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Most electronic market (e‐markets)‐based research that has been undertaken has primarily focused on the design and development of systems to support electronic trading within national boundaries and it has been implied that conducting business through this medium is beneficial to the organisation. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the relative significance of economic, social, political and cultural factors and their interconnections in the transition to global e‐markets.

The paper uses an interpretive case study as this facilitates an understanding of how globalisation constructs affect the transition of organisations to the global market environment.

The case study has found the need for organisations to address a wide range of issues if they are to benefit from participation in global electronic marketplaces (e‐marketplaces). The development of information communication and technologies (ICT) has been viewed as a primary factor in the reduction of transaction costs and one which allows for a greater number of suppliers in electronic markets. A large supplier base is seen as an advantage by some since it improves the bargaining position of the buyer. Dealing closely with a small number of suppliers may reduce transaction costs and risk, but such costs and risks have been significantly reduced by the development of internet based e‐marketplaces where the market absorbs a high proportion of both. In the case study, an organisation moving to the e‐market because of the advantages of significantly reduced transaction costs has been seen.

The literature adoption of global procurement platforms stresses the economic benefits. However, few studies have examined the social, cultural and political factors that are part of the globalisation trend and how these impact on companies trying to make a transition to global procurement strategies. In this paper, it is revealed that the trend toward globalisation fuelled by ICT is affected by a complex array of economic, social, political and cultural factors. The economic benefits of globalisation cannot be fully realised without consideration of the social, political and cultural issues.

The previous generations of implemented B2B e‐commerce hub solutions (e‐Marketplaces) did not successfully fulfil the requirements of buyers and suppliers (“Participants”) in different business domains to carry out their daily business and online commercial transactions with one another because of their inappropriateness, and lack of flexibility. The limitations of these provided solutions came from a lot of architectural and technological challenges in the provided technical architectures that were used to build these solutions. This research aims to provide a proposed architecture to build integrated B2B e‐Commerce hub solutions. It also aims to make use of bottom‐up/top‐down approaches to building an integrated solution and to resolve the reasons for the failure of previous generations of B2B e‐commerce hubs.

The research uses the EDI reference model, which is provided by the ISO organization to survey and analyze the challenges of previous generations of B2B e‐Commerce hubs solutions and their architectures. The study develops a proposed solution architecture based on the recent approaches to building IOSs to build a B2B e‐commerce hub solution architecture that can be used to implement vertical B2B e‐commerce hubs (vertical e‐Marketplaces). The paper assesses the capabilities of the proposed solution architecture for building vertical B2B e‐Marketplaces by applying the proposed architecture to the building of a vertical B2B e‐Marketplace for the oil and gas sector in Egypt.

Previous B2B e‐Commerce hub initiatives failed to extend their products and services to their “Participants”, and required substantial investment and effort from each “Participant” to join such a B2B e‐Commerce hub. The failure of these IOS projects lies in their inability to integrate B2B e‐Commerce networks based on IOS and consequently, they supported very few partners and “Participants”. These IOS approaches did not resolve the existing challenges of B2B e‐Commerce hubs, especially in the realm of interoperability.

The main contribution of the proposed architecture comes from the creation of a clear automatic path between a business requirements layer and a technology layer by combining both Service Oriented Architecture and management requirements in a single framework to provide dynamic products and flexible services. It provides a complete Multi Channel Framework to resolve the interoperability challenges.

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) involved in the production of natural essential oils can reduce market accessibility challenges by trading through electronic marketplaces (e-marketplaces). However, trust is a barrier that SMEs should overcome in order to successfully trade in e-marketplaces. The agricultural sector presents a unique challenge to the subject of trust and e-marketplaces. It is difficult for SMEs in the agricultural sector to provide the level of assurance of product quality that their buyers expect. Trust between buyers and sellers during the earliest stages of e-marketplace interaction can pave the way for future trust in a seller on an e-marketplace. Thus, this study uses the uncertainty reduction theory (URT) to investigate factors that could influence the initial trust and pave the way for future trust in a seller on e-marketplaces. This study assumes a qualitative research methodology in which a multiple-case study approach is adopted. The study focuses on SMEs that produce natural essential oils in South Africa. Open-ended interviews were conducted with companies involved in buying or selling natural essential oils in South Africa to determine the factors that influence their decision to buy or sell in an e-marketplace. Findings from data were used to inform the development of a model of trust in sellers of natural essential oils in e-marketplaces. The proposed model recommends trust factors that should be considered during the entry, personal, and exit phases of the URT. The model identifies common and unique trust factors that relate specifically to businesses trading natural essential oils on e-marketplaces. The study found that some SMEs face challenges in coming up with an effective model for selling agricultural produce on e-marketplaces. Hence, they often resort to face-to-face interaction when it comes to product inspection, especially when dealing with first-time buyers. However, this study presented measures put in place by other SMEs suggesting how such challenges could be addressed. Nevertheless, a lack of trust in technology remains a cause for concern to some SMEs selling natural essential oils.

