Problem and Prospects of E-Commerce

ISSN (Print): 2319–5479, Volume-2, Issue – 1, 2013
59
Problem and Prospects of E-Commerce
Alka Raghunath & Murli Dhar Panga
Medicaps Institute of Techno Management Indore
E-mail : alkaanamika@gmail.com
Abstract – E-commerce as anything that involves an online
transaction. E-commerce provides multiple benefits to the
consumers in form of availability of goods at lower cost,
wider choice and saves time. The general category of e-
commerce can be broken down into two parts: E-
merchandise: E-finance. E commerce involves conducting
business using modern communication instruments:
telephone, fax, e-payment, money transfer systems, e-data
interchange and the Internet. Online businesses like
financial services, travel, entertainment, and groceries are
all likely to grow. Forces influencing the distribution of
global e-commerce and its forms include economic factors,
political factors, cultural factors and supranational
institutions.
This paper is outcome of a review of various research
studies carried out on E-commerce. This paper examines
different opportunities of e-commerce viz., E-business, E-
learning, E-commerce education integration, E-insurance,
E-commerce for the WTO and developing countries and
future media of e-commerce. It raises key challenges that
are being faced by consumers relating to e-commerce
viz., Ethical issues, Perceptions of risk in e-service
encounters, challenges for e-commerce education, It act
2000 and legal system. Finally many companies,
organizations, and communities in India are beginning to
take advantage of the potential of e-commerce; critical
challenges remain to be overcome before e-commerce would
become an asset for common people.
I. INTRODUCTION
E-commerce as anything that involves an online
transaction. This can range from ordering online,
through online delivery of paid content, to financial
transactions such as movement of money between bank
accounts.
This paper has analyzed some of the challenges and
opportunities of e-commerce.
Elizabeth Goldsmith and others (2000) reported
that the general category of e-commerce can be broken
down into two parts:
1. E-merchandise: selling goods and services
electronically and moving items through distribution
channels, for example through Internet shopping for
groceries, tickets, music, clothes, hardware, travel,
books, flowers or gifts.
2. E-finance: banking, debit cards, smart cards,
banking machines, telephone and Internet banking,
insurance, financial services and mortgages on-
line(Elizabeth Goldsmith and others,2000).
Farooq Ahmed (2001) reported that the enormous
flexibility of the internet has made possible what is
popularly called e-commerce which has made inroads
in the traditional methods of business management. All
the facets the business tradition with which we are
accustomed in physical environment can be now
executed over the internet including online advertising,
online ordering, publishing, banking, investment,
auction and professional services. E commerce involves
conducting business using modern communication
instruments: telephone, fax, e-payment, money transfer
systems, e-data interchange and the internet. The WTO
has recognized that commercial transactions can be
broken into 3 stages.
The advertising and searching stage, the ordering
and payment stage, and the delivery stage.
II. GROWTH OF E-COMMERCE
Today, the market place is flooded with several e-
commerce options for shoppers to choose from. A
variety of innovative products and services are being
offered spoiling customers for choice. Online shopping
is no more a privilege enjoyed by your friends and
family living in the US or UK. Today, it is a reality in
India. In the last couple of years, the growth of e-
commerce industry in India has been phenomenal as
more shoppers have started discovering the benefits of
using this platform. There is enough scope for online
businesses in the future if they understand the Indian
shopper‟s psyche and cater to their needs.

International Journal of Research and Development - A Management Review (IJRDMR)
60
Changing the game
Indian e-commerce industry has evolved over a
period of time with innovations that have changed the
rules of the game globally. Cash on delivery (COD) is
one such example. In a country where credit card
penetration is much lower than other developed markets
and where e-commerce companies are still working
hard to build trust among shoppers, introducing cash on
delivery has been one of the key factors for the success
of the segment. At present, COD is the preferred
payment mode for close to 55-60% of all online
transactions in the fashion and lifestyle segment in
India.
