bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Virtual Individual Education Plan (IEP) Team
Authors: Catagnus Robyn M. , Hantula Donald A.
Published: February 2011

A team of professional educators in a private school for children with disabilities (a Virtual IEP Team) used an online platform to collaborate and produce a behavior intervention plan for a student. The collaboration was effective and efficient; the plan was produced in 9 days, rather than the customary 3-6 weeks. Qualitative data yielded four major themes: beneficial augmentation, reflective practice, barriers to change, and improved interactions. Quantitative results showed that although end user satisfaction was moderate, they produced a successful behavior intervention plan that showed positive changes in both the teacher and student behavior. An increase of in-person staff discussion as a result of online dialogue was a unique finding in this study warranting further investigation. Now that federal (U.S.) education law has changed to allow technologically mediated IEP meetings, the Virtual IEP Team may serve as a model for more efficient use of education professionals’ time.
Financial Impact of E-Business Initiatives in the Retail Industry
Authors: Motiwalla Luvai , Khan M. Riaz
Published: February 2011

Electronic business (EB) on the Internet has been promoted as a revolutionary technology that will transform “the way we do business.” This paper presents the results of an exploratory study, which compares the financial performance (FP) of 73 publicly held U.S. corporations from the retail industry over a ten-year period. The study analyzes the financial statements of these companies to determine whether EB initiative have had an impact on their financial performance. The results indicate that companies with EB initiatives experienced improved performance in the post-EB era, though not overwhelmingly or across the board. In order to reassure that the observed improvement was not a result of the favorable economic climate of the late 1990s, the 36 companies with EB initiatives were compared against 37 companies with no EB initiatives (nEB) during the same time period. This comparative analysis of 730 sample data points indicates that the EB companies did perform better in some areas than their nEB counter part, albeit marginally.
Linking Technological Compatibility and Operational Capacity Constraints to Communication Technology Adoption
Authors: Bendoly Elliot , Kaefer Frederick
Published: February 2011

Two interacting issues have recently been shown to theoretically impact communication technology adoption: the willingness of business partners to use various communication technologies and a firm’s operational capacity to accommodate the product/service demands of these potential partners. This study examines the relationship between these two issues and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), a long standardized communication technology that has been underutilized by business organizations. Our findings suggest that the technological compatibility concerns of firms considering EDI adoption differ depending on if they are product or service oriented. Capacity limitations are found to significantly moderate these compatibility effects. The implications for managers of electronic commerce technologies are discussed.
Analysing Business Interaction in a Virtual Organisation
Authors: Axelsson Karin
Published: February 2011

This paper focuses upon the complexity of inter-organisational systems (IOS) — on one hand enabling organisations to become successful actors conducting electronic commerce, and on the other hand being organisationally very complex and demanding to develop, implement, and use, since several organisations with differing objectives are involved. The paper proposes a model to analyse business interaction: the business action theory (BAT) phase model. The aim of the paper is to show how BAT can increase the understanding of business interaction conducted in complex inter-organisational contexts, such as business networks and virtual organisations. In order to achieve this purpose, the BAT phase model is applied on a virtual organisation. The model visualises and gives structure to the business interaction within this network of organisations. Understanding of such business interaction is important when developing and implementing IOS, since (part of) the business interaction will be conducted through the IOS.
Implementing E-Government in Ireland
Authors: Golden William , Hughes Martin , Scott Murray
Published: February 2011

E-government provides unparalleled opportunities for governments to streamline processes and improve customer service. As a result, achieving successful citizen centric e-government has become a key concern for many governments. This paper analyses the Irish Government’s evolutionary path to the provision of successful e-Government. The success factors and stages of evolution of e-government are identified and a detailed examination of how the Irish Government successfully implemented its e-government strategy is presented. The lessons learnt from this case provide a valuable roadmap for the successful attainment of citizen centred e-government in other jurisdictions.
E-Taxation-An Introduction to the Use of TaxXML for Corporate Tax Reporting
Authors: Pant Vikramaditya , Stiner M.Susan , Wagner William P.
Published: February 2011

Online tax systems are rapidly replacing paper-based tax reporting systems. Promising many advantages over the traditional method of hard copy tax filing, these systems promise faster process, lower costs and increased efficiency. Using a specific language from the eXtensible Markup Language family called TaxXML, TIGERS, a government subcommittee for the establishment of electronic taxation standards is looking to revolutionize the way government administers taxation. TaxXML draws upon the concepts and constructs of basic XML and utilizes tax-related vocabularies to create a standardized and systematized framework of electronic tax preparation and reporting. Having said that electronic tax reporting is advantageous over traditional paper-based reporting, there are further advantages of using a TaxXML based electronic system than one that is engineered using non-standard proprietary technologies. While it is still in its early stages of development, it is unclear how hard the government will impose this technology onto the industry and also how the industry will react to this new technology. This paper will provide some background for the study of TaxXML and will suggest why TaxXML is a very significant development in the realm of online tax systems.
Interactive E-Government
Authors: Barnes Stuart J. , Vidgen Richard
Published: February 2011