The paper presents one of the first attempts to identify and categorise the fundamental barriers currently preventing the multibillion semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry from implementing existing B2B e-trading models for its secondary market. It furthermore proposes a global e-business strategy supporting aftermarket integration with the industry's supply chain.

Because of the global nature of the industry, the research employs a multiple case-study design to explore the state-of-the-art in semiconductor excess management. The data for this analysis are obtained through a number of in-depth interviews with experts from a cross-section of the industry, and further supplemented and validated with a systematic literature review and public corporate data.

The results indicate that significant market imperfections still exist in the industry due to information and knowledge deficits, organisational inefficiency and IP-related concerns. The considerable levels of third-party competition to the original equipment manufacturers raise questions about the existence and efficacy of reverse logistics processes and Closed-Loop Supply Chain (CLSC) management strategies in this industry. It has been shown that a leaner semiconductor supply chain is achievable through the implementation of the proposed B2B e-marketplace, maintaining the information exchange on the surplus/obsolete equipment and parts.

These outcomes are unique for supporting the design of the first global e-marketplace for the secondary semiconductor equipment and spares. The results can, furthermore, inform the standardisation of the semiconductor aftermarket transactions, streamline knowledge exchange mechanisms amongst different industry players and improve pricing strategies. These contribute to knowledge of principles allowing the aftermarket e-trading to become a key part of the value network in high-tech manufacturing industries.

Today, millions of exporters and importers are using hundreds of business-to-business (B2B) electronic marketplaces to buy or sell goods and services. With this reason, this study aims to provide the related literature sufficient information concerning the most appropriate and beneficiary criteria which should be taken into consideration in the web pages of B2B companies via applying a content analysis method. The analysis results exhibit that globally oriented websites like B2B marketplaces must contain at least two or three language options, since people from different parts of the world speak and learn different languages according to their geography; and that B2B websites which do not provide trade assurances must consider adding this feature to attract more customers. In the scope of the study, it has been found out that all the selected websites take a good care of the information they share. When visiting these companies, it is really easy to learn everything about industries and international trade relations. Some of them even share information about the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on industries. Among all the websites analyzed in the scope of the study, only Alibaba.com meets all the criteria taken into consideration. Moreover, it would be appropriate to suggest that Turkish B2B e-marketplaces, such as Tradeatlas.com, ptttrade.com, and steelorbis.com, should have these criteria to become leading B2B e-marketplaces in the world. Finally, it can be suggested that websites should prepare specific pages for newcomers to enlighten them in the best way they can do.

This study seeks to explore the impact of e‐marketplaces on dyadic buyer‐supplier relationships in the healthcare sector. In particular it seeks to determine if the “move to the middle” hypothesis put forward by Clemons et al. will be supported in this domain. Case studies of four buying organisations in the healthcare sector (hospitals) and two suppliers (medical device companies), representing eight dyadic buyer supplier relationships were undertaken. It was found that the adoption of e‐marketplaces is associated with a reduction in the number of suppliers used by the buying organisations; a deepening of the relationship with the remaining suppliers and an increased “blurring of the boundaries” between the two parties.

Considering the growing momentum of online marketplaces worldwide, the purpose of this paper is to develop a model to identify the main activities impacted by the implementation of an e-marketplace in the business-to-business relationship and assess the savings on costs for the main actors involved (i.e. manufacturer, distributor and retailer).

The methodology used in the study is a quantitative one. The analytical model used to evaluate B2b e-marketplace's impacts followed three main steps: (1) model settings and general assumptions, (2) cost structure and (3) model simulation.

The findings reveal that beyond stock-out costs and inventory levels also other operating costs (i.e. transportation, penalty and administrative costs) play a significant role in determining overall impacts of B2b e-marketplace, and as such should be considered by managers in their process of e-marketplace evaluation, selection and performance optimisation. The model shows that compared with the offline scenario the B2b e-marketplace is expected to bring value to the overall supply chain, which tends to increase as the share of e-sales penetration is increased, ranging from a cost reduction of 0.1% (€ 229.2k) in the base-case of 10% e-sales adoption, up to 0.9% (€ −2.2 M) in case of full e-marketplace adoption.

