Toward the Physical Internet—Logistics Service Modularity and Design Implications

The Physical Internet (PI) is a modularization of logistics services: standardized protocols, full interoperability and standardized packaging, PI‐containers, and encapsulated freight. The PI‐containers are a core component of the PI; however, previous PI studies have not addressed those containers’ repositioning, despite its importance and effect on the PI network efficiency. In this paper, we analyze how the PI‐containers’ design and characteristics will determine the containers’ flows in a domestic network context. The flows are studied strategically using a linear programming model minimizing flow imbalances between hubs and simulating the effect of PI‐container compatibility. The model is tested using inter‐regional freight data from Sweden, and the results are framed using modularity theory. Our analysis reveals that PI‐container compatibility in terms of forward and reverse flows determines whether PI presents increased or decreased empty runs compared with the existing conventional logistics system. Departing from modularization theory, we discuss our results, emphasizing not only the importance of keeping synergistic specificity low but also how the characteristics will affect the urgency of technology use. Our implications are important to supply chain managers and policymakers for the future research on the Physical Internet, PI‐container repositioning and routing, and packaging design.     

Why Collaborate in a Physical Internet Network?—Motives and Success Factors

The vision of the Physical Internet (PI) involves both sharing logistics resources and information exchange within an open network. The implementation of PI is seen as a promising contribution toward sustainable logistics. This paper investigates motives for and success factors in collaborating in a PI network. We apply an interpretive case‐based research approach involving four shippers and three logistics service providers (LSPs) that operate in a PI network. Motives are defined as the reasons that encourage an organization to enter the PI network. Success factors are conditions required for organizations to continue collaborating in a PI network. This is the first PI study conducted in a multi‐industry context. The findings demonstrate the central and neutral orchestration of resources (i.e., physical, digital/intangible, and relational resources) as a substantial and multi‐faceted issue in PI and continuous PI collaboration. A well‐accepted theory (Resource‐Based View) and its most recent extension (Resource Orchestration Theory—ROT) frame and guide our research. ROT informs the deployment of physical, digital/intangible, and relational resources by a neutral orchestrator in a PI network. The knowledge of motives and success factors allows the development of future user‐oriented PI services that are likely to be accepted by shippers and LSPs.     

A Model of Factors Affecting the Growth of Retailing on the Internet

We propose a model that links factors affecting the growth of retailing on the Internet (the Net). Specifically, we examine the roles of the following factors: product-related (risk, efforts, and information intensity); medium-related (interactivity, variety of channels, logical capability, and underlying communication model); consumer-related (preference for home-based shopping, technical orientation, and access to the Net); firm-related (information intensity and expertise in direct marketing), and environment-related (critical mass of consumers and retailers online). We examine how at each stage of the consumption process, Net-based retailing affects value delivery to consumers. Managerial implications of the model are discussed.     

Internet marketing capabilities and international market growth

The Internet has been shown to facilitate elements of internationalisation such as information accumulation and network opportunities. However, there is limited understanding of how the Internet combined with marketing capabilities drives international market growth. This study, based on a sample of 224 Australian firms, develops and tests, using structural equation modelling (SEM), a conceptual model of Internet marketing capabilities and international market growth. Results indicate that firms deploying Internet marketing capabilities will benefit due to the reduction of information uncertainty and increased capacity to develop international network capabilities. Moreover, Internet marketing capabilities indirectly lead to international market growth when the firm has a high level of international strategic orientation and international network capabilities. Overall, Internet marketing capabilities enhance the firm's ability to generate other internal capabilities within the firm, which in turn have a positive impact on the international market growth of the firm.     

Constructing conceptual models for knowledge capture and delivery systems

Appropriate conceptualization of the nature of entities and relationships in a problem domain is a key prerequisite to the successful design of computerized decision aids for business, especially those developed for more than one idiosyncratic user. The need for a reliable conceptual model is particularly acute in the design of decision support systems that must function in problem‐solving situations with no existing theoretical framework or where theory and practice differ considerably.

This paper presents an interative procedure for developing a reliable conceptual model by testing the “fit”; of successive revisions of the model against a collection of “think‐aloud”; verbal problem‐solving protocols of people with experience in the domain. The model is revised each time until it is verifiably and consistently accurate. Such a procedure, it is argued, is more objective and reliable than intuition or traditional knowledge engineering and requires considerably less experimental data collection and analysis than more elaborate empirical model development procedures.