As government organizations have begun increasingly to communicate and interact with citizens via the Web, providing services has demanded acute understanding of the requirements of users and appropriate tailoring of solutions. In this paper, we examine the results of a survey of the quality of a Web site provided by the UK Government. The site is that of the Inland Revenue. The survey was administered directly after the launch of a new system to enable online submission of self-assessed tax returns. The instrument, E-Qual, draws on previous work in Web site usability, information quality, and service interaction quality to provide a rounded framework for assessing e-government offerings. The metrics and qualitative comments provide some detailed insights into the perceptions of users who attempted to interact with the online taxation system. The results point to specific areas in need of development in the Web site, which are found to be consistent with initiatives launched recently by the Inland Revenue.
Teaching and Learning of E-Commerce at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Authors: Ngai Eric W.T.
Published: February 2011

This paper gives an overview of the work done at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s (PolyU’s) E-Commerce Laboratory on teaching and learning platforms for electronic commerce (EC), ranging from an E-Mall shopping platform to an agent-based EC Trading Platform. The platforms are designed and developed to encourage the nontextbook learning of EC concepts through active learning in role-playing games. We describe the overall design and development of some EC platforms used for undergraduate business and management students at PolyU. Our experiences indicate that students like the practical components of the course and are interested in a nontextbook approach to learning by playing games. We believe that other business colleges with EC curricula will benefit from this approach.
Design and Implementation of an E-Commerce Platform-SIMEC
Authors: Cheng Hua , Fang Meiqi , Guan Lin , Hong Zuqiang
Published: February 2011

In this paper, we describe how to design the core functions of an e-commerce simulation platform and how to use program languages to implement it. Since last July up to now, we have been working on the new version of the simulation platform, SIMEC3.0 in our Economy and Science Lab. In our project, we use the leading-edge object-oriented language JAVA and a subset of J2EE framework as the technical architecture. XML is used in the platform to store and exchange all kinds of commerce documents. Because all the research on building an e-commerce simulation platform has much to do with the development of SIMEC, in this paper, we will use SIMEC3.0 as an example to describe how to design and implement an e-commerce simulation platform.
E-Commerce Education In China
Authors: Juhua Chen , Yong Hu , Wei Wang
Published: February 2011

This paper introduced the development of e-commerce education in China within the framework that the advantages, development, and education of e-commerce are functionally interactive. The first part of the paper is dedicated to explaining the advantage of e-commerce as well as the present situation and prospects of e-commerce in China. Then, the next two sections are focused on reporting the rapid progress of e-commerce education and its limitation in China. Next, we analyze its irrationality according to our sampling survey on e-commerce specialized courses in China. The final section is mainly to design the knowledge structure for e-commerce applied professionals combined with our teaching experiences, understanding of e-commerce development, and analysis of typical position setting in e-commerce enterprises within two principles of the requirements of markets and the professional character of e-commerce.
Teaching And Learning Of E-Commerce Courses Via Hybrid E-Learning Model In Unitar
Authors: Ijab Mohd. Taha , Anwar Rina , Hamid Suraya
Published: February 2011

The advent of the Internet in the early 1980s did not attract e-learning instantaneously. Circa 1990s only, universities started looking for the potential of the Internet to deliver teaching and learning to the masses. Universiti Tun Abdul Razak (UNITAR), being the first e-learning university in Malaysia, offers a hybrid model that combines three important components. The three components are the interactive, multimedia content on CDs and on the Web, the face-to-face meetings, and the Internet-based support systems that provide continuous interaction between the students and faculty. This paper describes our experience at UNITAR in designing and teaching Electronic-Commerce (EC) courses using the mentioned hybrid e-learning concept. EC courses in UNITAR were offered for both undergraduate and postgraduate students. The curriculum of these courses was developed and modeled after the EC Framework introduced by Ravi Kalakota and Andrew B. Whinston. Our hybrid e-learning model combines the face-to-face meetings of lecturers and students, and also the use of a Web-based Learning Management System (LMS) that enables continuous interactions via an Virtual Online Instructional Support System (VOISS), Centra as the Online Tutorial (OLT) media, and the multimedia-enabled Web-based courseware.
Personalization of E-Commerce Applications in SMEs
Authors: Schubert Petra , Leimstoll Uwe
Published: February 2011