This study aims to shed light and foster the adoption of B2b e-marketplace by providing some practical tools to support (1) research in future studies, filling the existing gaps on the topic, and (2) managers in the process of adoption and execution of e-sales through online marketplaces.

Grounded in two primary theories such as (1) the triangular alignment model and (2) the technology–organization–environment framework, this paper aims to develop appropriate scales to measure the e-sourcing experience index (EEI).

The sample includes a total of 630 e-sourcing platform users in the US and India who have already utilized e-commerce platforms. Item response theory and factor analysis were used for the psychometric analysis. Measurement invariance was established between the Indian and US participants, indicating similar conceptualization of the items across the two cultures.

The study's results demonstrated that users have a better experience when online sourcing platforms provide adequate resources for making sourcing decisions, finding potential buyers and managing sourcing activities more efficiently. From the perspective of e-sourcing platforms, suppliers' performance and users' experiences can be improved when businesses address the concerns indicated in the five factors.

The study's objective was to develop the EEI in order to assess suppliers' experiences with e-sourcing platforms. Due to the diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), different stages of adaptation may cause varied experiences and relationships with buyers.

From a theoretical perspective, this study is one of the few to combine triangular alignment model (TAM) and technology–organization–environment (TOE) theories and to develop a reliable and valid scale (EEI) for user experiences with online sourcing platforms. Based on the previous scales, the EEI was found to be well in line with the established theories on traditional apparel sourcing, and, at the same time, considered the particulars of e-sourcing practices.

Internet-based business-to-business electronic procurement (B2B e-procurement) systems are rapidly becoming the primary platform for interorganizational transactions and the delivery of products and services in the travel and tourism industries. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the critical success factors (CSFs) and implementation strategies for B2B e-procurement systems in travel agency supply chains.

This study developed a multifaceted evaluation framework that draws on the relevant literature and the technology–organization–environment framework. The CSFs underlying B2B e-procurement adoption were identified using hybrid criteria decision-making methods. Purposive sampling was used, and 49 valid questionnaires were obtained from retail travel agencies in Taiwan.

The results reveal that the top four CSFs are system stability, system reliability, sales dynamics and product line availability. By focusing on these CSFs, travel wholesalers can most effectively allocate their limited resources to provide an extensive range of products and services to their clients, improve e-procurement services and enhance interorganizational collaboration in travel agency supply chains.

This study developed a multifaceted evaluation framework and identified four CSFs to assist in the adoption of B2B e-procurement systems in travel agency supply chains.

基于 Internet 的企业对企业电子采购（B2B 电子采购）系统正迅速成为旅行和旅游业中组织间交易以及产品和服务交付的主要平台。 因此, 本研究的目的是调查旅行社供应链中 B2B 电子采购系统的关键成功因素 (CSF) 和实施策略。

本研究开发了一个多方面的评估框架, 该框架借鉴了相关文献和技术-组织-环境框架。 采用混合标准决策 (MCDM) 方法确定了采用 B2B 电子采购的 CSF。 采用有目的的抽样方式, 共从台湾零售旅行社获得49份有效问卷。

结果显示, 排名前四的 CSF 是系统稳定性、系统可靠性、销售动态和产品线可用性。 通过关注这些 CSF, 旅游批发商可以最有效地分配其有限资源, 为其客户提供范围广泛的产品和服务, 改善电子采购服务, 并加强旅行社供应链中的组织间协作。

本研究开发了一个多方面的评估框架, 并确定了四个 CSF, 以协助在旅行社供应链中采用 B2B 电子采购系统。

The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of contemporary supply‐chain management systems.

The paper highlights the examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and speculates about where this movement is headed. Some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest will also be examined.

Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is the most recent prolific management initiative that provides supply chain collaboration and visibility. By following CPFR, companies can dramatically improve supply chain effectiveness with demand planning, synchronized production scheduling, logistic planning, and new product design. CPFR will force suppliers to innovate, building on strong one‐to‐one relationships that will drive smarter ways of doing things. Most companies and industries can benefit from CPFR. However, companies that experience variation in demand, buy or sell a product on a periodic basis, and those that deal in highly differentiated or branded products will benefit the most.

Practitioners can gain first‐hand knowledge of the CPFR model, technology and factors influencing adoption. Practitioners can also find examples of state‐of‐the‐art practice in supply‐chain management, and study some of the collaborative supply chain management products generating the most interest.

The paper is valuable to practitioners interested in implementing CPFR in their organizations.