Electronic Commerce: Definition, Theory, and Context

Electronic commerce is a relatively new concept that crept into the business vocabulary during the 1970s. A picture of electronic commerce is emerging in which the Internet will become the essential dial-tone for conducting business by the year 2000. This contribution addresses definitional, theoretical and contextual issues including the nature, drivers, enablers, and the magnitude of electronic commerce. The author discusses the role of electronic markets, the effects of information technology on electronic commerce, interactivity, and the evolution of disintermediation to reintermediation. A definition and typology of electronic commerce are offered. Theoretical and conceptual approaches to electronic commerce are advanced in terms of (1) transaction cost theory, (2) marketing, (3) diffusion, (4) information retrieval, and (5) strategic networking. Lastly, the author poses the question of how electronic commerce adds value.     

Global E-Commerce: Impacts of National Environment and Policy,edited by Kenneth L. Kraemer,Jason Dedrick,Nigel P. Melville,and Kevin Zhu. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006. xxii + 444 pp. $75.00 cloth. ISBN 0-521-84822-9

The potential of public Internet-based B2B (business-to-business) e-commerce applications to facilitate access to global markets and to reduce market entry barriers is a dominant theme in the burgeoning literature on e-commerce and international development. It is often assumed that these applications will enable producer firms in developing countries to benefit from reductions in the transaction costs they must incur to participate in international trade. Drawing on data from a detailed analysis of 117 B2B e-hubs in the garments/apparel and agriculture/horticulture sectors, it is argued in this article that the kinds of transaction-related support services available at these online trading platforms are more limited in their scope and functionality than is often assumed in the literature on B2B e-commerce development. The findings suggest that the mere application of, and access to, technologies such as the public Internet and the World Wide Web is not likely to enable a reduction in overall transaction costs that is sufficient to facilitate entry into new global markets by developing country producer firms.     

Globalization of Japanese culture: Economic power vs. cultural power, 1989-2002

This article examines the reasons why Japanese cultural products have not penetrated other countries. It also explicates the recent trends in Japan's expansion of its cultural products and Japan's direct investment in the global cultural market to ascertain whether this new development is a sign that Japan is attempting to gain an important role in global communication. It concludes that Japan was not able to successfully build its communication power to a degree comparable to its status as the second largest economic power and its second largest media consumption market.     

论欧盟天然气市场改革：现状、障碍和前景

近年来全球天然气需求和价格的不断增长促使欧盟开展天然气市场改革以确保天然气供给安全和相关产业竞争力。但欧盟相关改革指令的执行情况并不尽如人意,从而导致欧盟天然气市场改革进展缓慢,各成员国天然气市场仍处在分割的状况。欧盟天然气市场改革这种差强人意的状况引发了欧盟官方和学术界的各种讨论。本文对各方观点进行分析,揭示了欧盟指令效力的不对称、基建能力不足、监管和处罚措施不力以及贸易联系刚性是阻碍欧盟天然气市场改革的主要障碍,并在此基础上对欧盟天然气市场发展前景进行展望,本文认为欧盟天然气市场的发展进程将会出现以下趋势：①欧盟内部天然气市场发展呈现多层次性的特点;②欧盟天然气基建设施进一步发展,LNG在欧盟天然气市场中地位显著上升;③天然气短期交易发展迅速,长期合同虽减少仍占据重要地位;④欧盟天然气市场定价机制多样化,但石油价格仍然对天然气价格有重大影响。     

Why do firms acquire technology?: The example of DSM's ammonia plants, 1925-1970

This article analyses markets for technology from a buyer's perspective: the question why firms acquire technology is the central research question. An in-depth historical case study of a chemical company is confronted with systematic and economic research. The acquisition of complete plants by the particular firm under study is explained and several factors are proposed which may help further research on markets for technology.     

Highly innovative small firms in the markets for technology

Long-lived small firms with a substantial, public record of innovative success are the focus of this paper. We label such firms “serial innovators” and argue that they are often specialist suppliers in markets for technology. To survive as specialist suppliers, firms must produce technology that is broadly tradable. Using Arora, Fosfuri and Gambardella's markets-for-technology framework, we hypothesize that such technology has certain characteristics. It is: high quality, general purpose, broadly based, quite basic, and concentrated in newer generations of technology. We find that serial innovators, survivors among the specialist technology suppliers, have mastered innovating in technology with these characteristics. This helps explain why these firms have become serious players in these markets—at least for a few years until a new generation of technology emerges.     