The feasibility of this procedure is illustrated by using it to construct a conceptual model for a computer‐based system that seeks to capture knowledge used during project planning and deliver it for use during project control.     

A Group Cooperative Decision Support System Based on Extended Contract Net

With the prevalence of the Web, most decision-makers are likely to use the Web to support their decision-making. Furthermore, many decision-makers begin to seek cooperators on the Internet to help them to solve complex decision problem. In the paper, we propose a research framework for Group Cooperative Decision Support System (GCDSS) and determine three layers such as task layer, cooperator layer and resource layer to characterize it and demonstrate how electronic market could facilitate cooperation in GCDSS. Then we present the negotiation model of GCDSS and propose a task decomposition method based on which one can decompose a complex problem into a formal task AND/OR tree. We also propose a task assignment method based on extended Contract Net to perform task allocation in GCDSS and describe the group cooperative decision-making process in Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language (KQML). An optimal policy is designed to find the optimal solution of task AND/OR tree and cooperative problem solving process is illustrated with an example for education development plan in China. Finally, we conclude with a brief overview of research contribution, along with some proposals for further research.     

Pricing Internet access in the presence of user loyalty

Socio-economic aspects of future communication networks such as pricing models for network providers, network neutrality, and Quality of Experience (QoE) are becoming more and more important as the convergence of networks is in progress. All the above areas share a common interest: the deeper understanding of user behavior. In this paper, as a first step towards a more realistic user model, we investigate customer loyalty and its impact on the pricing competition of Internet Service Providers (ISPs) who sell Internet access to end-users. The main contribution of this paper is twofold. First, we analyze the impact of user loyalty with game-theoretical means motivated by the Bertrand game. We show how loyalty introduces a new equilibrium in a repeated game setting resulting in the cooperation of ISPs. Furthermore, we investigate the case of a differentiated customer population by introducing dual reservation values, and show how it leads to new, pure strategy Nash equilibria indicating that ISPs should make the most out of their respective loyal user base. Second, we construct two novel models for customer loyalty incorporating two important aspects of the users’ purchasing decisions: price sensitivity and inherent uncertainty. We evaluate the impact of user loyalty through these models by extensive simulations in a number of relevant scenarios. In particular, we show how the higher level of loyalty in the user population leads to larger profits for ISPs. We argue that our findings can motivate network researchers to incorporate a finer-grained user behavior model in their investigations on pricing models of network services and other socio-economic issues.     

Marketing perspectives on digital business models: A framework and overview of the special issue

Strong digital developments are changing markets, and firms may adopt a digital business model to deal with these developments. This special issue focuses on such digital business models. In this editorial, we discuss the relevance of digital business models, propose a conceptual framework, and discuss how digital business models affect firms, firm performance, and markets. We introduce the papers in this issue and show how they each fit within the conceptual framework. We discuss four important areas for future research.     

The impacts of instructional video advertising on customer purchasing intentions on the Internet

As the application of the Internet has grown rapidly, electronic commerce is expected to become increasingly prosperous. In addition, since the launching of the Internet, more media in advertising have appeared. Online customer experiences and Web 2.0 are believed to be two of the driving forces behind the growth in online sales. A more advanced advertising medium is thus needed to stimulate customers’ purchasing intentions. One creative medium of advertising on the Internet is instructional video advertising. It provides instructions on how to operate the products being sold and/or on how the products function. Hence, the customers may in this way view the advertising, and finally the intention to purchase may be triggered. In order to explore how Internet instructional video advertising may affect customers’ purchasing intentions, we propose a new model that adopts the theory of reasoned action, the technology acceptance model, and others. We perform the survey to analyze how instructional video advertising may impact customers’ purchasing intentions.     