Personalization of e-commerce applications is an issue that is gaining increasing importance with the advancing maturity of such systems. There is already e-commerce software on the market offering integrated e-shop and personalization functions. However, the available software is too time-consuming and expensive for SMEs. With this in mind we saw a need to investigate the potential for personalization from the particular angle of SMEs. In addition to some theoretical fundamentals of personalization, this paper presents the results of an empirical study. With the help of a survey, we investigated the application potential for personalization tools in Swiss companies. The conclusions show that SMEs are (still) skeptical towards e-commerce applications which use personalization. It furthermore becomes clear that the heterogeneity of organizational and technical conditions impedes the development of standardized tools.
Online Consumer Trust
Authors: Tan Felix B. , Sutherland Paul
Published: February 2011

Consumer trust is widely heralded as an essential element for the success of electronic commerce, yet the concept itself is still clouded in confusion by the numerous definitions and points of view held across multiple disciplines. It is the aim of this paper to synthesise the viewpoints from across the disciplines and bring them together in a multi-dimensional trust model. It is hoped that in doing so, these broad assortment of views will highlight the true underlying nature of trust in the online environment. From these multiple disciplines, three dimensions of trust emerged: dispositional trust, institutional trust and interpersonal trust, each bringing its own influencing factors into the overall intention to trust. From this model emerged the notion that the consumer as an individual is central to the understanding of trust, and in turn that the individual’s personality and culture form the foundation for the development of trust.
Implementing Electronic Commerce in SMEs
Authors: Tucker David , Lafferty Anthony
Published: February 2011

Partwell Limited is a small to medium sized (SME) manufacturing and supply company based in the United Kingdom. This case study discusses the circumstances that led the company to consider the implementation of two Internet Web sites for the purpose of conducting Electronic Commerce (e-commerce). The history and culture of Partwell are described, as are the histories and characteristics of key personnel involved in this e-commerce project. Furthermore, the company’s previous experience with information and communication technology (ICT) is described. Following on from this the process by which e-commerce was introduced into the company is explained. This information provides the background for analyzing the case study. Finally, the case study goes on to show the importance of SMEs to the economy of the UK and identifies the main factors that inhibit SMEs from adopting e-commerce. The tangible benefits and consequences of this e-commerce project are identified.
Buying and Selling Prescription Drugs on the Internet
Authors: Rosson Phillip
Published: February 2011

In recent years, Internet pharmacies have emerged in Canada, primarily to supply US customers with lower-cost drugs. The pharmacies use e-commerce and other technologies to reach large numbers of potential customers and to exploit the sizeable price difference that exists for prescription drugs in the two countries. The resulting cross-border trade in drugs grew rapidly from 2001.2 Despite rapid, short-term success, the survival of Internet pharmacies was not assured. Critics of Internet pharmacies claimed that their practices were illegal, unethical, and unsafe. Further, the traditional pharmaceutical supply chain had reacted strongly to the challenge laid down by Internet pharmacies. The future position of Internet pharmacies was therefore uncertain. The case study examines the Internet pharmacy industry, with one company (Mediplan Health Consulting Inc.) providing illustrations. It shows that e-commerce technology was critical for Internet pharmacies at start-up, but that non-technical matters quickly became more important management issues.
E-Markets in Emerging Economy
Authors: Pani Ashis K. , Agrahari Amit
Published: February 2011

MetalJunction.com is a joint venture of TISCO and SAIL, the steel makers contributing more than 60% to India’s total steel production. The case illustrates how organization(s) can use information technology to spin off key processes such as procurement and selling. In its first year of operations MetalJunction.com generated substantial savings for TISCO and SAIL. The case also supports the argument that the business context in emerging economies is significantly different from developed economies; hence setting up a successful B2B marketplace may require creation of basic services that are taken for granted in developed economies.
Global Reach for Community
Authors: Mandal Purnendu , Shao Dale H. , Kennedy Roger J.
Published: February 2011

Community-initiated information dissemination types of activities over the Internet are showing a growing trend in recent years. Local communities realized the potential of enormous benefits in promoting their locality in the Internet. This case focuses on an Internet-based community development project that promotes e-commerce concepts among customers, local businesses, and local government bodies. A volunteer organization, St. Albans Renaissance Group in the State of West Virginia, and a regional university, Marshall University at Huntington, West Virginia, spearheaded the project. The experiences gained in the process of developing a large Web site are discussed here. This case suggests an approach that could be used to develop Web sites for e-commerce in cash strapped local communities, and to increase the likelihood that the initiatives would be successful.
Conceptualizing B2C Businesses as a New Category of Services
Authors: Pandya Anil , Dholakia Nikhilesh
Published: February 2011

