E-Commerce Diffusion

As we have already mentioned in the Preface of this book, mentioning EC in this chapter will signify and mean B2C EC unless it is mentioned otherwise. This chapter has primarily addressed, discussed, and conceptualized paradigms of three issues of diffusion of EC. First, we investigated the impacts of EC diffusion on overall social, political, cultural, technological, organizational, and economic relations. In this connection, we revealed seven types of prime relational changes on the effects of EC diffusion in a country context. Consequently, government-private organizations, consumers, and intermediaries (viz., the comprehensive relation of market characteristics) are reshaped. Then we traced the diffusion of EC and the role of different actors associated with this new economical and technological innovation, viz. EC, and their functional characteristics in the diffusion process. Based on the association of those stakeholders with the market economy, and the role and functions of those stakeholders in the diffusion process of EC, we conceptualized the theoretical framework for diffusion of EC. From this framework, we revealed that the government role, capability, and globalization policy; consumer preferences; private organization’s capabilities; the global E-organizations mission; and the infrastructure and market mechanism factors with a set of associated variables create the ability for EC to be diffused in any country. Therefore, the diffusion of EC is not a unidimensional issue, but has multi-dimensional aspects.

Service Quality of E-Commerce for Global Consumers

Customers’ perception and expectation of service quality dimensions for any field, whereas it is traditional commerce or EC, has a close relation with adoption of that system, and is significantly depend on cultural diversity of the customers. Service quality of a business, in the present competitive market, plays a very sensitive role in positive perception of that business and thus acceptance, use, and adoption. Since EC is inherently global, global consumers’ perception of service quality, grounded on cultural and social diversity, is a potential criterion to be addressed and analyzed. This chapter of the book is designed to conceptualize some general idea about expectation and performance of different service quality attributes for B2C EC as revealed by different researchers.

Conclusion, Implications, and Future Trends

The explosive proliferation of Internet users has led to dramatic shifts in the methodology of conducting business and the business paradigms. Currently, business organizations can reach anywhere in the world quite substantially within virtually no time. Consequently, supply chain management among partners including customers is so dynamic that business organizations are considering their customers and partners just attached with them. This changed paradigm has left an innumerable scope for exploring global markets, especially for the Internet economy, for example., EC. EC presents enormous opportunities for businesses, consumers, and governments. Since the Internet is the main driving force of EC, and the proliferation of the Internet across countries is terrific, it is quite understandable that Internet economy might have an uncertain future.

A Cultural Perspective on Web Site Localization

For the last two decades, companies have been increasingly operating in many foreign markets. Serving local consumers effectively and thus achieving success in individual foreign markets require both a solid understanding of local values and a reflection of this understanding on business activities in foreign markets that will facilitate serving local markets. Today, as the size of global E-Commerce is expanding, a Web site is an important medium of multinational companies in communicating with stakeholders. In this chapter, we will discuss from a cultural perspective how to create and manage Web sites that will enable multinational companies to successfully localize in their target markets. The localization model, a useful and comprehensive tool in Web site localization, indicates that effective Web sites must adopt the specific cultural characteristics for the local market beyond the simple content and the product/service localization. However, an analysis of some international (local) Web sites of the largest multinationals shows that although some multinationals localize their international Web sites well, many others are weak in reflecting even some key localization features let alone full localization in their local Web sites. Managers are advised to utilize the Web sites localization model to increase the effectiveness of their international Web sites.

Effect of Proliferation and Resistance of Internet Economy

Information and communication technology (ICT) is the prime driving force of Internet economy. Therefore, before implementing E-Commerce (EC) and E-Government (EG) projects, it is a vital issue to investigate the capability of developing countries to adopt ICT and reveal the impact of adopting ICT among society. However, it is observed that in developing countries, rural and urban population have significant digital divide. We argue that the purposes of implementing Internet-based projects, particularly EG, can only be accomplished and full benefits can be realized if rural population of developing countries has that ability to adopt ICT, the main driver of EG, and if ICT has positive impact on rural population in technological, economical, and social perspectives. Therefore, it is the prime motive of policy makers of developing countries to study the impact of ICT in capability development among citizens prior to launching EG. To study the impact of ICT on both rural and urban population separately through a vertical survey, this research proposes separate ad-hoc and post-hoc frameworks.

Influencing Factors and the Acceptance of Internet and E-Business Technologies in Maritime Canada's SMEs

This chapter examines the influence of some relevant factors on the acceptance of internet and E-Business technologies in Maritime Canada’s SMEs (small- and medium- sized enterprises). To examine the influence of the factors, a research framework was developed and nine hypotheses formulated to test the various relationships. A survey was conducted and a total of 162 valid responses were obtained from mainly business owners and managers. The data supported five out of the nine hypotheses formulated. The key findings are as follows: The sampled SME’s organizational readiness is positively related to their intent to use Internet/business technologies (dependant variable); the two constructs of the technology acceptance model (TAM) were found to be important mediators in the relationship between the management support construct and the dependant variable. Further, no evidence was found to suggest that management support positively influences the intent to use Internet/ business technologies among Maritime Canada’s SMEs. The implications of the study’s findings for policy making and research were discussed.

Diffusion of E-Commerce in Developed and Developing Countries

Based on the theoretical framework revealed in Chapter V, this chapter is intended to investigate the country-specific roles of governments, private organizations, and consumers and the status of infrastructure development and the market mechanism of some developed and developing countries in terms of EC diffusion. In this connection, EC diffusion status and role of different stakeholders are analyzed for developed countries: USA and Denmark, developing countries with stronghold in ICT: Mexico and India, and developing countries: Bangladesh and Ghana.

E-Commerce Adoption in Developing Countries

This chapter is aimed to provide a fundamental conceptual framework for adoption of EC by the consumers of developing countries. Through extensive review of literature and different related theories, we suggest that Awareness, Availability of infrastructure, Relative advantage, Compatibility, Website quality, Information quality, Multi-lingual option, and Trust have positive and Complexity has negative relations with adoption of EC by consumers of developing countries. These constructs can also measure the status of developing countries whether B2C EC could pursue consumers to use their systems.

Introduction to E-Commerce

The growth, integration, and sophistication of ICT are changing our society and economy. The emergence of the Internet as a general communication channel has opened the opportunity for E-Commerce (EC) to expand worldwide. EC is now viewed by researchers and practitioners as providing the future direction in which organizations must move. Diffusion of the Internet has led to significant shifts in the methodology of operating business globally. Therefore, it is both an interesting and challenging issue to address, explore, and conceptualize proliferation of EC and also adoption and cultural resistance and evolution for global consumers.

Global Quality Management Practice for E-Commerce

Since Internet is the primary driving force of E-Commerce (EC), it has global phenomena. Consequently, Internet market is diffusing from the west to the east. Nevertheless, cultural, political, economical, technological, social, and overall attitudinal diversity create irresistible barriers for free movement of EC. In this aspect, quality standardization for EC is utmost important. Because quality experts believe that only quality improvement and standardization can provide EC acceptance by global consumers. Expansion of EC from developed countries to developing countries creates an opportunity to redefine the paradigms of quality management practice (QMP) appropriate for global diffusion of EC. This chapter illustrates some related concepts of quality, quality improvement, and different aspects of quality for EC to shed light on QMP.