改善网购“柠檬”化的博弈探讨

"柠檬"问题是信息不对称的具体表现,Internet商务市场以其独特的虚拟性和开放性,在具备很多优势的同时,也出现了严重的弊端。通过从经济学角度,对网络市场交易中的"柠檬"做出说明,运用博弈论方法,对如何在电子商务中有效解决这一问题给予一定理论探讨。     

International heterogeneity in the associations of new business models and broadband Internet with music revenue and piracy

Broadband Internet has fundamentally changed business models in many industries. In the music industry, for instance, old business models were challenged by illegal competitors, and broadband Internet has enabled value creation through new business models. The changes that established business models experienced in the wake of broadband Internet, however, differed vastly across national markets, and these differences are not well understood. We build a conceptual framework and study the extent to which differences in economic and cultural factors are associated with different market outcomes in the wake of the proliferation of broadband Internet. Thus, we compile two unique data sets from the music industry, comprising (1) revenue data for 36 countries and 22 years and (2) piracy data for 47 countries and >2 years. We use a Bayesian multilevel model to explore between-country heterogeneity in the associations between these variables and broadband Internet adoption and business model innovations. Our results show that the negative association between broadband Internet penetration and music revenue is weaker in high-income countries, where income restrictions are less likely to drive demand towards illegitimate piracy services. In terms of cultural factors, we find that a market's response to the introduction of broadband Internet is less negative in countries scoring high on Hofstede's individualism and uncertainty avoidance dimensions. Furthermore, we find that overall revenues only recover after the latest generation of streaming services (e.g., Spotify) has been introduced, and the adoption of these services is associated with lower levels of online music piracy.     

Internet Adoption Among Malaysian Companies

The Internet technology is prevalently used in companies for business purposes. This research attempts to investigate the characteristics that are thought to influence such strategic decision of Internet adoption among the companies. Understanding the characteristics of Internet strategy in the business world helps the management to efficiently and effectively invest in Internet adoption plan. A survey was conducted to gather information from Malaysian companies. One hundred and fifteen usable responses were obtained for analysis. The findings of the study suggest the firms that wish to adopt higher level of Internet adoption should take account the support of information technology employees, overseas investment, and participation in international markets.     

A Conceptual Framework for the Design of Geo-Collaborative Systems

Geo-collaborative systems address the computational support to situations where people are working in different locations, gathering geographically-related data in the field and sharing knowledge. We propose a conceptual framework identifying the design issues that fundamentally set the stage for eliciting the requirements of geo-collaborative systems. The conceptual framework has five elements: places, teams, tasks, artifacts and geo-referenced knowledge. We also highlight two important relationships between some of these elements: (1) a task-artifact relationship, related with the need to increase the organizational decision making abilities through concerted efforts; and (2) an artifact-knowledge relationship, related with the need to support mechanisms for jointly understanding geo-referenced data. The conceptual framework was applied to the development of a groupware tool aiming to increase the productivity of the geological mapping process followed by a national agency with competence in this area. The paper describes in detail how the conceptual framework influenced the groupware design. The obtained results indicate that the framework can focus the designers on the human aspects of geo-collaboration and guide them through the initial design stages.     

A Model Integrating the Multidimensional Developmental Theory of Privacy and Theory of Planned Behavior to Examine Fabrication of Information Online

We investigate the antecedents behind online consumers' attempt to disguise their identities through fabrication. We first develop a general conceptual model that draws on two extant theoretical frameworks: (1) Laufer and Wolfe's Multidimensional Approach to Privacy, and (2) Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with Perceived Moral Obligation. Next we conduct an empirical study using SEM to test the portion of the conceptual model based on the TPB framework. Results demonstrate that Attitudes, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Perceived Moral Obligation are significant drivers of fabrication, while Subjective Norms are not. Anonymity, one of the unique characteristics of the Internet compared to in-store environments, likely contributed to the intention to fabricate information. In the concluding section we discuss the implications of our empirical results, industry self-regulation and public policy considerations, and how future research can draw upon the conceptual Laufer and Wolfe framework, particularly the calculus of behavior construct, to further enrich our understanding of fabrication behavior on the Internet.     

Internet Interconnection Economic Model and its Analysis: Peering and Settlement

Peering and transit are two types of Internet interconnection among ISPs. Peering has been a core concept to sustain Internet industry. However, for the past several years, many ISPs broke their peering arrangement because of asymmetric traffic pattern and asymmetric benefit and cost from the peering. Even though traffic flows are not a good indicator of the relative benefit of an Internet interconnection between the ISPs, it is needless to say that cost is a function of traffic and the only thing that we can know for certain is inbound/outbound traffic volumes between the ISPs. In this context, we suggest Max{inbound traffic volume, outbound traffic volume} as an alternative criterion to determine the Internet settlement between ISPs and we demonstrate this rule makes ISPs easier to make a peering arrangement. In our model, the traffic volume is a function of a market share. We will show the market share decides traffic volume, which is based on the settlement between ISPs. As a result, we address the current interconnection settlement problem with knowledge of inbound and outbound traffic flows and we develop an analytical framework to explain the Internet interconnection settlement.     

