Question

Why is a multidisciplinary approach beneficial when organizations use e-commerce? Also, what types of external factors can influence an organization’s ecommerce operations. Please provide the URL and industry with your insights.

Answer 1

A multidisciplinary approach is quite important for having a better understanding of e-commerce as all the dimensions of e-commerce are covered by a single academic discipline. E-commerce can be seen as mainly driven by the technology-driven phenomenon which incorporates information technology which has been developed over last 50 years and internet and web form the core of it. If we look apart from infrastructure, the business objectives are the main element which drives e-commerce. Further new dimensions are being added up by the dynamic business models, strategies which will transform the old firms and give birth to new organizations.

In order to have the comprehensive understanding of e-commerce, it is important to have a good knowledge of some of the basic business concepts such as industry structure, business models, value chain of firms and industry and consumer behavior. The nature of electronic market and information goods must be comprehended by all of these.

In the end, the effect on the society is also to be studied. Global e-commerce can have some of the major consequences for individuals who are looking to have some intellectual property and privacy rights.     There will also be a need to address some of the public policy issues such as equal access, equity, control over contents and taxation.