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The purpose of this paper is to present a new metric that aims to quantitatively support the selection phase of a new e‐business idea by performing an evaluation of its distinctness. The paper seeks to explain the reasons for the creation of a new parameter, called “E‐distinctivity”, the identification of the metrics to assess it and aims to present the results of its evaluation.

In order to visualize the new parameter and to execute all the needed evaluations a two‐dimensional radar chart has been created “ad hoc”. The radar chart is built on eight crucial characteristics divided into four principal zones representing the strategic aspects of the E‐distinctivity. In order to assess the soundness of the identified parameter its evaluation on a reference group of well‐known e‐business ventures has been performed.

The E‐distinctivity parameter permits easy comparison among many different alternative ideas during a feasibility phase and provides quantitative data to evaluate these ideas without requiring huge investments.

This parameter is not intended to be sufficient for an exhaustive feasibility assessment of an e‐business idea. Additional investigation is necessary to determine other parameters and evaluation tasks to improve the accuracy of the model. The aim is to support the selection phase of a new e‐business idea with the aid of new parameters that integrate traditional methods of business analysis.

The study identified an original parameter to be evaluated on a given e‐business idea in order to provide a quantitative measure of its distinctness.

To place the research on radio frequency identification (RFID) usage in supply chains within a specific business and market context; in this case, the grocery industry.

This paper considers RFID research within the context of the grocery industry and outlines the market drivers that affect the way the grocery industry approaches RFID and also specific areas of research on RFID that should be undertaken to better provide the grocery industry with managerial insights into this technology's application.

Examining market drivers that are leading to RFID implementation in the grocery industry, this paper provides a theoretical framework for future applied research on RFID implementation. Specifically, it develops a research framework that includes research using modeling techniques, RFID implementation and the impact of RFID on daily operational issues.

This paper focuses on the market drivers for RFID implementation. While it does address other areas that are related to research in this field, it is limited in its ability to go into detailed discussion of those areas. For example, while technology implementation and innovation diffusion issues are raised, they are detailed research domains of their own which can only be superficially addressed in the context of this paper.

The paper provides a detailed framework of research areas that are of direct, practical importance to the grocery industry. This should encourage research into this area, for, as researchers provide insights into these issues, the grocery industry can immediately put the findings into practice.

RFID has garnered a great deal of research interest. However, that research has primarily focused on RFID's impact on general supply chain issues, failing to place the discussion within a specific business domain. This is necessary because the strategic environment of any business impacts on the applicability of any technology.

The paper proposes a conceptual framework of the stages of electronic government that describes and integrates the unique relationship between the government and its varied constituents, and identifies and applies the global constraints that affect the implementation of e‐government at each stage.

Building on and expanding stages of e‐government suggested in prior literature, a framework is designed to recognize that the five stages of e‐government will have differing impacts when considering six different categories of constituents. In addition, the framework considers three global constraints superimposed on these stages and relationship; laws and regulations, technical feasibility, and user feasibility. The paper then provides an example of implementation of the framework by exploring the issue of privacy in electronic government.

The relationships mapped the stages of e‐government, affected by global motivators and constraints, are unique and complex. Policy and implementation of e‐government should take account of these complexities. Privacy in e‐government issues differs significantly when global motivators and constraints are viewed across the complex framework of government stages by constituency.

The relationships between constituents and stages of e‐government, together with the global constraints, should be incorporated into the process of decision‐making when government is considering the movement from one stage of e‐government to another. The framework provides new lenses through which e‐government implementation can be studied by researchers.

The framework can be used to guide planning and decision‐making for electronic government and aid in the identification of issues unique to each stage and constituency.

The use of framework allows researchers and practitioners to identify issues that may not be highlighted in a general discussion of e‐government that does not take into account the complexities of the e‐government environment.