Conceptualizing B2C businesses as an innovative class of technology-infused services yields insights into the factors that may lead to success or failure of such businesses. Drawing from services’ marketing literature and recent thinking on Internet service metrics, this paper presents a framework for analyzing B2C businesses.
Framework for User Perception of Effective E-Tail Web Sites
Authors: Lee Sang M. , Katerattanakul Pairin , Hong Soongoo
Published: February 2011

This study presents the development of an empirically validated framework for users’ perception of effective Web sites for retail e-commerce (E-tail). In particular, we attempted to answer the main research questions: What are the major designs determining E-tail Web site effectiveness? How do these designs support Web users’ objectives in using the Web? Based on the concept of “fitness for use” and the reasons that consumers use the Web, we proposed that “effective designs for E-tail Web sites should support Web customers for their (a) information search, (b) pleasure and (c) business transactions.” Then, data were collected from a survey on 427 potential Web customers. An exploratory analysis was conducted to refine the proposed framework and to provide structure of the constructs in the framework to be validated by a following confirmatory analysis. Results suggest that the major designs determining E-tail Web site effectiveness include 16 factors, with 64 Web designs supporting the three major reasons for customers to use the Web.
Digital Watermarking and Its Impact on Intellectual Property Limitation for the Digital Age
Authors: Jahnke Tim , Seitz Juergen
Published: February 2011

This paper reports on a study that investigated the status and anticipated development of e-Business activity. A prime aim of the study was to increase understanding of the human and organizational issues that arise with e-Business, and the extent to which these are currently addressed. An expert panel method was used, which involved interviewing 70 leading practitioners of, and experts in, e-Business in the UK. The findings identify the distinguishing novel features of e-Business, highlight the key issues it raises, and provide evidence of current uptake and impacts. The findings include ideas on good practice. The study emphasizes the importance of taking a holistic, sociotechnical view of the complex set of interrelated changes involved in e-Business.
Evaluating the Usability and Content Usefulness of Web Sites
Authors: Hassan Shahizan , Li Feng
Published: February 2011

Although benchmarking technique has been widely used in various aspects of organisations and businesses, there is no clear framework on how the technique can be applied for Web evaluation. This article presents a framework for evaluating the usability and content usefulness of Web sites by using the benchmarking approach. It describes the purpose of evaluation, metrics to be used, and processes through which Web benchmarking can be carried out. Several methods were used which include content analysis of literature and expert review. A total of 46 criteria were identified that can be used as the benchmarking metrics. The framework was tested for its applicability by evaluating four political Web sites in Malaysia. The results proved that the framework is easy to implement and would be particularly valuable for those who intend to benchmark the overall usability and content usefulness of their Web sites against those of their competitors.
B2C Failures
Authors: Pandya Anil M. , Dholakia Nikhilesh
Published: February 2011

This article uses concepts derived from the investigation of product and services innovation failures to develop a strategic market framework to help understand why so many Internet-based business-to-consumer (B2C) companies failed to fulfill their initial promise. B2C crashes, viewed collectively, may be seen as representing an initial wave of failure of an entirely new class of technology-driven services. Such services sought to inform, promote, sell, and deliver B2C items in radically unfamiliar ways. Research shows B2C firms failed because they did not follow time-tested business precepts, but does not tell us why. In addressing this question, this article argues that unsuccessful B2C firms failed to realize they were marketing innovative services. It focuses on the difficulty of marketing innovative services by developing an integrated framework using the continuum of need-solution context, in conjunction with the notion that seller/buyer perceptions about the scope of innovations are not necessarily concordant. Matched perceptions lead to success, but not always because sellers and buyers can both misjudge the nature and scope of an innovation. Using secondary sources, the article illustrates the explanatory power of the framework and contributes to e-commerce management issues by clarifying why, despite resource availability, most B2C firms failed in the initial round.
Teaching E-Business Online
Authors: Lam Wing
Published: February 2011

Increasingly, universities and other educational institutions are supplementing their traditional campus-based programs with online ones. This paper describes how Universitas 21 Global (U21G), a new online university, has approached the task of teaching e-business as a subject in its online MBA program. Aspects of the pedagogy used by U21G are outlined and the way in which the pedagogy has been applied to the design of the courseware and the student learning experienced is described.
E-Entrepreneurship
Authors: Jiwa Salim , Lavelle Dawn , Rose Arjun
Published: February 2011

