Exploring E-Commerce Benefits for Businesses in a Developing Country

Developing countries are home to more than 80% of the world's population, and are the site for growing use of e-commerce. There are theoretical claims that e-commerce could bring significant benefits to firms in developing countries, but we know very little empirically about the actual outcomes of e-commerce implementation. Our article addresses this gap in knowledge through a survey of 92 businesses in South Africa, all of which have moved beyond the basic stage of e-commerce. The findings indicate that e-commerce benefits are, by and large, limited to improvements in intra- and interorganizational communications. More strategic benefits relating to market access, customer/supplier linkages or cost savings were not found in the majority (more than 80%) of organizations surveyed. This therefore limits the likelihood of broader benefits such as incorporation into global supply chains, disintermediation, and improved competitiveness. Turning this somewhat disappointing e-commerce picture around requires a multiprong strategy aimed at building the resources and capabilities of businesses, developing electronic-mediated business routines with partners and customers, and addressing national e-readiness and global trade regulation issues.     

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.     

Does This Site Deliver? B2B E-Commerce Services for Developing Countries

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.     

Global and National Factors Affecting E-Commerce Diffusion in Singapore

This article provides a broad overview of the likely global/regional contextual factors and unique national characteristics that influence e-commerce diffusion in Singapore. Our analysis suggests that Singapore is likely to be a very fast adopter of e-commerce applications that have relatively proven business models in other advanced countries. In particular, advanced manufacturing clusters in Singapore with strong global supply chain links to advanced countries (especially electronics), logistics and transportation services, and other global market-oriented, business-to-business (B2B) industries are likely to be the most aggressive in adopting e-commerce applications. In contrast, we predict that Singapore will be less likely to innovate new e-commerce technologies or pioneer revolutionary e-commerce applications with radical global impacts, due to the small local market and the inadequate development of an information and communications technologies (ICT) entrepreneurial community with extensive network links to Silicon Valley and other entrepreneurial hot spots. Singapore is also unlikely to be a leader in large-scale business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce applications and mass consumer contents publishing. Our review of government policy initiatives to promote e-commerce suggests that although they are by and large in the right direction, they are unlikely to have significant impact until proven e-commerce models have emerged and competitive pressure start to be felt by companies. A possible exception is "e-government" applications. In contrast, we identify a number of areas where government policy initiatives have been a bit slow, notably in liberalizing the telecommunications services sector and in promoting technology entrepreneurship. Our review of the available empirical evidence on recent e-commerce diffusion trend and pattern in Singapore appears to be consistent with this analysis.     

Global and National Factors Affecting E-Commerce Diffusion in Singapore

This article provides a broad overview of the likely global/regional contextual factors and unique national characteristics that influence e-commerce diffusion in Singapore. Our analysis suggests that Singapore is likely to be a very fast adopter of e-commerce applications that have relatively proven business models in other advanced countries. In particular, advanced manufacturing clusters in Singapore with strong global supply chain links to advanced countries (especially electronics), logistics and transportation services, and other global market-oriented, business-to-business (B2B) industries are likely to be the most aggressive in adopting e-commerce applications. In contrast, we predict that Singapore will be less likely to innovate new e-commerce technologies or pioneer revolutionary e-commerce applications with radical global impacts, due to the small local market and the inadequate development of an information and communications technologies (ICT) entrepreneurial community with extensive network links to Silicon Valley and other entrepreneurial hot spots. Singapore is also unlikely to be a leader in large-scale business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce applications and mass consumer contents publishing. Our review of government policy initiatives to promote e-commerce suggests that although they are by and large in the right direction, they are unlikely to have significant impact until proven e-commerce models have emerged and competitive pressure start to be felt by companies. A possible exception is "e-government" applications. In contrast, we identify a number of areas where government policy initiatives have been a bit slow, notably in liberalizing the telecommunications services sector and in promoting technology entrepreneurship. Our review of the available empirical evidence on recent e-commerce diffusion trend and pattern in Singapore appears to be consistent with this analysis.     

Toward a Longitudinal Model of e-Commerce: Environmental,Technological, and Organizational Drivers of B2C Adoption

Despite the important benefits for firms of commercial initiatives on the Internet, e-commerce is still an emerging distribution channel, even in developed countries. Thus, more needs to be known about the mechanisms affecting its development. A large number of works have studied firms' e-commerce adoption from technological, intraorganizational, institutional, or other specific perspectives, but there is a need for adequately tested integrative frameworks. Hence, this work proposes and tests a model of firms' business-to-consumer (called B2C) e-commerce adoption that is founded on a holistic vision of the phenomenon. With this integrative approach, the authors analyze the joint influence of environmental, technological, and organizational factors; moreover, they evaluate this effect over time. Using various representative Spanish data sets covering the period 1996–2005, the findings demonstrate the suitability of the holistic framework. Likewise, some lessons are learned from the analysis of the key building blocks. In particular, the current study provides evidence for the debate about the effect of competitive pressure, since the findings show that competitive pressure disincentivizes e-commerce adoption in the long term. The results also show that the development or enrichment of the consumers' consumption patterns, the technological readiness of the market forces, the firm's global scope, and its competences in innovation continuously favor e-commerce adoption.     