Seeks to test the relative importance of various drivers of information‐technology‐related performance, and compare these drivers in the context of using established and emerging technologies. Established technologies include those generally promoted as the European Article Numbering (EAN) system (electronic data interchange (EDI), barcoding, etc.), while the emerging ones are based on the use of the internet.

A survey was designed based on previous research and a series of case studies conducted within the membership of EAN Australia. The method of analysis employed was structural equation modelling based on data collected from 553 members of the EAN organisation in Australia.

Use of technology enabling business‐to‐business (B2B) e‐commerce was found to provide a potential source of performance improvement, but such improvement is shown to be more a function of the process by which strategy is formulated, and organisational capability, than of the technologies per se. The adoption and use of emerging technologies (such as the internet) are not subject to the same restrictions and impediments traditionally associated with established technologies. Therefore, organisations will find emerging internet‐based technologies easier to implement and to use, but this will not necessarily mean that they will improve performance as a result. Performance will still be determined by effective strategy formulation, a clear understanding and knowledge of the technologies, appropriate application, and prudent change management.

This research has been conducted in Australia, and restricted to the membership of the EAN organisation. This membership is largely representative of the fast‐moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. Whether such results would be consistent in other countries and industries would need to be verified through further research.

Develops and tests an integrated model linking strategy formulation, knowledge, capability, use of technology and performance. Provides valuable insight into why and how technology implementations can be configured for success.

Electronic support of internal supply chains for direct or production goods has been a major element during the implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems that has taken place since the late 1980s. However, supply chains to indirect material suppliers were not usually included due to low transaction volumes, low product values and low strategic importance of these goods. Dedicated information systems for streamlining indirect goods supply chains have emerged since the late 1990s and subsequently have faced a broad diffusion in practice. The concept of these e‐procurement solutions has also been described broadly in the literature. However, studies on how companies use these e‐procurement solutions and what factors are critical to their implementation are only emerging. This research aims to explore the introduction of e‐procurement systems and their contribution to the management of indirect goods supply chain.

Chooses a two‐part qualitative approach. First, summarizes the results of a benchmarking study that was conducted by a consortium of 12 multinational companies. During the benchmarking process 120 questionnaires were distributed, ten phone‐based interviews were conducted, and finally five successful practice companies were selected and analyzed in detail. Second, draws together the success factors identified in the benchmarking study and maps them against the successful practice companies.

Although e‐procurement has substantially streamlined the procurement and coordination processes for indirect goods, many companies operate multiple e‐procurement solutions. For integrated procurement solutions, the paper recognizes the need of an overall procurement strategy and organization, an alignment of various e‐procurement solutions along the procurement process and the need for integrated system architectures. Companies also have to realize that a no standardized e‐procurement solutions exists and that important success factors are “non‐technical” in nature.

This paper presents a first step towards a systematic analysis of factors that may guide companies in the implementation of e‐procurement solutions. Besides providing a direct contribution to the project work in companies it may stimulate further research in e‐procurement success factors.

To introduce a broader concept for supply‐chain management (SCM), the notion of value network advocacy.

The historical roots and the traditional terms used to describe SCM are explored to show how their meanings have led to specific types of information systems to support SCM. The limitations of these systems are demonstrated with case studies. Then the concept of value network advocacy is introduced to address these limitations, and implications of this term are explored.

The term SCM has its historical roots in the control of fulfillment activities that support the linear physical flow of goods from suppliers to manufacturers to distributors to retailers. Consequently many information systems (IS) applications that support the supply chain have a similar focus. These systems often separate supply from demand management and focus on linear information flows. Often they are implemented without reengineering business processes. A broader concept, value network advocacy, better describes the needs of business today. It is suggested that adoption of this concept in organizations will be limited not by technology, but by lack of trust mechanisms and metrics.

The adoption of the broader concept of value network advocacy will enable companies to focus more on developing adaptive networks that support customer needs.

The paper introduces the concept of value network advocacy which can guide e‐supply chain development to support a more integrated customer‐focused notion of flexible networks that provide value.

