Customer loyalty in e-commerce: an exploration of its antecedents and consequences

This paper investigates the antecedents and consequences of customer loyalty in an online business-to-consumer (B2C) context. We identify eight factors (the 8Cs—customization, contact interactivity, care, community, convenience, cultivation, choice, and character) that potentially impact e-loyalty and develop scales to measure these factors. Data collected from 1,211 online customers demonstrate that all these factors, except convenience, impact e-loyalty. The data also reveal that e-loyalty has an impact on two customer-related outcomes: word-of- mouth promotion and willingness to pay more.     

The shipping strategies of internet retailers: Evidence from internet book retailing

Managing the shipment of goods to consumers is one of the central aspects of retail competition on the internet. In this article, we analyze internet retailers’ shipping strategies using data from the internet book retailing industry. We find that, controlling for a variety of observable firm characteristics, firms with lower product prices offer lower shipping fees and higher quality shipping in terms of average delivery time, compared to firms with higher product prices. These patterns cannot be readily reconciled with a large class of models of competition under perfect consumer information. Theories based on imperfect consumer information can explain the findings better.

信息不对称与电子商务的发展

本文认为,信息不对称引致的信用缺失是制约电子商务发展的重要因素,发展我国电子商务除了继续加强基础设施建设外,建立和完善社会信用体系,提高信用度是必不可少的重要方面。文章提出,要建立良好的信息沟通渠道和机制,使信息公众化、公开化;提高企业组织化程度;制定企业信用评价制度:健全法制,约束企业交易行为,提高其信用度;消除信息不对称,促进我国电子商务健康发展。     

Comparing theories to explain e-commerce adoption

E-commerce is a strategy for rapid growth, especially by small and medium sized businesses (SMEs). However, the adoption rate of e-commerce by SMEs in Latin America is still undersized. The authors compare the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the theory of reasoned action (TRA) using structural equation modeling to determine which is better at predicting e-commerce adoption intentions among 210 SME managers/owners in Chile. Contrary to previous research with American respondents, the study does not find significant differences between the two theories. Thus, academics should select the more parsimonious model (TRA) to study e-commerce adoption issues in developing countries.     

Online search – Online purchase in franchising: An empirical analysis of franchisor website functionality

The aim of this paper is to characterize franchisors’ e-commerce strategies by studying their website functionality. Franchisors can use their website to facilitate consumer search. They can also provide content and tools to promote online purchasing (e.g., promotion codes, online payment, delivery options). Why are some franchisor websites more “search oriented”? What are the factors that influence the provision of informational tools and/or transactional tools? This empirical study is based on a detailed observation of 130 e-commerce websites of franchisors operating their chains in the French market.     

Examining the relationships between online store atmospheric color,flow experience and consumer behavior

Although atmospherics and flow experience are widely studied, the relationship between online store atmospheric cues and flow experience has received a little attention. Furthermore, there is a lack of published results about the role of atmospheric color in creating flow. Using the Stimulus – Organism – Response model and the theory of optimal experience of flow, this study investigated the impact of online store background color on the achievement of flow and its effects on online consumer behavior. In this study, an online experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of a warm hue – yellow versus a cool hue – blue of the background and used a self-administered online survey for data collection. The results underscore the important role online store color plays in creating the flow experience and revealed that blue hue induces more flow than yellow. The two dimensions of flow (perceived enjoyment and concentration) have direct and mediating effects on purchase intention and revisit intention. Concentration, but not enjoyment, has direct and mediating effects on the number of viewed pages and time spent per visit. This research enhances our understanding of the relationship between online store atmospheric color and flow and highlights the role of flow as an extension of SOR model applied online. Other theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed. Finally, suggestions regarding future research are presented.     

江苏网络经济发展现状及对策研究

网络经济在国民经济中正扮演着越来越重要的角色,是我国经济发展新的增长点。江苏省是我国网络经济和电子商务应用较为发达的地区之一,研究江苏网络经济的发展对于江苏乃至全国的网络经济发展都具有重要意义。通过调查江苏省网络经济的发展现状,分析存在的问题,提出了相关改进措施和优化建议,以推动江苏省网络经济更加健康、良好的发展。     

电子商务环境下复合型物流管理人才培养策略研究

复合型电子商务物流管理人才匮乏已经成为制约我国电子商务健康发展的瓶颈。结合电子商务高速发展的需求以及现代物流业发展的新特点,提出了复合型电子商务物流管理人才所应具备的核心专业能力,并从人才培养模式、教学模式、课程知识体系和人才评价体系等方面提出了复合型电子商务物流管理人才的培养改革措施,为高等院校培养电子商务物流管理人才提供参考。     

电商直播背景下产品定价问题研究

随着互联网技术的发展，直播模式成为电商经济新的增长点。在高速发展的同时，电商直播中的“翻车”事件也频频爆出。以电商直播背景下产品定价问题为研究对象，总结概括现有电商直播背景下产品定价的主要策略，深入剖析现有产品定价存在的问题以及产生的原因。最后从明确平台责任、加强行业自律、加大监管和处罚力度、提升消费者自我保护意识等方面提出对策建议。     

Revisiting Border Effect: Evidence from Taobao.com in China

Inherent home bias and trade barriers (particularly local protectionism in China), which are difficult to separate, are two main explanations of border effect. We attempt to solve this problem by analyzing online trade. Different from offline trade, inherent home bias is the only cause of online border effect because local governments are usually unable to restrict online trade. Thus, the difference between the border effect in online and offline trade can be reasonably interpreted as the existence of government protectionism in the offline market. We find a statistically significant difference between online and offline border effects in China, which can be interpreted as strong evidence that policy barriers remain significant and hinder interregional trade.