What is e-business?

Based on fifteen years’ experience teaching e-Business modules, Feng Li takes the reader through the vast range of topics and issues surrounding e-business. This much-needed new text gives business and technology students the integrated framework they need to interpret conflicting and rapidly changing business phenomena. A coherent introduction to e-business. Features case studies of the transformation of various industries, including banking, the music industry, e-tailing, the telecoms industry, and e-public services. Discusses emerging issues such as privacy, security, identity and presence in the cyber world, Internet marketing, legal, regulatory, social and political issues. Supported by online lecturer and student resources, available soon.

Preface xiii Acknowledgements xvii 1 Introduction 1 2 What Is E-Business and Does It Still Matter? 8 Part I The New E-Business Environment 25 3 The ‘ICT Revolution’ and the Information Economy 29 4 The Network Economy: New Rules of the Game 52 5 How the Internet Redefines Organizational Boundaries: A Transaction Cost Analysis 66 Part II Emerging Strategies and Business Models in the Network Economy 79 6 New Strategies for the Network Economy: Web Strategy, Business Unbundling and Virtual Organizations 83 7 Managing Disruptive Strategic Innovations in the New Economy 102 8 Strategic Reorientations in the Network Economy: From Products and Services to Solutions and Experiences 119 9 Emerging E-Business Models in the Network Economy 133 Part III Organizational Innovations through Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) 147 10 Structural Innovations and Emerging Forms of Organization 151 11 Process Innovations: Beyond Business Process Reengineering 171 12 New Work Organization and New Ways of Working: From Teleworking to Virtual Teams 183 13 Inter-Organizational Innovations through Inter-Organizational Information Systems 197 14 Conclusions and Emerging Issues 212 Appendix I Developing a Launch-Ready E-Business Plan: Putting Theory into Practice (Assignment I) 225 Appendix II Developing an Online E-Business Resource Portal: Who is Who in E-Business (Assignment 2) 228 Appendix III Developing an E-Business Resource Portal and Online Forum: E-Business Wikipedia (Assignment 3) 231 Bibliography 233 Index 241