Research Proposal on the Implications of Electronic Commerce to the UK Businesses


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 



 


Table of contents


1.     Introduction.. 3


2.     Background of the Study.. 5


3.     Statement of the Problem.. 7


4.     Literature Review 8


5.     Overview of Methodology.. 12


6.     Limitations of the Study.. 15


7.     References.. 16


 



 


1.    Introduction

            Before the popularity of the Internet and the wireless communication systems available at present, profit-seeking organizations have relied to the traditional means and ways of creating sustainable development. But with the growing trends toward globalization, information management systems and infrastructures through the utilization of the Internet emerged as the most efficient means of reaching to clients and customers. Business organizations at present are characterized with electronic systems that enhance the traditional business practices and management approaches. The growing competition in both the local and international industries resulted to the industries’ never-ending quest for solutions to provide better products as well as services to the public. The advancement in the business arena nowadays has been the product of the technological intervention of the Internet which in the process reformed the 21st century business environment.


 


            Today the popularity of the online communication business processes along with the immense distribution of communication gadgets and technologies have resulted to opportunities for the marketing and sales industry to venture on business that utilizes the faculty of the Internet. As was pointed out by  (2000), the communication reforms brought about by the popularity of the internet resulted to business organizations’ initiative towards reformatting and restructuring of their business processes in order to meet the challenge of the current market competition as well as add value to the products and services being delivered to the clients and customers (, 2000). It can not be denied that the World Wide Web has been of great use and facility to business organizations particularly those operating in the international market not just in their promotional aims but also in the daily information management of documents as well as other business routines that are relevant to the efficient functioning of multinational firms.         


 



 


2.    Background of the Study

            The features of the Internet have been designed in order for the public to access and use it with ease. Fast, efficient, user-friendly, and functionality sets the online communication technologies from the traditional channels of communication. It defies geographic boundaries, time as well as the expenses that characterize the previously known ways of communicating with each other. Mail accounts are maintained by most of the individuals who are exposed to online technologies in order to contact acquaintances through the cyber space. Instant messaging is likewise popularly used by people of different walks of life while online computer games are famous for the entertainment it gives. Videos, songs, and movies are now just a click away from being downloaded to computer hardware while buy and sell business schemes have been one of the most visited sites online.  All these transactions and activities are available just by connecting to the Internet.


 


            In this light, it is interesting to learn how the online technologies, particularly the Internet, have influenced the current business practices as well as management approaches. This research study is geared towards the understanding of the implications of electronic commerce among the UK business sector. The research study will cover and contain discussions and analyses regarding the history and growth of the Internet, the global impact of the Internet, the features that are common as well as the benefits of e-commerce, comparative analysis of the e-commerce versus the traditional business practices, the security policies and customer privacy issues that beset the technology, the barriers and limitations of utilizing the Internet, and the features of e-commerce. All these issues will be presented and analyzed through this research endeavor.                        


 



 


3.    Statement of the Problem

            In order to complete the goals of this particular academic activity as well as to set the objectives of the study, the following research questions will be presented and discussed in the entirety of the research paper focusing on the implications of the electronic commerce to the UK business industry.


 


1.      What is the history of the Internet? How did it grow and develop into the technology that we know today?


2.      What are the impacts of the Internet in the entire global communication system?


3.      What are the features of e-commerce? How do business organizations benefit from the utility of e-commerce?


4.      What are the differences as well as similarities of the traditional business practices and approaches and the e-commerce business framework?


5.      What are the underlying issues on security policies as well as individual privacy standards that influence the continuing utilization of the Internet and the practice of e-commerce?


6.      What are the barriers of entry or the limitations in implementing the e-commerce business framework?


7.      What are the features of e-commerce?


4.    Literature Review

            E-commerce and e-business frameworks were launched during the 1990’s as a result of the growing use of the Internet to reach and communicate to large populations of audiences. The further development and improvements that were witnessed geared towards providing better access as well as use of the online communication technologies led to extensive innovation in the traditional business and commercial practices among industries, the Internet did not only reformed the business processes of organizations but likewise served as support system to the important and significant operations of transnational companies. Since technological experts never cease their search for means to enhance the current use of the Internet, it is expected that the coming years will bring more developments and improvements not just when it comes to its use but also on the problems and issues that confronted the technology for the past several years ( &  1997). ­


 


            Along with globalization, the information and communication technologies changed the way people do things in the different aspects of their lives. Introduction of business-like approaches to organizational management and development have been the result of the continuous improvement on the use of the Internet (, , & , 1998). Both the private and public sector have relied heavily on the benefits and advantages of online communication technologies in delivering better products and services to the people (,  & , 2002). Through the Internet business process were reengineered for more efficient and effective business operations. Communication across time and physical boundaries become possible through instant messaging systems. Business organizations, at present, likewise resort to the benefits of outsourcing practices which are made possible through the facility of the Internet. Logistics management, supply chain, risk and benefits analyses, marketing and communications and promotions, financial assessment, and performance measurement systems became a reality through the use of the Internet (, , & , 2000).


