Volume 2 Issue 3
Authors: Patrizia Grifoni; Fernando Ferri; Alessia D’Andrea
Abstract: This paper proposes a marketing model (SNeM2S) starting from Social Networks features related with marketing processes. The model gives the rationale of strategies and processes that companies use to provide and capture value through Social Networks. It includes the selection of potential Social Networks to use; the definition of a financial plan; the definition of organisational structures to manage the Social Network in the market; the selection of target (consumer); the promotion of products and services and finally the performance measures with specific indicators. SNeM2S is applied to You-Tube in order to explain how companies and consumers can use this Social Network to implement their marketing strategies.
Keywords: Social Networks; Marketing Model; Social Interaction; Social Influence; Marketing Strategies
Authors: Douglas R. Vogel; Dien D. Phan
Abstract: The proliferation of e-business development projects in the past decades has facilitated the rapid expansion of e-business. However, the management of e-business development projects remains the major challenge for organizations. Studies find that problems with failure to meet requirements, cost overruns, and schedule delays remain common. Since the emergence of e-commerce, development paradigms have shifted toward a shortened development cycle. Project management strategies, process, and practices have changed to meet emerging needs. The goals of this study are to gain insights concerning the successful development of e-business systems with the development of the first extranet system at Intel Corp. as a case in point. Lessons learned and critical success factors are discussed.
Keywords: E-business Development; Success Factors; Software Engineering; CMMI; Project Management; Agile Development
Authors: Thomas Burkhart; Julian Krumeich; Peter Loos; Dirk Werth
Abstract: In many companies, a majority of business processes take place via email communication. Large enterprises have the possibility to operate enterprise systems for a successful business process management. However, these systems are not appropriate for SMEs, which are the most common enterprise type in Europe. Thus, the European research project Commius addresses the special needs of SMEs and characteristics of email communication, namely high flexibility and lack of structure. Within the research project, the prototype COPA was developed as an email-based workflow solution. In the course of this paper, we present an evaluation of the prototype that was led by three stated hypotheses demonstrating the utility, quality, and efficacy of COPA in practice. As a result, all hypotheses could be verified due to the significantly faster and easier execution of the evaluation workflow as well as the higher satisfaction of the subjects regarding their achieved workflow result in contrast to a common non-COPA supported workflow execution. Furthermore, subjects agreed with general statements on COPA and judged the integration into the existing email landscape as a very useful feature. Consequently, COPA seems to be a feasible approach to manage email-based business processes in SMEs.
Keywords: Email; Workflow; Business Process; Flexibility; Design Science; Evaluation
Authors: Vivek Shah; Jalpa Shah; Marcos Sivitanides
Abstract: This paper presents the role that Computer Mediated Communication plays in creating relationships among individuals and in facilitating the move of those relationships off-line to a real world environment. The advantages and potential disadvantages are pointed out. The paper extends the formation of individual on-line relationships to on-line group relationships. The effects of on-line group behavior are pointed out, as they can vary widely. Behavior of virtual groups can vary significantly because such organized actions can be severe due to the various factors surrounding their very nature, such as anonymity, irrelevance of time and space and the large impact that small size activities can have in an on-line world.
Keywords: Computer Mediated Communications; Group Formation; Social Networking
Authors: Helio Waldman; Rodrigo C. Bortoletto
Abstract: This paper presents a game-theoretical framework for network capacity planning strategies in competitive business environments. For this purpose, two operators are assumed to provide communication channels to a large population of users for the same price. Users will then play a game in which they try to forward their requests to the operator that will give them the lowest blocking probability. The paper discusses the equilibria resulting from some distinct user strategies. The traffic partition resulting from the user’s game is an input to the operators game, in which operators try do dimension their network capacities in order to maximize their profits. In the presence of asymmetries between the channel deployment costs of both operators, we show that the operator’s game will not lead to an equilibrium between pure dimensioning strategies, resulting in looping instabilities in settings where the players alternate their profit-maximizing moves. In this case, the model provides the cost asymmetry needed for an entrant to challenge the market dominance of an incumbent operator.
Keywords: Telecommunication Networks; Network Dimensioning; Competitive Dynamics; Game-theory; Blocking Probability; Markovian Model; Nash Equilibrium
Authors: Mohsen Shafiei Nikabadi; Ahmad Jafarian
Abstract: The main purpose of this paper is to present a Framework for Selecting an Appropriate E-Business Model in SMEs. This research is an applied one and in terms of the nature is descriptive and survey. Correlation analysis will be used for identifying the proposed model and evaluating its ability for determining relationship among major dimensions of the model. The instrument used for studying the research hypotheses is the questionnaire. In this applied Research, a framework is introduced for selecting e-business in SMEs using survey conducted on 105 managers of small and medium enterprises in Iran (available managers from small and medium enterprises in the research community). The results that were obtained from mean test, have suggested that among 18 considered factors, three of them, intensity of competitive prices, internal integration on sales and marketing processes and development of IT tools, have most important in selecting an appropriate e-business model for SMEs, and two factors, external integration in financial and human resources activities, are not important factors in determining an appropriate e-business model for SMEs. In this study we want to determine a framework for selecting an appropriate e-business model in SMEs with generalizing framework provided by Hayes and Finnegan [21] and Hanafizadeh and Shafiei Nikabadi [20], until through this, pave the ground for SMEs in line of e-business that have a major share in the national economy of each country and their move can be accelerated in this direction.
Keywords: E-Business; Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); Economic Control; Process Integration; Innovation; Sourcing