E-business is being heralded as the new economy. However, developments in the area of new online business-to-consumer (B2C) venture creation has been accompanied by varying degrees of success, and it is increasingly recognized that online venture creation does not materialize overnight. E-business development typically follows an evolutionary cycle of initial experimentation with Internet technologies and the transformation of consumer propositions toward the creation of a commercially viable online presence. To enable entrepreneurs to negotiate this new business landscape, Netrepreneur simulates the initial startup phases of e-business creation in the online economy. Through the modeling and electronic simulation of the e-commerce environment, Netrepreneur aims to create a holistic understanding of the entrepreneurial process as well as encourage participants to learn by doing in the simulated virtual world instead of trial and error in the real e-economy. This paper reviews the underpinning entrepreneurial pedagogic requirements for design conceptualization and the integration of the real and virtual business worlds within the Netrepreneur system development. It documents the key factors that academia should consider when designing learning programs and activities for would-be e-entrepreneurs. It is our hope that by showing the background to the development of this product, we will facilitate more of this type of innovation in education.
The Role of Facilitating Conditions and Institutional Trust in Electronic Marketplaces
Authors: Patnasingam Pauline , Gefen David , Pavlou Paul A.
Published: February 2011

Given the uncertainties of e-business, this paper examines the role of institutional trust, which has been viewed as a key facilitator of electronic marketplaces (Pavlou, Tan, & Gefen 2003). In doing so, we draw upon the principles of research on traditional EDI via value-added-networks to develop a set of theory-driven institutional trust-building facilitating conditions; namely, (a) IT connectivity, (b) standards, (c) security, and (d) uniform product descriptions. This study has implications for (1) the nature and role of institutional trust in e-marketplaces, (2) the strategic design of trust-building mechanisms in e-marketplaces, and (3) an extension of the literature on institutional trust.
Trust in E-Commerce
Authors: Wang Ye Diana , Emurian Henry H.
Published: February 2011

The design of the interface for e-commerce transactions is one source of influence that can affect an online shopper’s trust in the merchant. This paper undertook a confirmatory factor analysis involving 14 trust-inducing interface design features that populated a conceptual framework proposed in our previous study. The factor analysis of self-reported ratings of the features, which were illustrated on a synthetic e-commerce interface by 181 survey respondents, revealed the following three underlying dimensions: (1) visual, (2) content, and (3) social-cue design dimensions. All 14 features were found to contribute to the composition of the three dimensions. The social-cue dimension was rated as less important than the other two dimensions, and shoppers who had been cheated by an online merchant showed lower overall trust ratings in comparison to the remaining shoppers. Qualitative reports by the survey respondents yielded additional insights about the importance of the interface. The results of this study may contribute to an appreciation of interface design features that may influence a user’s perception of the trustworthiness of an online merchant’s Web site.
A Review of Single-Item Internet Auction Literature and a Model for Future Research
Authors: Baker Jeff , Song Jaeki
Published: February 2011

Internet auctions have received a considerable amount of attention from researchers. We review recent empirical literature pertaining to single-item Internet auctions and observe that existing work has examined the roles of the auctioneer, bidder, and seller in Internet auctions. As this stream of research matures, research will necessarily move from concept discovery and process explanation to theory deepening. As a first step towards synthesis of findings in Internet auctions, we compile a comprehensive list of the various factors that have been examined in empirical studies and note their general impact upon auction outcome. Based upon this extant research, we propose a conceptual model of Internet auctions as a framework for structuring future work into Internet auctions. We then note the existing economic, psychological, sociological, and cognitive theoretical bases for work on Internet auctions. We conclude by highlighting the potential for behavioral economics to bring unity to Internet auction research and by calling researchers to engage in the work of forging a comprehensive theory of Internet auctions.
The Affective and Cognitive Impacts of Perceived Touch on Online Customers' Intention to Return in the Web-based eCRM Environment
Authors: Chen Hong-Mei , Chen Qimei , Kazman Rick
Published: February 2011

Electronic Customer Relationship Management (ECRM) systems focus on a website as the interaction channel for creating a one-to-one relationship with customers via various “touch” options. The intention of such technologies is to affectively and cognitively impact on online customers’ intention to return to the website. To capture the influence of eCRM systems, we define a construct, Perceived Touch, to differentiate the customer’s perception of the touch received from the actual level of touch deployed. We report the results of an empirical study that provides evidence that Perceived Touch positively influences customers’ Behavioral Intention to Return via both affective and cognitive routes. Our results show that Perceived Touch provides a theoretical underpinning for eCRM system design and suggests that e-business managers invest in the design and evaluation of the users’ perception of touch options and pay special attention to affective quality manipulation.
Changing IT skills
Authors: Bullen Christine V. , Abraham Thomas. , Gallagher Kevin. , Kaiser Kate M.
Published: February 2011

