Editorial
Journal
Electronic Markets
ISSN
1019-6781
ISSN-Digital
1422-8890
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2002-03-01
Author(s)
Schmid, Beat
;
Pavlikova, Lucia
;
Kauffman, Robert J.
;
Dai, Qhizi
Abstract
The decision to focus on the topic of the current business to business e-commerce reassessment in our second issue for 2002 marks a departure from the annual format EM - Electronic Markets has followed since spring 1997. In the four volumes extending from 1997 to 2001, it has been our aim to focus on the development and application of electronic commerce in a specific global region in the second issue of each volume. The reasons for our decision to discontinue regional focus themes are varied. One development which we have noted over the recent past is an increasing heterogeneity in the e-commerce developments in different regions of the world, in light of which it would seem both unnecessary and unnecessarily divisive to insist on covering new ideas and innovations on a strictly regional basis. Another reason is that the increasing global diffusion of e-commerce makes a lengthy time lag for coverage of new developments in a specific region impractical. Overall, we believe that concentrating on the most current develoments in electronic commerce, regardless of region, for our focus themes will enable us to serve the requirements of our community of readers in the best and most effective way.<br><br>Which brings us to this issue's focus theme, a dynamic reassessment of the development of business-to-business electronic commerce, and the challenges and possibilities which have come out of this area. Our guest editors for this issue, Robert Kauffman and Qizhi Dai of the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Management, both thoroughly deserve the EM editorial team's warmest thanks for their untiring hard work in working together with us to shape the focus theme section presented here. Their preface reflects their intensive engagement with the thoughts and theories presented in the articles which comprise the focus theme in this issue, and we can do no better than to refer you to it for a detailed and individual look at the five focus theme articles.<br><br>This issue's research section opens with a very interesting article by Christian Bauer and Joe Colgan entitled"The Internet As A Driver For Unbundling: A Transaction Perspective from the Stockbroking Industry". In this paper, the authors use the context of the Australian securities market to conceptualise new business models in the face of the incipient unbundling trend in the industy. Besides identifying emerging business models relating to sub-process specilisation for industry incumberts, re-intermediaries and intelligent agents software, the paper also discusses the various drivers for unbundling strategies, and concludes that the competetive landscape of the stockbroking industry will be affected by the new business models even before the new dynamic process configurations become feasible.<br><br>The second and final article of our research section,"Responsibility for Regulating Online Advertising in Australia: An Exploratory Discussion" by Debra Harker and Michael Harker, analyzes a conceptual framework which includes legal regulation, self-regulation, and the influence of prevailing community standards as a possible approach towards regulating advertising on the internet in Australia. The authors note that in the absence of an established model to guide the development of regulatory policy and practice, an ad hoc approach is unavoidable. They conclude with a discussion of the key questions which regulators, advertisers and observers must address.<br><br>To conclude this editorial, we would like to officially welcome the ten new members of our editorial board to EM - Electronic Markets. With our new editorial board members, we gain an invaluable extension to EM's knowledge base. Beyond this, we look forward to the valuable contributions to the focus and outlook of EM - Electronic Markets which our new editorial board members will make. The new joiners are:<br><br>Mary Cronin,Boston College, USA<br><br>Georgios Doukidis,Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece<br><br>Ali Farhoomand,The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong<br><br>Judith Gebauer,University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA<br><br>Kathy Hammond,London Business School, UK<br><br>Ravi Kalakota,e-Business Strategies, USA<br><br>Robert O'Keefe,Brunel University, UK<br><br>Virpi Kristiina Tuunainen,Helsinki School of Economics, Finland<br><br>J. Christopher Westland,Hong Kong University of Science And Technology, Hong Kong<br><br>Hans-Dieter Zimmermann,University of St. Gallen, Switzerland<br><br>We hope you enjoy this issue, and would like to express again our gratitude to Robert Kauffman and Qizhi Dai for all their help and support.<br><br>Best regards<br><br>Lucia PavlikovaBeat F. SchmidRob KauffmanQizhi Dai
Language
English
Keywords
Business to Business
Economic Theory
HSG Classification
not classified
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Springer
Publisher place
Heidelberg
Volume
12
Number
2
Start page
63
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
9271