COD is here to stay owing to its convenience and
its cultural affinity and will be a major part of payment
mechanisms for at least the next four to five years.
Executing COD efficiently and painlessly for the
customer is critical to the success of any e-commerce
player in the country.
Growing the base
Online shopping has seen a lot of traction in the
last 12-18 months. India has almost 130 million online
users at present, out of which as many as 10% are
engaging in online transactions. The online user base is
expected to cross 300 million in the next 2 – 3 years
and a larger percentage of people are expected to
transact online by 2015. This large base will provide
vast scope for e-commerce businesses to establish
themselves in India.
Growing opportunities
Cities beyond metros are in the limelight for all the
good reasons. On an average, almost 50 – 55% of our
business come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities and I believe
this ratio is similar across other ecommerce companies
in the country. With metro markets reaching saturation,
I believe tier 2 and 3 cities are going to be the biggest
drivers for ecommerce businesses in India in the not so
distant future. Building a robust supply chain is critical
to efficiently fulfilling orders from these cities and
tapping their full market potential.
The e-commerce industry is growing at a rapid
pace and changing the dynamics of the retail industry.
In the coming years, e-commerce is expected to
contribute close to 8-10% of the total retail segment in
India. This growth is bound to continue provided e-
commerce companies focus on innovating, building
strong technology infrastructure and delivering the best
customer experience.
III. IMPORTANCE AND USES OF E. COMMERCE
1. Exploitation of New Business
Broadly speaking, electronic commerce
emphasizes the generation and exploitation of new
.business opportunities and to use popular phrases:
“generate business value” or “do more with less”.
2. Enabling the Customers
Electronic Commerce is enabling the customer to
have an increasing say in what products are made, how
products are made and how services are delivered
(movement from a slow order fulfillment process with
little understanding of what is taking place inside the
firm, to a faster and rt1ore open process with customers
having greater control.
3. Improvement of Business Transaction
Electronic Commerce endeavors to improve the
execution of business transaction over various
networks.
4. Effective Performance
It leads to more effective performance i.e. better
quality, greater customer satisfaction and better
corporate decision making.
5. Greater Economic Efficiency
We may achieve greater economic efficiency
(lower cost) and more rapid exchange (high speed,
accelerated, or real-time interaction) with the help of
electronic commerce.
6. Execution of Information
It enables the execution of information-laden
transactions between two ore more parties using inter
connected networks. These networks can be a
combination of „plain old telephone system‟ (POTS),
Cable TV, leased lines and wireless. Information based
transactions are creating new ways of doing business
and even new types of business.
7. Incorporating Transaction
Electronic Commerce also inco11'orates
transaction management, which organizes, routes,
processes and tracks transactions. It also includes
consumers making electronic payments and funds
transfers.
8. Increasing of Revenue
Firm use technology to either lower operating costs
or increase revenue. Electronic Commerce has the
Potential to increase revenue by creating new markets
for old products, creating new information-based
products, and establishing new service delivery

61
channels to better serve and interact with customers.
The transaction management aspect of electronic
commerce can also enable firms to reduce operating
costs by enabling better coordination in the sales,
production and distribution processes and to consolidate
operations arid reduce overhead.
9. Reduction of Friction
Electronic Commerce research and its associated
implementations is to reduce the “friction” in on line
transactions frictions is often described in economics as
transaction cost. It can arise from inefficient market
structures and inefficient combinations of the
technological activities required to make a transaction.
Ultimately, the reduction of friction in online commerce
will enable smoother transaction between buyers,
intermediaries and sellers.
10. Facilitating of Network Form
Electronic Commerce is also impacting business .to
business interactions. It facilitates the network form of
organization where small flexible firms rely on other
partner, companies for component supplies and product
distribution to meet changing customer demand more
effectively. Hence, an end to end relationship
management solution is a desirable goal that is needed
to manage the chain of networks linking customers,
workers, suppliers, distributors and even competitors.
The management of "online transactions" in the supply
chain assumes a central roll.