The increasingly global sourcing of IT work and other socio-economic trends are prompting fundamental changes in the availability of IT skills needed in both client and vendor organizations. This article analyzes the results of a survey conducted in 2005, in which IT executives were asked to describe the skills they felt were critical to keep in house now and in 2008. The top ten current skills included three in project management, five in business domain and three in technical. In 2008, the top five emerging skills are almost all business domain while the top five exiting skills are all technical. Our findings indicate that the critical skills to keep in-house are primarily client-facing skills, even when they are technical. Findings indicate that IT professionals need to have a balance that demonstrates a foundation in the traditional “hard skills” and experience with “softer” business-oriented skills.
Inter-Organizational E-commerce in Healthcare Services
Authors: Kalyanpur Arjun , Latif Firoz , Saini Sanjay , Sarnikar Surendra
Published: February 2011

Advances in healthcare information technology have enabled new models for electronic delivery of healthcare services. In this article, we present the case of electronic delivery of radiological services and describe the market-based and technological factors that have led to the development of Internet-based service models for flexible delivery of radiological services. Specifically, we describe the technical, regulatory, and security issues that affect teleradiology and propose a service delivery model for providing cost-effective and flexible radiological services.
Outsourcing and Multi-Party Business Collaborations Modeling
Authors: Xu Lai
Published: February 2011

To remain competitive, enterprises have to integrate their business processes with their customers, suppliers, and business partners. Increasing collaboration includes not only a global multi-national enterprise, but also an organization with its relationship to and business processes with its business partners. Standards and technologies permit business partners to exchange information, collaborate, and carry out business transactions in a pervasive Web environment. There is however still very limited research activity on modeling multi-party business collaboration underlying semantics. In this article, we demonstrate that an in-house business process has been gradually outsourced to third parties and analyze how task delegations cause commitments between multiple business parties. Finally, we provide process semantics for modeling multi-party collaborations.
Organizational Motivation and Interorganizational Systems Adoption Process
Authors: Rahim Md. Mahbubur , Shanks Graeme , Johnston Robert , Sarker Pradip
Published: February 2011

Interorganizational systems (IOS) play a critical role in today’s e-commerce environment. These systems are introduced by different organizations following different adoption processes. Existing literature on IOS adoption, however, does not explain the variations in the IOS adoption processes initiated by different organizations. A theory of IOS adoption known as IOS Motivation Model (IMM) has recently been developed by the authors that explains the differences in IOS adoption processes in terms of differences in organizations’ adoption motivations for any given IOS project. This paper reports an application of the model in the Australian automotive industry. The findings provide support for the model and are useful for IT managers.
Electronic Commerce Adoption Barriers in Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Developed and Developing Countries
Authors: Kartiwi Mira , MacGregor Robert C.
Published: February 2011

Today, electronic commerce (e-commerce) has been utilised as a rapid vehicle to transform the world into an information society. In the business environment, e-commerce has made considerable inroads not only into large organisations but also the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). However, SMEs are not adopting e-commerce with same speed as their larger counterparts. This slow growth has been attributed to various adoption barriers, which have been well documented in numerous research studies. While several recent studies have begun examining the relationship between the perceptions of adoption barriers in developed economies, the relationship between the perceptions of these barriers has not been fully examined in developing economies. This paper examines the correlation and underlying factors of barriers to e-commerce (as perceived by SME owner/managers) in a developing economy (Indonesia). It then compares these with SME owner/manager perceptions from a developed economy (Sweden). The study showed that there are differences in the groupings and priorities of barriers to e-commerce between the two locations. Most importantly, however, was the finding that while Swedish respondents were more concerned with technical issues, the Indonesian respondents were more concerned with organisational barriers.
A Parallel Methodology for Reduction of Coupling in Distributed Business-to-business E-commerce Transactions
Authors: Orme Anthony Mark , Etzkorn Letha H.
Published: February 2011

Recently, new standards for business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce transactions, to reduce extended record locking, relaxed standard database transaction properties. In this paper, we provide a parallel methodology employing a mobile/intelligent agent framework to alleviate extended record locking, while adhering to standard database transaction properties. Our methodology provides a minimum 30% reduction of record locking compared to new B2B standards.
Understanding Outsourcing of Web-Based Applications in Organizations
Authors: Cata Teuta
Published: February 2011

