Evaluating the impact of B2B e-commerce: a contingent approach

Technological developments in e-commerce provide one of the most important challenges to B2B marketers currently In this paper, we use a contingent approach to attempt to assess the likely impact of two forms of e-technology, Virtual Markets (VMs) and Interorganisational Systems (IOS), on two different ideal-type markets: competitive and relational. The contingency market model in each case comprises a basic market mechanism that is influenced and modified by the action of certain key contingencies such as product form, market structure, and market information. The impact of each e-technology in each market is assessed by reference to the way it affects one key contingency, market information. From this, the likely penetration of each e-technology in each market is qualitatively assessed. The key managerial implication is that managers need to understand the mechanisms and contingencies that affect their own particular situation, rather than expect to be able to apply general prescriptions. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.