11. Facilitating for Organizational Model
It is facilitating an organizational model that is
fundamentally different from the past. It is a control
organization to the information based organization. The
emerging forms of techno-organizational structure
involve changes in managerial responsibilities,
communication and information flows and work group
structures
IV. FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DISTRIBUTION AND
FORMS OF GLOBAL E-COMMERCE
Nir B. Kshetri (2001) reported that the twin forces
of globalization and the Internet have the potential to
offer several benefits to individuals and organizations in
developing as well as developed countries. Apart from
economic benefits such as more choices and the
convenience of shopping at home, the twin forces can
make progress on educational and scientific
development, mutual aid, and world peace; foster
democracy; and offer exposure to other cultures. To
fully exploit the potential of the Internet and e-
commerce, policy makers in developing as well as
industrialized countries are taking initiatives to develop
the global information infrastructure (GII) and connect
their national information infrastructures to the GII
(Gore 1996).
All countries are not likely to benefit equally from
the virtuous circle of Internet diffusion created by
globalization and multiple revolutions in
Communication technologies (ICTs). Forces
influencing the distribution of global e-commerce and
its forms include economic factors, political factors,
cultural factors and supranational institutions.
Economic factors mainly influence perceived relative
advantage of Internet use whereas political and cultural
factors influence the compatibility of the Internet with a
society. Supranational institutions' initiatives are
influencing the price, quality and availability of ICT
products and services, mainly in developing countries,
thereby increasing relative advantage of Internet use.
Moreover international institutions are influencing
laws, regulations and policies in developing countries
making them more compatible with Internet use. The
influences of these factors on Internet adoption in
general and the three phases of online transaction
advertising and searching phase, payment phase and
delivery phase are presented in Table 01.
.
Table 01 : Factors influencing the distribution and forms of Global e-commerce
Stage Economic and infra
structure related
factors
Socio cultural
factors
Political legal factors Supranational institutions
Internet
adoption
Per capita GDP Literacy rate and
computer skill
The internet's
democratic nature
incompatible with
authoritarian political
UNDP-introduction of the
internet in many countries.
Availability of
telephone and
computer
English language
skill
structures GATS-competition in
telecom sectors

62
Pricing structure Viewed as a tool of
cultural
imperialism in
some
Tariff and non tariff
barriers to ICT products
ITA- reducing the price of
ICT products.
Buying/sell
ing online
Availability of
credit
Intellectual
property protection
Redress mechanisms in
case of problems in
online transactions
UNCITRAL model law
Advertising
and
searching
phase
Operating speed of
computer and
modern size
Influence of
language and
symbols used on
site visited and
purchase decision
Ban on some website in
authoritarian regimes
Products can be advertised
and searched globally on
GTPN of UNCTAD
Payment
phase
Penetration rate of
credit cards
Forms of payment:
check, wire
transfer, cash on
delivery etc,
Governments' concern
on the outflow of
foreign currency.
UNCTAD smart card
Delivery
phase
Delivery means and
infrastructure
Products stolen
some countries
Tariff and non- tariff
barriers
Electronic delivery free of
custom duties in WTO
member
.
V. A BRIEF REVIEW OF LITERATURE ON E-COMMERCE
PROBLEM AND PROSPECTS
An attempt has been made to put forward a brief
review of literature based on few of the related studies
undertaken worldwide in the area of e-commerce as
follows. Please Refer Table 02.
Elizabeth Goldsmith and Sue L.T. McGregor
(2000) analyzed the impact of e-commerce on
consumers, public policy, business and education. A
discussion of public policy initiatives, research
questions and ideas for future research are given.
Andrew D. Mitchell (2001) examined the key issues
that electronic commerce poses for Global trade, using
as a starting point the General Agreement on Trade in
Services (GATS), the World Trade organization (WTO)
agreement most relevant to e-commerce.