This article has investigated the insurance industry and provided insights into the relationships of organizational size and age with outsourcing and organizational structure. Also, this study investigated the relationship between Web site age, outsourcing, and organizational structure. The main findings are that firm size and maturity is related to the decision of Web-based development approach and the best organizational structure to support online activity. The insights obtained by a new variable: Web site age suggests that insurance companies are trying to develop their Web-based activities within their existing organizational structures, rather than creating new e-commerce divisions.
E-Business Triggers
Authors: Hinson Robert , Sorensen Olav Jull
Published: February 2011

This study sought to ascertain what key international and local triggers accelerated or militated against their e-business adoption process in Ghanaian non-traditional export (NTE) firms. The macro international trigger explored was competition from exporters in other countries as well as an ascertainment of the significance of export direction. The macro level trigger explored hinged on the level of infrastructural support available for e-business adoption and deployment. Study focused on active non-traditional exporters in Accra. 60 firms responded to questionnaires on e-business and exporting. Analysis of the data was mainly by means of descriptive statistics. Competition acts as a trigger for e-business adoption even though its relationship to the level of internationalization could not be clearly established. E-business is important for Ghanaian exporters irrespective of where they are exporting to and they seem prepared to go electronic irrespective of the level of infrastructural sophistication within and without their export firms.
The Role of Digital Service Encounters on Customers' Perceptions of Companies
Authors: Heinonen Kristina.
Published: February 2011

The service encounter occurs whenever a customer interacts with a company personally or through technology through, for example, the Internet, e-mail, or telephone. Nowadays, customers frequently initiate the encounter as, for example, inquiries, information searches, and complaints are conveniently performed online. This article explores the role of digital service encounters on customer perceptions of companies. Digital service encounters in this article denote remote customer-company interactions via the Internet or e-mail. The focus is on active customers initiating interactions and on customer perceptions of company responses to these interactions. A conceptual framework that captures customer perceived service encounter value on two dimensions (responsiveness and personalization) is proposed. An empirical study exploring the value of company responses to digital contacts indicated that many contacts are responded to promptly and satisfyingly. However, there are also significant differences in the value of the service encounter. Some service encounters are perceived as unpersonalized, and some are even left without response.
E-Government Service Delivery Performance
Authors: Lawson-Body Aisson , Keengwe Jared , Mukankusi Laurence , Illia Abdou , Miller Glen
Published: February 2011

E-government service delivery performance has been discussed in literature as a way governments use information technologies (IT) to deliver valuable services to their citizens at a lower cost. This article examines the effectiveness of Web site-supported Balanced Scorecard’s four dimensions (innovation and learning, internal process, veteran value proposition, and financial) in improving e-government service delivery performance. The study used content analysis to analyze the data obtained from a sample of 19 county veteran service officers (CVSOs) to test the hypotheses. CVSOs use Web sites to serve veterans on a Government-to-Citizen (G2C) basis.
Adoption of Internet Technology by the Banking Industry in Oman
Authors: Al-Hajri Salim , Tatnall Arthur
Published: February 2011

The banking industry in Oman is of major importance to Oman’s economy, yet Omani banks continue to conduct most of their transactions using traditional methods. A strong banking industry significantly supports economic development through efficient financial services, and their role in trying to achieve the objectives outlined by the Sultan of Oman will depend heavily on the industry’s capabilities. Omni banks will need to introduce change at both procedural and informational levels that includes moving from traditional distribution channel banking to electronic channel banking. This paper addresses the question: What are the enablers and the inhibitors of Internet technology adoption in the Omani banking industry compared with those in the Australian banking industry? The paper does not attempt a direct comparison of the banking industries in these two very different countries, but rather presents a discussion of Internet technology adoption in Oman, informed by the more mature Australian experience.
Electronic Commerce and Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Relations
Authors: Burgess Stephen , Karanasios Stan
Published: February 2011

This article discusses some of the recent trends in relation the role that electronic commerce can play in business-to-consumer (B2C) relations, including the importance of understanding the behaviour of online customers and the role that e-commerce can play in managing customer relationships online. The article serves as an introduction to this special edition of the journal, which examined the use of electronic commerce in dealings with consumers.
The Impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management in Business-to-Consumer E-Commerce
Authors: Ratnasingam Pauline
Published: February 2011

The growth of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce has gained a lot of attention among SMEs. Most B2C firms are turning their attention on how to retain new customers and are left in a situation to compete with larger firms. This paper aims to examine the impact of E-Commerce Customer Relationship Management (ECCRM) in a small business firm that engages in B2C e-commerce. Drawing upon the theories of customer relationship management, e-commerce, trust and loyalty, we develop an integrated framework of ECCRM model to illustrate the impact of the hard and soft factors that reflect the level of transactional and relational components of communication thereby impacting the customers shopping time lifecycle experiences. We develop a number of hypotheses to facilitate testing of the framework via an exploratory case study. We then discuss the findings of the integrated framework leading to theoretical and practical implications of this study and directions for future research.
Personal Information Privacy
Authors: Conger Sue
Published: February 2011