信息用户视角的公司网上报告——基于中国机构投资者的调查分析

本文基于机构投资者这一新的视角对公司网上报告进行研究。通过问卷调查的方式,我们从机构投资者对公司网上报告的利用程度、对网上报告质量状况的评价、对因特网报告的期望与建议以及对网上报告的未来展望等角度进行分析。最后,本文从改进我国上市公司网上报告水平、明确公司网上报告责任和如何对因特网报告进行监管等方面展开讨论,并提出若干建议。     

使用深度学习的社交物联网信任预测模型

社交物联网是社交网络概念在物联网中整合后兴起的一个蓬勃发展的研究领域。提出了一种适用于社交物联网网络的改进型节点级信任模型,并通过与其他信任模型的对比仿真实验证明在恶意节点的攻击下,提出的模型拥有更好的稳定性和适用性,总体波动较小。同时,针对实际社交物联网网络中新加入网络的陌生节点可能遇到的网络延迟影响信任值评估的问题,在改进型节点级信任模型的基础上进一步使用了深度学习模型对其进行信任值预测。仿真证明,使用深度学习预测后模型的系统性能明显优于不使用深度学习的模型,成功交互率提升约1.8%。     

Global Strategy in the Internet Era

This article examines the joint effects on business strategy of the Internet and globalization. It develops a framework for evaluating how the Internet affects the globalization potential of individual industries and the global strategies that companies should adopt. The impact of the Internet will not be uniform. Not only do its direct effects vary from one industry to another, but also it speeds up globalization at different rates in different industries. The article shows how to use the Internet to support five types of global strategy: market participation, products and services, activity location, marketing, and competitive moves.     

International opportunity recognition as a critical component for leveraging Internet capabilities and international market performance

Recent research in the field of international entrepreneurship has emphasized the need for a better conceptualization of international opportunity recognition. Further, with advancements in information and communication technologies, such as the Internet, there has been a profound impact on the way in which international business is conducted, for example, enabling entrepreneurial firms to capitalize on the economic opportunities of an Internet environment. In this study, we propose a model, highlighting the importance of international opportunity recognition, as a critical component for leveraging Internet capabilities and international market performance. Through the lens of a resource capabilities approach, a quantitative, online survey was used to collect data from Australian, international entrepreneurial firms. Structural equation modelling results indicate that international opportunity recognition plays a central role in explaining how resources and Internet capabilities combine for the firm’s realization of international opportunities, and subsequent international performance. The findings enrich current understanding of how international entrepreneurial firms realize opportunities in Internet-based environments.     

How Transdisciplinarity Can Help to Improve Operations Research on Sustainable Supply Chains—A Transdisciplinary Modeling Framework

We present a transdisciplinary modeling framework that enhances collaborative research on sustainable supply chain management (SSCM). Decision support concerning such systems is commonly provided using operations research (OR) methodologies. The quality of respective models depends on the appropriateness of both mathematical representation of the focal system and data input. Concerning this matter, OR faces severe criticism as groundwork is commonly neglected. This results in a lack of holistic understanding and in insufficient modeling of real‐world problems. Crucial characteristics of the underlying system are often over simplified due to single‐discipline assessments. Particularly, in the context of complex sustainability challenges, multiple nonacademic competencies and expertise are required. Although latest research indicates that collaborative research settings are highly beneficial regarding SSCM, a dearth of integration between disciplines exists. Therefore, we develop a conceptual framework that helps to overcome these shortcomings based on the paradigm of transdisciplinary research (TDR), which needs substantiation to enhance collaboration and to ensure applicability. Accordingly, we propose appropriate methodologies for each step within the framework. Overall, the framework enables holistic analysis of a focal system by providing a sound approach for SSCM‐oriented TDR projects. The value of the framework is eventually demonstrated by two cases that deal with SSCM issues.