能源、市场和市场失灵

<正>1两大概念:市场和市场失灵能源对人类历史、文明以及社会制度都有重要影响。能源历史变迁与相关技术创新对人类技术进步和文明发展也具有深远意义。能源经济学研究本身具有跨学科性。为了制定一个合适的学科框架,需要从能源研究的重要概念出发来描述相关学科。对非经济学家来说,描述能源经济学并非     

A pragmatic approach to managing enterprise IT infrastructures in the era of consumerization and individualization of IT

Historically, organizations owned and controlled the information technologies (IT) their employees used: telephone, inter-office memos, mainframes and timesharing systems. Today, employees often want to use their own IT: not only personal smart phones and tablets, but also Twitter and Google Docs. This new trend can diversify and extend enterprise IT infrastructure, but leaves organizations struggling with technology uses that they cannot control. With the emergence of new technological paradigms in consumer markets and organizations, the management of IT infrastructure requires a more pragmatic and holistic approach that goes beyond simple technological considerations. In this paper, we present a three-part framework—technology, people and practice—that helps managers understand and mitigate these tensions. Drawing on two empirical studies of European executives and consultants form multiple management consulting firms, the paper further outlines changes taking place along the three aspects of the framework. It concludes by discussing three distinct approaches to the management of organizational IT infrastructure (passive, reactive, and pragmatic), and by offering greater insight regarding a pragmatic approach.     

Profiting from technological innovation: Implications for integration, collaboration, licensing and public policy

This paper attempts to explain why innovating firms often fail to obtain significant economic returns from an innovation, while customers, imitators and other industry participants benefit Business strategy — particularly as it relates to the firm's decision to integrate and collaborate — is shown to be an important factor. The paper demonstrates that when imitation is easy, markets don't work well, and the profits from innovation may accrue to the owners of certain complementary assets, rather than to the developers of the intellectual property. This speaks to the need, in certain cases, for the innovating firm to establish a prior position in these complementary assets. The paper also indicates that innovators with new products and processes which provide value to consumers may sometimes be so ill positioned in the market that they necessarily will fail. The analysis provides a theoretical foundation for the proposition that manufacturing often matters, particularly to innovating nations. Innovating firms without the requisite manufacturing and related capacities may die, even though they are the best at innovation. Implications for trade policy and domestic economic policy are examined.     

我国公路超载超限的经济学解释及长效治理机制构建

公路超载超限问题及其治理是我国经济转型过程中暴露出的一大公共问题,本文首先运用经济学的逻辑方法,从公路的公共性、私人供给的可能性、公路的维护及运营、超载超限的外部性、治理难、公路系统利益链等角度对我国公路超载超限及对其治理问题做出了经济学解释;然后,按照市场配置和组织控制的划分基本市场主体的原理,将我国公路运行的有关系统进行分类和梳理,在明确各系统的关系的基础上,构建治理模型。以期从理论上系统认识这一问题,为构建治理长效机制提供理论依据。     

Information Systems and Developing Countries: Failure, Success, and Local Improvisations

This article presents evidence that--alongside the successes-- many information systems in developing countries can be categorized as failing either totally or partially. It then develops a new model that seeks to explain the high rates of failure. The model draws on contingency theory in order to advance the notion of design-actuality gaps: the match or mismatch between IS designs and local user actuality. This helps identify two high-risk archetypes that affect IS in developing countries: country context gaps and hard-soft gaps. The model is also of value in explaining the constraints that exist to local IS improvisations in developing countries. Overall, the article shows how model and theory help understand IS cases in developing countries, and equally, how those cases provide valuable data to help develop IS models and theories.     

企业研发组织模式选择——基于交易成本理论和资源基础理论的实证检验

综合交易成本理论和资源基础理论的基本观点,利用78家高科技企业的问卷调查数据,分析了现代企业选择不同研发组织模式的根本动因.研究结果表明,研发资源缺乏是企业进行研发合作的主要动机,而交易成本理论则有利于进一步解释不同研发合作方式存在的原因.企业选择不同的研发组织模式,是权衡资源互补所带来的收益和机会主义所导致的交易成本的综合结果.     

New venture firms,international expansion,and the liabilities of joint venture relationships

New venture firms often rely on joint ventures (JVs) as a means to expand internationally. This study adopted a “relational view” of competitive advantage and focused on the management and organization of an international joint venture (IJV) from its initiation until dissolution. The findings of this longitudinal case study clarify some of the reasons why, from the perspective of a new venture, these relationships may become unstable. Theoretical propositions are presented relative to the liabilities that these firms encounter when engaging in IJV relationships.     

The Victorian Information Society: Surveillance, Bureaucracy, and Public Librarianship in 19th-Century Britain

Contrary to the "retro" image often awarded them, and despite their continuing enthusiasm and responsibility for the organization of printed materials, librarians are upbeat about the prospects of an information society driven primarily by electronic technologies, but in which libraries can play an important part. Public librarians detect a natural correlation between the historic democratic mission of their institution and the increased accessibility made possible by digitalized sources. The library community's acceptance of the information society idea as a "given" social phenomenon supports discourses that play down historical continuities and herald the dawn of a new age. Such discourses ignore or reject historical evidence that points to the existence of past information societies, revolutions, and infrastructures defined, in part, by the operation of indirect surveillance, constituted by the bureaucratic information systems of modernity. Victorian Britain serves as a good example of an early information society, to which public libraries, themselves micro-information societies, contributed significantly. The role played by public librarians in the Victorian information society, illustrated in this article by evidence drawn from the contemporary library press, is seen in their preoccupation with the surveillance and ordering of knowledge; their adoption for library operations of the businesslike, bureaucratic procedures described recently by business historians; and their panoptic tracking of users and their activities.     

