Electronic Commerce

Electronic commerce can be defined loosely as “doing business electronically”. The Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) technologies, the Internet and its related technologies have transformed almost facet of trading activities such as information acquisition, marketing, ordering, payment, negotiations, distribution, and after-sales support. These technological developments that have opened new forms of communications, reduced the cost of market interactions, removed many of the frictions that impede market efficiency, given birth to new businesses, are creating a tremendous amount of economic value.

To realize the economic value of electronic commerce, several issues surrounding the adoption and impact of these technological innovations and new business practices, the (web) usability of the electronic commerce interface, the impact of new electronic trading institutions (e.g., Internet Auctions) and distribution mechanisms (e.g., online renting) and the use of virtual communities for marketing-related activities need to be better understood. Toward this end, several empirical studies have been conducted.