Nir B.kshetri(2001) This paper attempts to
identified and synthesized the available evidence on
predictors of magnitude, global distribution and forms
of e-commerce. The analysis indicated that the twin
forces of globalization and major revolutions in ICT are
fuelling the rapid growth of global e-commerce.
Jackie Gilbert Bette Ann Stead (2001) reviewed the
incredible growth of electronic commerce (e-commerce)
and presented ethical issues that have emerged. Security
concerns, spamming, Web sites that do not carry an
"advertising" label, cybersquatters, online marketing to
children, conflicts of interest, manufacturers competing
with intermediaries online, and "dinosaurs" were
discussed.
Mauricio S. Featherman, Joseph S. Valacich & John
D. Wells (2006) examined whether consumer
perceptions of artificiality increase perceptions of e-
service risk, which has been shown to hamper consumer
acceptance in a variety of online settings.
Young Jun Choi1, Chung Suk Suh(2005)examined
the impact of the death of geographical distance brought
about by e-marketplaces on market equilibrium and
social welfare.
Prithviraj Dasgupta and Kasturi
Sengupta(2002)examined the future and prospects of e-
commerce in Indian Insurance Industry.
(Arvind panagariya,2000) examined Economic
issues raised by e-commerce for the WTO and
developing countries. E-commerce offers unprecedented
opportunities to both developing and developed
countries.

63
.
Table: 02 A brief review of literature on E-commerce: Problem and Prospects
No. Title Author Area of research Findings
1 Towards
compability: The
future of e-
commerce within
the global trading
system
(Andrew D.
Mitchell,2001)
Important function
played by
GATS,WTO in e-
commerce
1)At the level of global trading system,
exploring how recognition of electronic
commerce as a global public good may
help reduce the digital divide between
developed and developing countries.
2 E-commerce ,
WTO and
developing
countries
(Arvind
panagariya,20
00)
Economic issues
raised by e-commerce
for the WTO and
developing countries.
access to e-commerce
1)E-commerce offers unprecedented
opportunities to both developing and
developed countries.
3 Ethical Issues in e-
commerce
(Bette Ann
Stead
andJackie
Gilbert, 2001)
Ethical issues in e-
commerce
1) The ethical issues presented in this
article are all very real.
2) Rapidly changing technology is
continually bringing new
products/services to the market
accompanied by new strategies to sell
them. Therefore, it may also conclude
that new ethical issues will emerge.
4. Will E-business
shape the future of
open and distance
learning?
(Diana
Oblinger,
2001)
Impact of e-business
on open and distance
learning
1) Open and distance learning institutions
are finding that the need and demand for
their services are increasing.
2) E-business can provide education with
insight new ways to create greater
efficiencies and economies of scale as
well as practices that ensure learners
stay with the institution for their
lifetime.
5 E commerce an
Indian perspective:
(Farooq
Ahmed, 2001)
IT act, Contract act,
challenges for the
legal system
1) Many issues raised by the e-commerce
await judicial resolution.
2) The information transferred by
electronic means which culminates into
a contract raises many legal issues
which can't be answered with in the
existing provisions of the contract act.
6 Determinants of
the locus of Global
E-commerce
(Nir B
kshestri, 2001)
Factors influencing the
distribution of global
e-commerce
1) The analysis indicated that the twin
forces of globalization and multiple
revolutions in ICT(communication
technologies) are fuelling the growth of
global e-commerce.

64
No. Title Author Area of research Findings
7 TV, PC or Mobile?
Future media of e-
commerce:
(Patric
Barwise,2001)
Various new media for
B2Band B2C e-
commerce.
1) Consumer marketers are still in the early
stages of adjusting to the
unprecedented complexity of a world
with so many physical, online and
traditional offline consumers.
8 E-Commerce in the
Indian Insurance
Industry: prospects
and future
(Prithviraj
dasgupta and
Kasturi
Sengupta,
2002)
E-commerce in Indian
industry
1) The study has identified that e-insurance
offers a potentially vast source of
revenue for insurance companies that
venture to go online.
