Ebook: Doing Business on the Internet: Opportunities and Pitfalls

FAY SUDWEEKS AND CELIA ROMM At the tum of the twenty-fIrst century, global communication is changing the fabric of society at a rate never experienced before. The Internet, in particular, has redrawn the map of global economy. To be competitive in today's marketplace, companies need to expand commercial activities beyond national borders. The global network of electronic infrastructure has played a signifIcant role in this expansion but the technology itself is not the factor driving the business revolution. The changes are driven by the interaction of information technology and customer demand. Customers are not only adapting to new technologies, they are demanding more and more global competition. Electronic commerce, therefore, is arguably the most important economic trend of our time. Its presence on the Internet, in particular, is becoming crucial to the effective functioning of organisations, especially in a world where companies need to deal with suppliers, customers, partners and their own units distributed across the world. A global business industry created by the Internet is no longer a projected vision of technocrats; it is a reality. The Internet is already playing a signifIcant role in determining corporate strategy and in creating values.

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The Internet is currently the fastest-growing and most widely-used technology for doing business electronically. Yet, despite its obvious advantages, it is clear that it is fraught with problems: customers are reluctant to use it for purchasing products; surfing is time-consuming and costly; and users are rapidly becoming disillusioned with its failure to fulfill early promises. In an invaluable follow-up to "Doing Business Electronically", Doing Businesson theInternet provides a collection of readings which look objectively at what Internet commerce can offer both the consumer and the provider. Primarily of interest to researchers and students in areas such as electronic commerce, business strategy, management of information systems, project management and organisational change, it will also be of interest to corporate managers involved with developing their company's Internet-based strategies and to anyone interested in how to buy or sell on the Internet.

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The Internet is currently the fastest-growing and most widely-used technology for doing business electronically. Yet, despite its obvious advantages, it is clear that it is fraught with problems: customers are reluctant to use it for purchasing products; surfing is time-consuming and costly; and users are rapidly becoming disillusioned with its failure to fulfill early promises. In an invaluable follow-up to "Doing Business Electronically", Doing Businesson theInternet provides a collection of readings which look objectively at what Internet commerce can offer both the consumer and the provider. Primarily of interest to researchers and students in areas such as electronic commerce, business strategy, management of information systems, project management and organisational change, it will also be of interest to corporate managers involved with developing their company's Internet-based strategies and to anyone interested in how to buy or sell on the Internet.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-VI
Introduction....Pages 1-7
Internet Commerce — Hot Cakes and Dead Ducks....Pages 9-20
When Does Virtual Have Value?....Pages 21-33
Will You Use Animation on Your Web Pages?....Pages 35-51
Evolution of Web Information Systems....Pages 53-64
Financial Institutions and the Internet: Issues and Trends....Pages 65-75
Protecting Sensitive Information in Electronic Commerce....Pages 77-86
Towards Business Oriented Intranets....Pages 87-100
Ensuring Security and Trust in Electronic Commerce....Pages 101-112
Small Business and Internet Commerce....Pages 113-124
Towards Culturally Aware Information Systems....Pages 125-135
The Online Stock Broker....Pages 137-144
Consumer Information Search and Decision Making in the Electronic Commerce Environment....Pages 145-192
Fiddlers on the Wire....Pages 193-207
Consumer Adoption of Electronic Commerce....Pages 209-216
Electronic Commerce in Israel....Pages 217-232
Electronic Commerce in China....Pages 233-246
An Action Research Report of an E-Commerce Firm in South Korea....Pages 247-257
Back Matter....Pages 259-289

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The Internet is currently the fastest-growing and most widely-used technology for doing business electronically. Yet, despite its obvious advantages, it is clear that it is fraught with problems: customers are reluctant to use it for purchasing products; surfing is time-consuming and costly; and users are rapidly becoming disillusioned with its failure to fulfill early promises. In an invaluable follow-up to "Doing Business Electronically", Doing Businesson theInternet provides a collection of readings which look objectively at what Internet commerce can offer both the consumer and the provider. Primarily of interest to researchers and students in areas such as electronic commerce, business strategy, management of information systems, project management and organisational change, it will also be of interest to corporate managers involved with developing their company's Internet-based strategies and to anyone interested in how to buy or sell on the Internet.
Content:
Front Matter....Pages I-VI
Introduction....Pages 1-7
Internet Commerce — Hot Cakes and Dead Ducks....Pages 9-20
When Does Virtual Have Value?....Pages 21-33
Will You Use Animation on Your Web Pages?....Pages 35-51
Evolution of Web Information Systems....Pages 53-64
Financial Institutions and the Internet: Issues and Trends....Pages 65-75
Protecting Sensitive Information in Electronic Commerce....Pages 77-86
Towards Business Oriented Intranets....Pages 87-100
Ensuring Security and Trust in Electronic Commerce....Pages 101-112
Small Business and Internet Commerce....Pages 113-124
Towards Culturally Aware Information Systems....Pages 125-135
The Online Stock Broker....Pages 137-144
Consumer Information Search and Decision Making in the Electronic Commerce Environment....Pages 145-192
Fiddlers on the Wire....Pages 193-207
Consumer Adoption of Electronic Commerce....Pages 209-216
Electronic Commerce in Israel....Pages 217-232
Electronic Commerce in China....Pages 233-246
An Action Research Report of an E-Commerce Firm in South Korea....Pages 247-257
Back Matter....Pages 259-289
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