Environment and Policy Factors Shaping Global E-Commerce Diffusion: A Cross-Country Comparison

This article examines the key global, environmental and policy factors that act as determinants of e-commerce diffusion. It is based on systematic comparison of case studies from 10 countries--Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. It finds that B2B e-commerce seems to be driven by global forces, whereas B2C seems to be more of a local phenomenon. A preliminary explanation for this difference is that B2B is driven by global competition and MNCs that "push" e-commerce to their global suppliers, customers, and subsidiaries. This in turn creates pressures on local companies to adopt e-commerce to stay competitive. In contrast, B2C is "pulled" by consumer markets, which are mainly local and therefore divergent. While all consumers desire convenience and low prices, consumer preferences and values, national culture, and distribution systems differ markedly across countries and define differences in local consumer markets. These findings support the transformation perspective about globalization and its impacts. In terms of policy, the case studies suggest that enabling policies such as trade and telecommunications liberalization are likely to have the biggest impact on e-commerce, by making ICT and Internet access more affordable to firms and consumers, and increasing pressure on firms to adopt e-commerce to compete. Specific e-commerce legislation appears not to have as big an impact, although inadequate protection for both buyers and sellers in some countries suggests that mechanisms need to be developed to ensure greater confidence in doing business online.     

Environment and Policy Factors Shaping Global E-Commerce Diffusion: A Cross-Country Comparison

This article examines the key global, environmental and policy factors that act as determinants of e-commerce diffusion. It is based on systematic comparison of case studies from 10 countries--Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. It finds that B2B e-commerce seems to be driven by global forces, whereas B2C seems to be more of a local phenomenon. A preliminary explanation for this difference is that B2B is driven by global competition and MNCs that "push" e-commerce to their global suppliers, customers, and subsidiaries. This in turn creates pressures on local companies to adopt e-commerce to stay competitive. In contrast, B2C is "pulled" by consumer markets, which are mainly local and therefore divergent. While all consumers desire convenience and low prices, consumer preferences and values, national culture, and distribution systems differ markedly across countries and define differences in local consumer markets. These findings support the transformation perspective about globalization and its impacts. In terms of policy, the case studies suggest that enabling policies such as trade and telecommunications liberalization are likely to have the biggest impact on e-commerce, by making ICT and Internet access more affordable to firms and consumers, and increasing pressure on firms to adopt e-commerce to compete. Specific e-commerce legislation appears not to have as big an impact, although inadequate protection for both buyers and sellers in some countries suggests that mechanisms need to be developed to ensure greater confidence in doing business online.     

Impacts of Globalization on E-Commerce Use and Firm Performance: A Cross-Country Investigation

This article develops and tests a model examining the relationship between firm globalization, scope of e-commerce use, and firm performance, using data from a large-scale cross-country survey of firms from three industries. We find that globalization leads to both greater scope of e-commerce use and improved performance, measured as efficiency, coordination, and market impacts. Scope of e-commerce use also leads to greater firm performance of all three types. Globalization has differential effects on B2B and B2C e-commerce, however, such that highly global firms are more likely to do B2B but less likely to do B2C. Our findings provide support for Porter's (1986) thesis that upstream business activities (namely, B2B) are more global while downstream business activities (B2C) are more local or multidomestic.     

民族地区企业发展电子商务会计的对策

民族地区企业发展电子商务会计可为企业及时提供比较全面的会计信息．为民族地区市场经济的健康发展奠定一个良好的外部环境。论述了电子商务会计的定义与特点,分析了当前制约电子商务会计发展的因素,提出了民族地区企业发展电子商务会计的对策。     

跨境电商背景下如何提升学生的英语能力

随着跨境电商的发展,跨境电商人才的需求日益剧增,为适应社会,这就要求学生具备一定的外语能力,不仅是要求其具备电子商务人才的从业能力,还要具备足够的中外文化的交流知识,这也对跨境人才提出了更高的要求,本文提出一些建设性意见,以期为我国的跨境电商发展提供支持。     

基于电子商务背景下农产品经济发展研究

农产品行业与我们日常生活息息相关,随着电子商务网上购买的模式广泛应用,农产品行业的发展也有了更大的机遇。本文主要通过对农产品的特点与电子商务的应用现状等进行分析研究,提出农产品电子商务运作存在的一些问题,希望提出的这些问题能对农产品电子商务市场有更多的参考价值。     

The Development of E-Commerce in Mexico: A Business-Led Passing Boom or a Step Toward the Emergence of a Digital Economy?