2) E-insurance also makes the insurance
procedure more secure since the policy
details are stored digitally and all
transactions are made over secure
channels.
9 The death of
physical distance:
An economic
analysis of the
emergence of
electronic
marketplaces
(Young Jun
Choi and
Chung Suk
suh, 2005)
Traditional market
place and e-market
place
1) The study has shown that overcoming
spatial barriers by means of e market
places lowers the price level.
2) This article has analyzed the economic
consequences of the death of
geographical distance due to the
emergence of e-marketplaces.
10 Electronic
Commerce
education: Analysis
of existing courses
(Zabihollah
Rezaee,
Kenneth R.
Lambert & W.
Ken Harmon,
2005)
The scope and nature
of e- commerce
education
1) E-commerce programs and courses are
likely to grow and thus, the structure,
content, and delivery of e-commerce
education are evolving and they should
be tailored to the particular discipline.
11 Is that authentic or
artificial?
Understanding
consumer
perceptions of risk
in e-service
encounters.
(Mauricio S.
Featherman,
Joseph S.
Valacich &
John D.
Wells,2006)
Customers' perception
about e-services.
1) E-services are the application of IT to
mediate the production and distribution
of services directed towards an
individual's mind or intangible assets.
2) The results from this study supported
the contention that e-services of less
risky e-service categories will be
perceived as more authentic and less
risky to use. Thus, e-service providers
must carefully assess their respective
categories and plan accordingly.
.
VI. OPPORTUNITIES FOR E-COMMERCE:
Young Jun Choi1, Chung Suk Suh(2005) reported
that the development of the internet in the 20th century
led to the birth of an electronic marketplace or it is
called e-marketplace, which is now a kernel of
electronic commerce (e-commerce). An e-marketplace
provides a virtual space where sellers and buyers trade
with each other as in the traditional marketplace.
Various kinds of economic transactions and buying and
selling of goods and services, as well as exchanges of
information, take place in e-marketplaces. E-
marketplaces have become an alternative place for
trading. Finally, an e-marketplace can serve as an
information agent that provides buyers and sellers with

65
information on products and other participants in the
market. These features have been reshaping the
economy by affecting the behavior of buyers and sellers.
1:3.1 E-businesses
E-business affects the whole business and the value
chains in which it operates. It enables a much more
integrated level of collaboration between the different
components of a value chain than ever before. Adopting
e-Business also allows companies to reduce costs and
improve customer response time. Organizations that
transform their business practices stand to benefit
immensely from innumerable new possibilities brought
about by technology (www.ficci.com/sectors/task-
forces/e-business/e-business.htm).
E-commerce as anything that involves an online
transaction. This can range from ordering online,
through online delivery of paid content, to financial
transactions such as movement of money between bank
accounts. One area where there are some positive
indications of e-commerce is financial services. Online
stock trading saw sustained growth throughout the
period of broadband diffusion. E-shopping is available
to all these who use a computer. Over the past year
Amazon.Com, ebay India, Indiatimes have seen a rapid
growth in categories such as mobile handsets, jewellery,
fashion apparel, books, gift items and other items.
1:3.2 E-commerce integration
Zabihollah Rezaee, Kenneth R. Lambert and W.
Ken Harmon(2006) reported that the rationale for
infusion of e-commerce education into all business
courses is that technological developments are
significantly affecting all aspects of today's business. An
e-commerce dimension can be added to the business
curriculum by integrating e-commerce topics into
existing upper-level business courses. Students would be
introduced to e-commerce education and topics covered
in a variety of business courses in different disciplines
e.g. accounting, economics, finance, marketing,
management, management information systems. To help
assure that all related business courses in all disciplines
such as e.g., accounting, finance, economics, marketing,
management, information systems pay proper attention
to the critical aspects of e-commerce, certain e-
commerce topics should be integrated into existing
business courses.
