Journal of Business Strategies Special Issue on e-Commerce and e-Marketing Strategies INTRODUCTION BY GUEST EDITORS: E-COMMERCE STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE Sanjay S. Mehta Sam Houston State University Huntsville, TX Douglas M. Kline University of North Carolina Wilmington, NC We present in this issue, five additional articles that were accepted from the Call for Papers in the Fall of 2000 for a special issue of the Journal of Business Strategies on e- commerce and e-marketing strategies. The papers in this special issue collectively focus on e-business strategies for both "brick-and-mortar" and "pure-play" firms to be success- ful in today's global environment. The first paper, "Alternative Measures of Performance for e-Companies: A Compari- son of Approaches," by Esmeralda Garbi compares and contrasts traditional measures (e.g., accounting and profitability ratios) and e-commerce specific measures (e.g .• web presence growth) of performance. Utilizing secondary data from a sample of thirty pure- plays and thirty brick-and-mortar companies within the same industries, the author concludes that multiple indicators are necessary to measure variability and no single measure is a good predictor of future success. The second paper, "Service Quality Offering Strategies: From Internet Purchasers' and Information Searchers' Perspective," by Zhilin Yang and Minjoon lun focuses on two groups of e-commerce customers: Internet purchasers and information searchers. The author identified six service quality dimensions for Internet purchasers and seven service quality dimensions for Internet purchasers. The reliability/responsiveness di- mension was found to be most important for Internet purchasers and the securityltrust dimension was found to be most important for information searchers. The third paper, "Digital Knowledge Network: Linking Communities of Practice with Innovation," by Patrice Braun proposes a conceptual model that suggests that coopera- tion, collaboration, and connectivity among SMEs is necessary in today's digital economy. Business models in the future need to include relationship management strategies (e.g., the exchange of knowledge and trust among business partners). The fourth paper, "A Longitudinal Price Comparison for Music CDs in Electronic and Brick-and-Mortar Markets: Pricing Strategies in Emergent Electronic Commerce," by Zoonky Lee and Sanjay Gosain compare price, price dispersion, and price dynami~s of music CDs between pure-plays and brick-and-mortar firms. The authors found that pricing strategies vary across the retail format and that information technology can play an active role in strategy development. The fifth paper, "E-tailing: An Analysis of Web Impacts on the Retail Market," by Fang Wang, Milena Head and Norm Archer recommends that firms, which develop e- business strategies, evaluate the Web from two perspectives: as a marketing tool to be integrated into existing business strategies or as a new marketplace that requires new business models and strategies. The authors maintain that making this distinction aids the development, implementation, and evaluation of an effective strategy. The papers in this special issue recommend strategies that can be used by pure-plays and brick-and-mortar firms, large and small firms, and global and domestic firms. Their focus on strategy is important since strategic planning is key to successfully competing in today's digital environment. In conclusion, the special issue editors would once again like to thank each of the reviewers (listed on the following page) for their comments and suggestions. Given the importance of this topic, as demonstrated by the large number of submissions we re- ceived, we are very grateful to the journal editor, Dr. Jo Ann Duffy, for her willingness to publish a second special issue. Douglas M. Kline (Ph.D., Kent State University) is an Associate Professor of Manage- ment Information Systems at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, NC. Dr. Kline teaches courses in the areas of Electronic Commerce Implementation and Rela- tional Database Management. He has published over 20 articles at various journals and international proceedings. He has worked as System Architect and Project Manager, constructing a multi-million dollar system with an international IS consulting firm. His current research areas include Artificial Neural Networks, Electronic Commerce, and Intelligent Systems for Text Processing. Sanjay S. Mehta (Ph.D., University of North Texas) is an Assistant Professor of Market- ing at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX. Dr. Mehta is an award winning researcher and educator with 13 years of academic experience. Dr. Mehta has been a guest lecturer at several institutes in Asia, Australia, and N. America. He has presented and/or published over 100 articles in both trade and academic journals, national and international conferences. Dr. Mehta's current research interests include e-commerce, Geographic Information Systems, and Marketing Strategies. Journal 01 flJusiness 9trategies and the Southwest Academy of Management have fonned a strategic alliance effective 2000-2003 with the aim of better serving the lBS subscribers and the Southwest Academy of Management members. Jo Ann Duffy, Editor, iRS Stephanie Newport, President, SWAM Journal of Business Strategies Special Issue on e-Commerce and e-Marketing Strategies Ad Hoc Reviewers Carl Adams. University of PonsmoUlh Norm Archer, McMaster University J. Thomas Arias. University of