The importance of virtual communities is growing day by day, since consumers are increasingly using online tools to share ideas and contact fellow consumers. For this reason, the purpose of this paper, which is based on relational capital theory, is to analyze what factors determine the consumer commitment to a virtual community.

A positive effect of trust in a virtual community on commitment to the community is suggested. In addition, some antecedents of trust placed in a virtual community are proposed. After the validations of measurement scales the hypotheses are contrasted through structural modelling.

The data show that trust placed in a virtual community has a positive and significant effect on consumers' commitment to that virtual community. Additionally, a general disposition to trust, a greater familiarity with the community and a stronger norm of reciprocity in communication in the community may increase the level of trust placed in a virtual community.

Data were collected thanks to a web survey using Spanish‐speaking members of free software virtual communities. Thus, it would be interesting to carry out a new validation of the model using other types of virtual communities and a wider sample of consumers, particularly in terms of different nationalities.

This study has shown how managers may foster trust and commitment toward a virtual community in order to ensure the community's success and survival in the long term; that is, the ongoing participation in the community.

Most of the works that are focused on virtual communities have been conducted at the conceptual level. Thus, with the aim of progressing this topic, the study analyzes empirically the precursors of trust and commitment to a virtual community.

The aim of this paper is to provide a multifaceted exploration of the motives and success factors of a magazine web site.

The paper presents an explorative single case study of a Finnish magazine web site. The analysis is based on triangulated data (semi‐structured interviews, observation, statistics, and documents provided by the magazine publisher).

The case illustrates that a magazine web site supports all the three functions (editorial, circulation, and advertising) that are vital to a magazine's success. Moreover, virtual community activities seem to have enhanced customer loyalty and added a more lifelike dimension to the magazine concept.

Media managers should look at internet presence from a more multifaceted perspective rather than merely focus on the revenue streams. Operating online services should be valued and exploited alongside the development of the print product.

The value of this research lies in the notion that the web site may complement rather than replace the print magazine.

To investigate the role of business process redesign (BPR) in creating citizen‐centred e‐government.

It is argued in this paper that the evolutionary‐based development of BPR is better positioned to expand the use e‐commerce technology in the public sector. The Venkatraman model of IT‐enabled change is used in order to investigate the extent to which BPR was instrumental in the movement to e‐government in Ireland. A case study is presented detailing how the Irish Government's e‐government strategy was devised and implemented.

This paper details how 50 government authorities were co‐ordinated in an effort to provide a single point of access (portal) to government e‐services. However, as the infrastructure for the portal is to be developed around existing government structures, a full and complete process redesign is unlikely, as the existing authorities must remain in place.

To investigate the unique nature of processes within the public sector so that IS platforms can be developed that accommodate less efficient processes rather than platforms that require unobtainable process redesign.

The establishment of a specific government entity, whose sole purpose is to oversee and implement the e‐government strategy, has contributed greatly to the success achieved to date.

This paper fulfils an identified need for research in BPR in the implementation of e‐government and provides a valuable insight into the successful attainment of citizen‐centred e‐government in other jurisdictions.

In order to understand the range of e‐government initiatives that occur in practice, this study aims to explore diverse applications that have involved one locale, the City of Tyler, Texas.

The first case briefly describes the TylerTexas e‐government portal, an initiative that illustrates government‐to‐citizen and government‐to‐business applications. The second case describes a city/county government information technology integration effort that could support government‐to‐government applications if it is successful. Finally, the paper describes TexasOnline, a public‐private state government initiative that may have a large impact on local e‐government projects.

The paper explores some of the ways in which business process management approaches can help city and civic leaders manage the significant social and technical changes that will be needed to achieve the desired e‐government outcomes.

These examples illustrate many of the opportunities and the challenges involved in e‐government initiatives and, as such, may interest others who engage in similar efforts.