1:3.3 Open and distance learning
Diana Oblinger (2001) reported that one is that
education and continuous learning have become so vital
in all societies that the demand for distance and open
learning will increase. As the availability of the Internet
expands, as computing devices become more affordable,
and as energy requirements and form factors shrink, e-
learning will become more popular. In addition to the
importance of lifelong learning, distance education and
e-learning will grow in popularity because convenience
and flexibility are more important decision criteria than
ever before. E learning will become widely accepted
because exposure to the Internet and e-learning often
begins in the primary grades, thus making more students
familiar and comfortable with online learning. In fact,
for many countries, distance education has been the
most viable solution for providing education to hundreds
of thousands of students.
1:3.4 E-commerce and E-insurance
Prithviraj Dasgupta and Kasturi Sengupta (2002)
reported that the recent growth of Internet infrastructure
and introduction of economic reforms in the insurance
sector have opened up the monopolistic Indian insurance
market to competition from foreign alliances. Although
the focus of e-commerce has been mainly on business to
consumer (B2C) applications, the emphasis is now
shifting towards business to business (B2B)
applications. The insurance industry provides an
appropriate model that combines both B2C and B2B
applications.
Traditional insurance requires a certificate for every
policy issued by the insurance company. However,
paper certificates encumber problems including loss,
duplication and forging of the certificate. The
conventional certificate is now replaced with an
electronic certificate that can be digitally signed by both
the insurer and the insurance company and verified by a
certifying authority.
Online policy purchase is faster, more user-friendly
and definitely more secure than the traditional
processes. Therefore it is more attractive to the insurer.
At the same time it incurs less cost and requires fewer
resources than traditional insurance and is therefore
more profitable for the insurance company.
E-insurance also makes the insurance procedure
more secure since the policy details are stored digitally
and all transactions are made over secure channels.
These channels provide additional market penetration
that is absent in traditional channels and help in earning
more revenue than traditional insurance processes.
1:3.5 Future media of e-commerce:
Patric Barwise (2001) reported that Probability 99%
of e-commerce today is done using PCs either desktops
or laptops. For B2B e-commerce this is unlikely to
change .For B2C e-commerce however, things will be
more complex.

66
There will be wider range of relevant media,
including interactive digital TV, and a range of mobile
and wireless services.
There will be huge difference between different
consumers' ownership of equipment and access
technology. Some will have broad band access and
others have no digital communication at all.
Current and future B2C digital media
Digital media able to support consumer e-
commerce can be grouped under five main headings,
with in the home PCS, IDTV and within next five years
a range of other online device such as games,
computers, utility meters etc. In summary, the online PC
is well established while the other B2C digital media are
still emerging.
VII. CHALLENGES FOR E COMMERCE:
Internet based e-commerce has besides, great
advantages, posed many threats because of its being
what is popularly called faceless and borderless.
Some examples of ethical issues that have emerged
as a result of electronic commerce. All of the following
examples are both ethical issues and issues that are
uniquely related to electronic commerce.
1:4.1 Ethical issues:
Jackie Gilbert Bette Ann Stead (2001),reported the
following ethical issues related to e-commerce.
1) Privacy
Privacy has been and continues to be a significant
issue of concern for both current and prospective
electronic commerce customers. With regard to web
interactions and e- commerce the following dimensions
are most salient:
(1) Privacy consists of not being interfered with, having
the power to exclude; individual Privacy is a moral
right.
(2) Privacy is "a desirable condition with respect to
possession of information by other persons about
him/herself on the observation/perceiving of
him/herself by other persons"
2) Security concerns
In addition to privacy concerns, other ethical issues
are involved with electronic commerce. The Internet
offers unprecedented ease of access to a vast array of
goods and services. The rapidly expanding arena of
"click and mortar" and the largely unregulated
cyberspace medium have however prompted concerns
about both privacy and data security.
3) Other ethical issues
Manufacturers Competing with Intermediaries
Online "Disintermediation," a means eliminating the
intermediary such as retailers, wholesalers, outside sales
reps by setting up a Website to sell directly to
customers.