Leveraging global markets: Lessons from Alcoa Alumina

Globalization has contributed to the dismantling of national boundaries, which have enabled firms to compete and conduct business on a wider scale [Held, D., McGrew, A., Goldblatt, D., & Perraton, J. (1999). Global transformations. Politics, economics and culture. Cambridge: Polity Press]. Firms can move freely between different markets using Internet-based technology. While access to such markets can provide firms with greater choice of suppliers and cost efficiencies, they need to be aware of challenges that can influence their business performance. With this in mind, we examine how these factors influenced Alcoa Alumina's drive to a global procurement platform through a global marketplace. The staged adoption process experienced at Alcoa Alumina offers a learning opportunity for other firms considering the transition to global marketplace.     

Emerging electronic markets at e‐Business crossroads: competitive and regulatory issues in the electricity industry

Natural history depicts evidence of the dynamics of evolution, while fossil records permit the examination of change over time. Such records inform us also that change is never easy and does not occur without casualties. It seems that parallel observations may be advanced as the Internet and widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICT) have brought about new organizational forms, entirely new ways of organizing, as well as enabling novel processes. One casualty reflective of an evolutionary era is the dot‐com firms that have gone bust. As firms are moving along the evolutionary path of understanding and implementing these developments we need to come to grips with their design, management and impact. This contribution examines electronic markets and related off‐shoots as a coordination form and macro‐structure of information and communication systems within the electric power market. The basic notion of ‘electronic market’ is explored briefly. We recognize several forms in which such markets manifest themselves. The author emphasizes the role of competition in electronic markets, as well as the newly found role of intermediaries. Electronic markets in the electricity industry are examined in some detail, i.e. the electronic trading of electricity. This market demonstrates nicely the opportunities, but also potential pitfalls of electronic trading of this commodity, especially given relatively recent experiences with the electricity supply situation in the State of California, as well as the demise of Enron. A number of patterns, trading practices and regulatory concerns are highlighted. At the same time though similar underlying problems are applicable in all industrialized nations and selected examples are provided.     

Exploring antecedents and consequence of online group-buying intention: An extended perspective on theory of planned behavior

With the development of electronic commerce, many dotcom firms are selling products to consumers across different countries and regions. The managers of online group-buying firms seek to increase customer purchasing intentions in the face of competition. Online group-buying refers to a certain number of consumers who join together as a group via Internet, for the purpose of buying a certain product with a discount. This study explores antecedents of intention to participate in online group-buying and the relationship between intention and behavior. The research model is basaed on planned behavior theory, electronic word-of-mouth, network embeddedness, and website quality attitude. An online survey is administered to 373 registered members of the ihergo website. Data is analyzed using the partial least squares method, and analytical results demonstrate that for potential consumers, experiential electronic word-of-mouth, relational embeddedness of the initiator, and service quality attitude influence intention to engage in online group-buying; for current consumers, intention to attend online group-buying is determined by the structural and relational embeddedness of the initiator, system quality attitude positively affects intention, and intention positively affects online group-buying behavior. This study proposes a new classification of electronic word-of-mouth and applies the perspective of network embeddedness to explore antecedents of intention in online group-buying, broadening the applicability of electronic word-of-mouth and embeddedness theory. Finally, this study presents practical suggestions for managers of online group-buying firms in improving marketing efficiency.     

Electronic commerce: conceptual pitfalls and practical realities

This paper offers a critical assessment of the development of business‐to‐business electronic commerce. Focusing particularly on the use of Internet‐based ‘many‐to‐many’ electronic marketplaces, the practical reality of the experience of B2B electronic commerce for a sample of garment and horticulture sector firms in Bangladesh, Kenya and South Africa is examined. The limitations of conventional transaction cost perspectives on the development of electronic commerce are considered. A conceptual framework is applied that gives greater emphasis to institutional structures and practices and to the specific characteristics of the markets and supply chains in which firms operate. The empirical results suggest that in contrast to speculation about the benefits of Internet‐based many‐to‐many electronic markets especially for firms in developing countries, for firms that are already engaged in international trade, the emergence of restricted access Internet‐based trading and new ways of integrating supply chain information are the most significant developments. The paper considers some of the factors that are likely to influence future developments in B2B electronic commerce and the lessons for policy makers and practitioners.     

企业核心能力刚性的产生及其克服

核心能力概念的提出,不仅为战略管理研究开拓了新的领域,而且引导不少企业在激烈竞争中取胜。但是,随着企业外部竞争环境日趋复杂,核心能力刚性问题日益显现出来。本文认为核心能力刚性的产生主要是因为企业历史发展的路径依赖性,沉没成本效应和替代效应以及人类线性思维方式的局限性。据此,本文提出的企业应对措施包括：构建知识联盟,发挥非正式组织的作用,有效结合线性与非线性思维方式以及建立学习型组织。