Since its inception in the early 1990s, e-commerce has grown swiftly in Mexico, making inroads into some of the most dynamic sectors of the Mexican economy. The actual extent of e-commerce use, however, is still very limited, as diffusion is hindered by both the low income levels of most Mexican households and the fact that the overwhelming majority of business establishments are very small, lacking the resources to invest in computers and the business culture to go online. This article examines the emergence of e-commerce in Mexico arguing that the main drivers of the process have been the initiatives of large private firms and the work of specialized organizations. It concludes that this is not just a passing boom but a concrete step toward the rise of an Internet-based economy in Mexico along the lines of the New Economy that took shape in the United States in the 1990s and is assumed to spread into developing nations.     

浅谈影响我国移动商务发展的主要因素

随着因特网的广泛应用,移动商务成为当前新兴的一种电子商务形式,发展移动商务是我国面临的一个非常重要的机遇与挑战。文章研究了影响移动商务发展的原因,并在此基础上分析了我国发展移动商务的主要因素:科学的战略规划、先进的技术支持和高效的营销手段。     

Systems,Experts, and Computers: The Systems Approach in Management and Engineering,World War II and After,edited by A.C. Hughes and T.P. Hughes

Since its inception in the early 1990s, e-commerce has grown swiftly in Mexico, making inroads into some of the most dynamic sectors of the Mexican economy. The actual extent of e-commerce use, however, is still very limited, as diffusion is hindered by both the low income levels of most Mexican households and the fact that the overwhelming majority of business establishments are very small, lacking the resources to invest in computers and the business culture to go online. This article examines the emergence of e-commerce in Mexico arguing that the main drivers of the process have been the initiatives of large private firms and the work of specialized organizations. It concludes that this is not just a passing boom but a concrete step toward the rise of an Internet-based economy in Mexico along the lines of the New Economy that took shape in the United States in the 1990s and is assumed to spread into developing nations.     

跨境电商产业国际集群品牌形成机理研究——基于扎根理论分析

回顾跨进电商集群品牌研究的相关理论,应用扎根理论对跨境电商国际集群品牌的形成进行范畴提炼与模型构建,研究跨境电商产业国际集群品牌的形成机理,揭示跨境电商产业国际集群品牌形成的关键阶段、具体过程、发展格局、环境支撑与决定要素,并提出跨境电商产业国际集群品牌的发展策略。     

Governance Initiatives Creating a Demand-Driven E-Commerce Approach: The Case of Denmark

The Danish e-commerce strategy is a highly ambitious effort to become the world's leading IT nation. Instead of a production-led approach aimed at stimulating domestic hardware and software production, Denmark has pursued a demand-oriented approach focused on promoting the widespread adoption of e-commerce in the Danish society. The Danish government has developed a number of e-commerce initiatives via public-private sector partnerships--an approach we refer to as "governance." So far, it appears that Denmark has been successful in promoting business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, with a number of Danish companies being global leaders in the use of B2B applications. On the other hand, Denmark has had less success in achieving widespread use of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. This article analyzes the Danish national environment for e-commerce, discusses four sets of governance initiatives aimed at the development of e-commerce, and analyzes the reasons for its success in B2B and relative failure in B2C adoption.     

基于跨境电商的中国新创企业国际创业路径

本文构建了基于跨境电商的国际创业路径模型,并采用跨案例研究法对鼎龙股份、中瑞思创、青岛金王三家企业的国际创业路径进行了剖析,提出了技术型、市场型与技术市场整合型三种国际创业路径。本文认为,中国新创企业应根据技术、市场、资金三方面的能力强弱,借助跨境电商优化自身相对较弱的国际创业要素,选择适合自己的国际创业路径。     

跨境电子商务物流发展环境实证研究——以浙江省为例

为研究浙江省电子商务物流发展环境与解决对策,首先通过主成分分析提取三个成分,分别定义为社会环境、技术环境、管理环境。然后根据提取的成分构建模型、提出假设,并运用PLS对模型假设进行检验。分析结果显示社会环境对电子商务物流的发展影响最大,有较大的正向促进作用;技术环境和管理环境对电子商务物流发展有相对较小的正向促进作用。最后,为浙江省电子商务物流业的发展提出建议。     

Governance Initiatives Creating a Demand-Driven E-Commerce Approach: The Case of Denmark

The Danish e-commerce strategy is a highly ambitious effort to become the world's leading IT nation. Instead of a production-led approach aimed at stimulating domestic hardware and software production, Denmark has pursued a demand-oriented approach focused on promoting the widespread adoption of e-commerce in the Danish society. The Danish government has developed a number of e-commerce initiatives via public-private sector partnerships--an approach we refer to as "governance." So far, it appears that Denmark has been successful in promoting business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce, with a number of Danish companies being global leaders in the use of B2B applications. On the other hand, Denmark has had less success in achieving widespread use of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce. This article analyzes the Danish national environment for e-commerce, discusses four sets of governance initiatives aimed at the development of e-commerce, and analyzes the reasons for its success in B2B and relative failure in B2C adoption.