, Bridgend, Newport and the Valleys areas. The postal survey and telephone follow up achieved a response rate of 100 SME classified enterprises, a response rate of approximately 10%. Academic research has identified these barriers as deficiencies in financial resources, time, information and skills; concerns over security, legal issues and competition and doubts over the applicability of Ebusiness to their business practices and cultural and infrastructure issues. These barriers are a major influence as to how Ebusiness will develop within SMEs and this paper identifies the significance of each factor in constraining growth. The paper concludes by investigating the assistance for SMEs from academia, government and trade to develop Ebusiness activities and questioning whether these are representative and effective mechanisms for this sector. This paper contributes to knowledge by appraising and contrasting existing barriers to Ebusiness literature and comparing it with the relevant SOGM literature. Secondly it classifies barriers in two ways by type and time of occurrence. Finally the paper recognises that the support mechanisms for Ebusiness within SMEs remain unproven and require further investigation to verify their effectiveness.

Consumer power and privacy: the changing nature of CRM

This paper briefly reviews the difficulties that privacy concerns are creating for the growth of e-business and customer relationship management (CRM). The paper introduces the concept that the changing nature of consumer power is an essential element in ensuring the success of relationship building. The paper argues that consumers should be studied using two dimensions of knowledge and attitudes towards CRM to create a privacy grid. Four segments are discussed in terms of customers’ reactions to information exchange and CRM activities. This grid is then translated into four distinct types of market situations and marketing strategies to be considered by CRM practitioners and recommendations made.

The role of trust in e-business knowledge management

Trust is critical for both business-to-business and consumer oriented knowledge management. The objective of this study is to determine the role of trust in e-business knowledge management. Two case studies are analysed using an adapted theoretical interorganisational trust model, which shows relationships between cognitive and affective trust, tacit and explicit knowledge and collaboration and information technology. The first case study examines the automotive industry's e-business initiatives to streamline the supply chain. Although many aspects of trust are applicable, the analysis focuses on Covisint, the automotive online marketplace. The second case study examines the role of trust in e-business retailing. E-tailers need to overcome privacy concerns to gain consumer trust and to acquire customer knowledge. With effective knowledge management, e-tailers can use personalisation techniques to target marketing and realise e-business growth. Findings show that an emphasis on trust is key to successful knowledge management for both Covisint and e-tailing.

Impact of e-Business initiatives on firm value

A growing number of firms are competitively entering into e-Business because they see the high potential of e-Business growth as an opportunity. The positive expectation of the e-Business market leads most firms to go into e-Business, but it is not clear what kinds of benefits firms gain through e-Business. In this paper, we examine whether firms’ economic benefits are related to e-Business activities. For this purpose, we employ event study methodology and assess the cumulative abnormal returns for 782 e-Business initiatives by firms listed in Korean capital markets. The well-known Dot Com Effect is verified empirically by this study. The results of this study indicate that e-Business potential is highly valued in the capital market, and e-Business firms are expected to create significant benefits in the future period.

E-Business Challenges for Intermodal Freight: Some International Comparisons

Separate Canadian and Australian government-sponsored studies, both reporting in mid-2001, have investigated expected impacts of rapid growth in e-business on transportation infrastructure and services. The different viewpoints of these two studies allow consideration of implications for freight transportation in general and intermodal freight in particular. The findings reported, relating to supply chain changes, special challenges for rail- and sea-freight carriers, and changes in requirements for freight warehousing and interchange, have international relevance, which leads to suggested policy responses. The importance of e-business in affecting freight transportation should not be underestimated. Transportation experts interviewed in the Australian study unanimously considered this the issue of most consequence for transportation over the next 5 to 10 years. Both studies point to freight transportation having significant potential to aid economic growth from e-business and conversely to a lack of appropriate infrastructure to accommodate that growth.

The container terminal community

Over the past 30 years, technological developments have not only affected the design and operation of the port function, but also the organizational and institutional relationships within the port community. Two inter-organizational interaction models are presented, drawing on the findings of over 200 in-depth interviews with senior managers representing terminal operators, shipping lines, feeder operators, ship agents, road hauliers, freight forwarders and shippers serving the UK?Far East trade. The first model represents a breakbulk berth of the 1960s and the second a modern container terminal community. In comparing the models, it is shown that containerization has transformed the fragmented breakbulk operation of the 1960s into the cohesive container terminal community that today facilitates port operations. The paper concludes by examining trends in key inter-organizational relationships in the community and the emergence of eBusiness.

Bridging e-business and added trust: keys to e-business growth

Systems based on a proper public-key infrastructure (PKI) architecture offer the missing trust and interoperability necessary for e-commerce expansion. As the number of services available to users continues to increase, so will the need to maintain the user's identity in a secured, trusted manner. The user name and password concept has worked thus far but lacks the portability and scalability that global e-commerce demands. An interoperable PKI system that offers trust services between users will become a common industry practice. We envision that the future global e-commerce system should work with various devices, from desktops to handheld computers. Eventually one certificate will represent an individual across multiple services and devices.

Marketing modeling for e-business

The emergence of e-business is opening up new challenges and opportunities for marketing modelers. Drawing on an illustrative pool of recent articles we seek to convey two points in this note. First, that available theories and approaches may be insufficient in tackling many e-business problems. Second, that marketing modeling for e-business can enrich our field quite remarkably in terms of new theories, data and methods.

Cheating via online paper mills in logistics education

The growth of e-business is providing businesses and entrepreneurs the opportunity to develop niches targeting one of the largest groups of Internet users: university students. Unfortunately, one of these niches is online term paper mills, where students can purchase university quality term papers and then submit them in class as their own work. The purpose of this paper is (1) to identify what online term paper services are available; (2) to determine how many logistics term papers are offered by these services; and, (3) to suggest strategies that can be used by logistics faculty to suppress use of these materials.

Embedded databases can power emerging world of information to go

Embedded databases are in software applications and in hardware devices, both mobile and fixed. They are in familiar tools and in new remote intelligent devices, such as vending machines that monitor their own inventory and place reorders. In fact, without knowing it, you may be using them every day in your network or voice system hardware or in some software application. Traditionally, embedded databases have been the province of device developers and value added resellers rather than IT staff. However, the rapid increase in the number of telecommuters, the explosive growth of e-business, and the general migration to wireless technologies have put embedded database deployment on the IT short list. The paper discusses the support requirements, platform independence and an application at Northeast Utilities electric utility.