Disintermediation include (1) music being
downloaded directly from producers (2) authors
Distributing their work from their own Web sites or
through writer co-operatives.
Dinosaurs – "Dinosaurs" is a term that refers to
executives and college professors who refuse to
recognize that technology has changed our lives. When
an executive speaks in terms of the Internet being the
"wave of the future," it is a sure sign of "dinosaur.
1:4.2 Perceptions of risk in e-service encounters
Mauricio S. Featherman, Joseph S. Valacich & John
D. Wells(2006) reported that as companies race to
digitize physical-based service processes repackaging
them as online e-services, it becomes increasingly
important to understand how consumers perceive the
digitized e-service alternative. E-service replacements
may seem unfamiliar, artificial and non-authentic in
comparison to traditional service processing methods.
Consumers may believe that new internet-based
processing methods expose them to new potential risks
the dangers of online fraud , identity theft and Beside
many an advantages offered by the education a no. of
challenges have been posed to the recent education
system.
Zabihollah Rezaee, Kenneth R. Lambert and W.
Ken Harmon(2006) reported that E-commerce
Integration assures coverage of all critical aspects of e-
commerce, but it also has several obstacles. First, adding
e-commerce materials to existing business courses can
overburden faculty and students alike trying to cope
with additional subject matter in courses already
saturated with required information. Second, many
business faculty members may not wish to add e-
commerce topics to their courses primarily because of
their own lack of comfort with technology-related
subjects. Third and finally, this approach requires a
great deal of coordination among faculty and disciplines
in business schools to ensure proper coverage of e-
commerce education.
Phishing swindles means schemes to steal
confidential information using spoofed web sites, have
become commonplace, and are likely to cause alarm and
fear within consumers.

67
1:4.4 Human skills required for E-Commerce:
It's not just about E-commerce;
It's about redefining business models, reinventing
business processes, changing corporate cultures, and
raising relationships with customers and suppliers to
unprecedented levels of intimacy.
Internet-enabled Electronic Commerce:
Web site development
Web Server technologies
Security
Integration with existing applications and processes
Developing Electronic Commerce solutions
successfully across the Organization means building
reliable, scalable systems for
1) security,
2) E- commerce payments
3) Supply- chain management
4) Sales force, data warehousing, customer relations
5) Integrating all of this existing back-end operation.
Source: www.wto.org
VIII. MAJOR FINDINGS OF RESEARCH STUDIES:
An attempt has been made to put forward key
findings based on review of literature as put forward
above in the area of E-commerce as follows.
Diana Oblinger(2001) found that E-business can
provide education with insight new ways to create
greater efficiencies and economies of scale as well as
practices that ensure learners stay with the institution for
their lifetime.
Bette Ann Stead and Jackie Gilbert (2001) found
that rapidly changing technology is continually bringing
new products/services to the market accompanied by
new strategies to sell them. Therefore, it may also
conclude that new ethical issues will emerge.
Prithviraj dasgupta and Kasturi Sengupta(2002)
found that that e-insurance offers a potentially vast
source of revenue for insurance companies that venture
to go online. E-insurance offers new channels of income
through service niche creation, first mover's advantage,
and online promotions.
Nir B kshestri (2001) indicated that the twin forces
of globalization and multiple revolutions in ICT
(communication technologies) are fuelling the growth of
global e-commerce.
Zabihollah Rezaee, Kenneth R. Lambert & W. Ken
Harmon(2005) found that E-commerce programs and
courses are likely to grow and thus, the structure,
content, and delivery of e-commerce education are
evolving and they should be tailored to the particular
discipline.
Arvind panagariya(2000) found that E-commerce
offers unprecedented opportunities to both developing
and developed countries.
Patric Barwise(2001) found that PC will be used as
more effective e-commerce media for high ticket items
such as Car, home appliances mobile will be used as
more effective e-commerce media for low tickets items
such as music and movies.
