Foreign direct investment and innovation in China's e-commerce sector

By comparing the business practices and performance of foreign-invested and local Internet companies in China, this article outlines the important factors that multinational corporations must address to gain competitive advantages in China's e-commerce sector. Specifically, this research compares EachNet (eBay) with Taobao in the consumer-toconsumer market; eLong (Expedia) with Ctrip and Joyo (Amazon) with Dangdang in the business-to-consumer market; and the online search engines Google China and Baidu. The author underscores the importance of local knowledge for firm performance and success. Foreign firms must improve their understanding of and ability to adapt to local cultural, social, economic, and political environments. (C) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.