Individuals can no longer manage their own personal information privacy. Rather, organizations with which individuals interact must recognize vulnerabilities and actively manage their data to guarantee known data sharing and to prevent data leakages. A more complete model of consumers’ personal information privacy that includes not only data gathering, but also data sharing and data leakage is presented and defended here.
A Pattern-Oriented Methodology for Engineering High-Quality E-Commerce Applications
Authors: Kamthan Pankaj
Published: February 2011

This article proposes, develops, and explores a methodology for engineering electronic commerce applications (ECA) aiming for “high-quality.” In doing so, the development and maintenance of ECA is undertaken from the perspective of Web Engineering. The relevant quality attributes and corresponding stakeholder types for the ECA are identified, and the role of a flexible development process and the challenges in making optimal use of patterns are analyzed. The activities of a systematic selection and application of patterns to the macro- and micro-architecture design of business-to-consumer (B2C) ECA are given. The scope and limitations of the proposed methodology are discussed, and some possible directions for its evolution are outlined.
A Behavioral Beliefs Model of Trustworthiness in Consumer-Oriented E-Commerce
Authors: Van Slyke Craig , Belanger France , Comunale Christie L.
Published: February 2011

For e-commerce to grow, customers must trust organizations with which they interact. In this article, we propose and test a theoretically-derived model of trustworthiness of Web merchants in general. Trustworthiness is influenced by behavioral, competence, and attitudinal beliefs. Findings indicate trustworthiness is strongly influenced by behavior-related beliefs, and less strongly by attitude-related beliefs. Trustworthiness beliefs impact intentions to purchase from Web merchants.
Innovation in Nigerian Small and Medium Enterprises
Authors: Egbetokun A.A. , Olamade O.O.
Published: February 2011

This article seeks to explore the types of innovation that are predominant in SMEs in developing countries and to investigate the impact of these innovations on different dimensions of firm performance based on an industry-wide innovation survey carried out in Nigeria in 2007. Although innovation is important for superior firm performance, our result found that the type of innovation that SMEs pursue is not a critical consideration in their performance. While there was no difference found in the focus of SMEs on either of product or process innovations, evidence showed that SMEs would focus more on incremental product and process innovations. Incremental innovation was found to be very important for Nigerian SMEs and a significant predictor of product quality and not of revenue. The authors conclude that SMEs chooses to pursue such innovations that most fit their strategies and available resources. Such level of innovation affords Nigerian SMEs to more extensively exploit the domestic market but cannot support extensive new product development required to enter export markets.
Building Highly Dependable Wireless Web Services
Authors: Zhao Wenbing
Published: February 2011

In this paper, the authors introduce Web services technology and its applications to mobile business transactions. This paper shows that the Web services technology is a powerful tool to build next-generation e-Commerce applications for wireless mobile devices following the service-oriented architecture. Such an approach would bring significant benefits to organizations involved with e-Commerce. The authors further discuss the importance of ensuring high dependability of Web services and provide a literature review of state-of-the-art techniques that are critical to the implementation of practical and dependable wireless Web services. Finally, research on the design, implementation, and performance evaluation of a fault tolerance framework for wireless Web services are described.
A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Consumers’ Increased vs. Decreased Online Purchases
Authors: Zhou Tao , Lu Yaobin , Wang Bin
Published: February 2011

Previous research on online consumer purchases has focused on increased purchases and neglected decreased purchases. However, factors impacting these purchases are different. Drawing on the two-factor theory, in this paper, the authors compare factors affecting increase and decrease in Chinese consumers’ online purchases. The authors conducted separate group analyses with PLS. The results show that consumers’ perception of service quality significantly affects increases in their online purchasing behavior, whereas their perception of website quality significantly affects decreases in online purchasing. These results show that e-tailers must not only focus on factors that promote online shopping but also those that deter consumers from making online purchases.
City 2.0 as a Platform for Global E-Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Authors: Anttiroiko Ari-Veikko
Published: February 2011

Due to increased cross-boundary flows of resources, local governments have become more concerned with global economic development. In this regard, in this paper, the author discusses how globalisation and related intercity competition pose challenges to the development of cities. The objective is to describe innovative ways of dealing with global intercity competition with special reference to how the tools of City 2.0 may be used to support e-entrepreneurship by connecting local actors to different layers of innovation networks.