1:5.1 Concluding remarks:
With the development of computer technology, the
World Wide Web has become the connection medium
for the networked world. Computers from locations that
are geographically dispersed can talk with each other
through the Internet. As with any new technology, there
are positives and negatives associated with its use and
Adoption. Finally, an e-marketplace can serve as an
information agent that provides buyers and sellers with
information on products and other participants in the
market.
E-commerce creates new opportunities for business;
it also creates new opportunities for education and
academics. It appears that there is tremendous potential
for providing e-business education.
As discussed earlier about the different media of e-
commerce such as TV, PC or Mobile these new media
will be a major preoccupation for marketers over the
few years that especially how to combine them within
an integrated bricks and clicks marketing mix.
However, rapidly changing technology is
continually bringing new goods and services to the
market accompanied by new strategies to sell them.
Therefore, it may also conclude that new ethical issues
related to business will emerge. New ethical issues must
be identified and immediate steps and actions should be
taken.
Initially, new Internet users would be reluctant to
conduct any kind of business online, citing security
reasons as their main concern. In order to increase
consumer adoption of e-services, the sources of
consumer confusion, apprehension and risk need to be
identified, understood and alleviated. E-commerce
provides tremendous opportunities in different areas but
it requires careful application for consumer protection
issues. Growth of e-commerce would also depend to a
great extent on effective IT security systems for which

68
necessary technological and legal provisions need to be
put in place and strengthened constantly.
While many companies, organizations, and
communities in India are beginning to take advantage of
the potential of e-commerce, critical challenges remain
to be overcome before e-commerce would become an
asset for common people.
IX. REFERENCES:
[1] Andrew D. Mitchell(2001);Towards compability: The
future of e-commerce within the global trading system;
Journal of International Economic law; 2001; pp.683-
723.
[2] Diana Oblinger(2001); Will E-business Shape the
Future of Open and Distance Learning?; Open
Learning; Vol. 16, No. 1, 2001; pp.9-25.
[3] Elizabeth Goldsmith and Sue L.T. McGregor(2000); E-
commerce: consumer protection issues and
implications for research and education; J Consumer
Studies & Home Economics; Vol.24, No.2, June 2000,
pp.124–127.
[4] Farooq Ahmed (2001); Electronic Commerce : An
Indian perspective; International Journal of Law and
Information Technology; Vol.9, No.2, 2001;pp.133-
170.
[5] Jackie Gilbert Bette Ann Stead (2001); Ethical Issues
in Electronic Commerce; Journal of Business Ethics;
Vol.34, 2001; pp.75-85.
[6] Mauricio S. Featherman, Joseph S. Valacich & John D.
Wells (2006); Is that authentic or artificial?
Understanding consumer perceptions of risk in e-
service encounters; Inforamtion System Journal;
Vol.16, 2006; pp. 107-134.
[7] Nir B. Kshetri (2001); Determinants of the Locus of
Global E-commerce; Electronic Markets; Vol.11,
No.4, 2001; pp.250-257.
[8] Patric Barwise(2001); TV, PC or Mobile? Future
media for consumer e-commerce; Business strategy
review; Vol.12, issue 1; 2001; pp.35-42.
[9] Prithviraj Dasgupta and Kasturi Sengupta(2002); E-
Commerce in the Indian Insurance Industry; Electronic
Commerce Research; Vol.2, 2002; pp.43-60.
[10] Richard T. Watson and George M. Zinkhan(1997);
Electronic commerce strategy: addressing the key
questions; Journal Of Strategic Marketing; Vol.5,
pp.189-209.
[11] Young Jun Choi1, Chung Suk Suh(2005); The death of
physical distance: An economic analysis of the
emergence of electronic marketplaces; pp.597-614.
[12] Zabihollah Rezaee, Kenneth R. Lambert and W. Ken
Harmon(2006); Electronic Commerce Education:
Analysis of Existing Courses; Accounting
Education:An International Journal; Vol. 15, No. 1,
March 2006; pp73–88.
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