Coruna David Bakuli, Westfield State College Anne Banks Pidduck, UniversityofWaterloo Rua Barkhi. Virginia Tech Martin Barnett, Edith Cowan Univ",sity Jon Beard. University 0/ Sourhern fIlinois Edwardsville Sleven Bellman, Univ. o/Western Australia Andrew Serai, Wilfrid Laurier University Doug Berg. Sam Hous/on State University Prasad Bingi, Indiana-Purdue University Ed Blackburne, Sam Housron Stare UniK Jan Bon. Inform-IT John Branch, University of Cambridge Malin Brannback, Turku School of Economics and Business Administration Juergm Brock, University ofStrathclyde Ann Brown, City University Business School Janice Burn, Edith Cowan University Donna Carmichael, IBM Consulting Group Casey Cegielski, Auburn University Akhilesh Chandra, North Carolina A&T State University Cristian Chelariu. Georgia State University Shobha Chengalur-Smilh, State University o/New York Rosann Collins. Univ. ofSouth Florida Rohert Cosenza, Christian Brothers Unlv. Slephen Dann, Griffith University Enrique Dans. InstifUto de Empresa Chrys de Almeida, Sheridan College S, K. DeJVeccbio. East Carolina University Pierre Desmet, University oJ Paris IX Dauphine and Essec Business School PrakMh Dheeriya. California State University - Domingo Hills LaurelK1e Donahue Wenyu 000. St. Cloud State University Marcia Flicker, Fordham University Charles Foltz. East Carolina University K. Dale Fosler, Memorial University oJ Newfoundland Mohamed Ghuloom, University oJBahrain Janis Gogan, Bentley University Willie Golden, NUl, Galway Ron Goldsmith, Florida State University Sigi Goode, Australian National University Ake Gronlund. Umea University Richard Halapin.lndiana University of Pennsylvania Susan Hannon. Middle Tennesse State University Chuck Hermans, New Mexico State Univ. Mark Hill. Lynchburg College Charles Hofacker. Florida State Unlv. Kai Jakobs, Technical University of Aachen RicJentzsch, University of Canberra Timothy Johnston, University of Tennessee at Marrin Stavros KaJaI'atis. Kingston Business School Joseph Kavanaugh, Sam Houston State University Timothy Kayworth. Baylor University Haim Kilov,lona Technologies Jai-Beom Kim. Myongji University Tunga Kiyak, Michigan State University Brad Kleindl, Missouri Southern State College Douglas Kline, University ofNorth Carolina at Wilmington Gerald Kohen, Sam Houston State Univ, Andy Koronios. University of Southern Queenskmd Parag Kosalge, Indian Institute a! Management, Bangalore Marios Kooraris, City Univ. oJNew York Sandeep Krishnamurthy, University of Washington Jean.Pierre Kuilboer, University of Massachuseus Boston Michael Lane. University of Southern Queensland Uloke Lechner. University ofSt. Gallen Zoonky Lee, Univ. ofNebraska - Lincoln Jungwoo Lee, Univ. oJNevada Las Vegas Shibo Li, Carnegie Mellon University Adam Lindgreen, MARK-lnstifUt d'Administration et Ge.lfion Mary Long, Po£/' University Xueming Luo, State University ofNew York. Fredonia Hank Maddux, Sam Houston State Univ. FarrOkh Mamaghani. Sr. John Fisher College Bala Maniam. Sam Housron Stale Univ. Donna Maupin, University ofKenfUcky Mike McCardle, University of Central Florida Chuck McMeJlon, Hofstra University Sanjay Mehta, Sam Houston State University Nirup Menon, Texas Tech Mohan Menon. University ofSouth Alabama Catherine Middleton. York University Ronald Milliman, Western Kentucky Univ. Hokey Min, University ofLouisviIle Luvai Motiwalla, University of Massachuserrs Lowell Susan Mudamhi, Temple University Avinandan Mukherjee, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta Rudolf Muller, University Maastricht Alhert Muniz, DePaul Univer.li/)' Jamie Murphy, Univ, of Western Australia Martha Myers, Kennesaw State University Mike O'Dea, Waikato Polytechnic Talai Osmonhekov, Georgia Slate University Jan Owens. Univ. of Wi.lconsin - Parkside Audhesh PlL!iwan, University ofNorth Texas Keri Pearlson, KP Partners Justin Peart, Florifkt International Univ. Richard Platt, University oJ West Florida Nava PJiskin, Ben-Gurian University ofthe Negev Edward Pogossian. Academy ofSciences ofArmenia Madhavarao Raghunathlm, Bowling Green Stare University Balaji Rajagopalan. Oakland University Ashok Ranchhod. Southampton Business School Sally Rao, Unlv. ofSouthern Queensland Mohammed Razzaque, National University of Singapore William Remington, Emporia State University Catherine Ridings, Lehigh University Gail Ridley, University oJTasmanla Charlene Riggle, Unlv. ofSouth Florida Mark Rosenbaum, Ariwna State Univ, Jenny Rowley, Edge Hill College of Higher Education RalfScheJlhase, University ofApplied Sciences. Darmstadt Gary Schneider, University ofSan Diego Mareike Schoop, Aachen University of Technology Kevin Shanahan. New Mexico State Univ, Wai-sum Siu, Hong Kong BaptiST University Jill Slater, University ofDenver Craig Slyke, University of Central Florida Vic Sower, Sam Houston State University Sarah Spencer-Matthews, University of Southern Queensland Thomas Stirrel, University of St. Gallen Chuck Stowe, Sam Houston State University Fay Sudweeks, Murdoch University Vamtha Swaminathan, University of Massachusetts David Taylor, Sam Houston State Universi/)' Erraim Turban, City Univ. ofHong Kong Jan van Bon. Inform-IT Craig Van Slyke. Univ. ofCentral Florida Jean Walker, Univ. ofHouston Clear Lake Hong Wang, Wright State University Victor Wayhan, Sam Houston State Univ. Frank Xie, Georgia State Universif)' Kenneth Yang, National Univ. of Singapore Hurrem Yilmu, Univ. ofTeXLlS at Dallas Aimao Zhang, Southern Illinois Uniursity a/ Carbondale Introduction by Guest Editors: E-Commerce Strategies for the Future