 


            But along with the advantages and benefits brought about by the Internet and other online technologies available to the public, drawbacks and issues regarding privacy options of users are threatened due to the openness of the Internet to every person and individuals that are virtually connected (, 2004). The privacy of most information is admittedly not guaranteed despite the tremendous research towards the advancement the public’s security (, 2003). According to  (1994) the very features of the Internet makes its users susceptible to privacy invasion schemes. These features include the fast and free access of most people to online systems and networks threatening the unethical use of the available medical, credit and other personal information of a person (, 1994). At this milieu, the public’s right to know and the individual’s right to privacy are contrasting forces in the midst of the popular utilization of the Internet. The technologies that were created for the convenient and fast transfer of data and information led to issues and problems regarding security and privacy (, 2002).          


 


             (2006) indicated the existing privacy evasive technologies (PETs) are the programs and software that were designed as means to device ways of providing guaranteed privacy among users of the Internet. Privacy evasive technologies secures into private the browsing activities of individuals particularly business organization that manage and authorize highly confidential data and information. At present, there are technologies to prevent unwanted access to files as well as browsing in the Internet. According to  (2005) existing online privacy tools make it possible to prevent access to private files, automate the retrieval of data, automatic audit of information including the visited websites, deny access to unwanted files and programs, prevent tracking of cookie files and logs, avert misconnection of messages to unknown individuals, and foil the transactions that contain personal data and information of a specific Internet user (, 2005).        


 


            However, there are certain barriers when it comes to the implementation of the e-commerce business framework. This highlights issues and problems regarding quality which most of the time become prey in exchange to the efficient delivery of products and services as well as the faster business operation processes brought about by technological innovation. The client relationship of most corporations and firms were confronted with issues on low customer satisfaction levels as well as lowered rapport within workplace settings. Since the virtual communication made possible contact and transfer of information and data in an impersonal manner, the quality aspects of communication is in the process being set aside. Relationships between colleagues within business organization are likewise affected by the use of impersonal means of communication through the Internet and instant messaging systems and technologies.    


 


As such, business organization created strategies to counter such problematic situations through consumer studies and personnel training and team building exercises for the staff and employees. These initiatives are within the objective of the management to create better client satisfaction evaluation and assessment, loyalty, as well as professional growth within the company among the employees. But such initiatives also prove inadequate in improving and developing quality integration strategies within business organizations. Most of the time, it is required for the management to review and re-examine the values, skills, and the involvement of every member of the business organization in order to realize the appropriate business approaches and practices that will be beneficial to the entire company. Continuous improvement in terms of quantity and quality of work output as well as working conditions is used in the hope that such changes will result to better client relation and improved satisfaction among the customers (,  & , 1998).     


 


5.    Overview of Methodology

            This particular research activity will be conducted using the guidelines of both the quantitative and the qualitative research approaches. In this light, the research study will make use of the survey and the interview techniques as methods for the data gathering activities. the qualitative aspect of researcher will be used in order to provide in-depth discussion regarding the concept of e-commerce as well as its implications to the global business market. Meanwhile, the quantitative part of the research activity will make possible the quantification of concepts and ideas that are otherwise immeasurable within the qualitative paradigm. The utilization of both the quantitative and the qualitative research approaches will be used to provide holistic and comprehensive understanding on the selected research topic. Therefore, discussions will reflect the use of both these academic research approaches.


 


            The survey method will be facilitated through the use of survey forms and questionnaires. This will include inquiries on the general characteristics, particularly the socio-demographic information of the selected research participants. Quantifiable inquiries will be likewise contained in the survey forms and questionnaire regarding the impact of the e-commerce and the Internet in general on the current business practices and approaches as compared to the traditional business management strategies. The survey forma will be distributed to employees belonging to the Information Technology departments of the selected organizations. The criteria which will be used to select the business organizations will be the firms and companies that have long been operating in their respective industries. This will enable the participants to compare and contrast the business processes of their companies before and after the popularity of the use of the Internet in their commercial operations.


 


The business organizations will compose of firms and companies from the small, medium, and large scale corporations. A total of thirty research participants will compose the sample for the survey method. These thirty participants are IT professionals form different industries across the UK business sector. There will be ten IT professionals from different business organizations that will represent the small scale enterprises, ten IT professionals to represent the medium business establishments, and ten IT professionals from the large scale corporations and multinational companies. This will enable exhaustive inquiries regarding the impact of e-commerce and the Internet in current business practices across UK. The interview method, on the other hand, will be conducted with business personalities who are considered as experts in the analysis of the trends that have transpired in the UK business arena. The informants will be composed of five personalities from the academe, information technology industry, and other business fields who will be able to give light on the issues that surround the current practice of e-commerce in UK.


 


The research activity will also make use of secondary data from academic journals, books, and other publications that could provide additional information regarding e-commerce. Published as well as unpublished research papers that were previously conducted which likewise focus on the impacts of e-commerce to the business sector will be reviewed. These additional data and information will also be used to support as well as contradict the findings of the study depending on the credibility of the authors and the journals where they were found published. The use of secondary data and information will likewise serve as validity and reliability indicators of the researcher to ensure that the collected data from the survey and the interview methods could be used to strengthen the findings and results of the study. This will hopefully come up to unbiased presentation and discussion of the collected data and information from the indicated research methodologies. 


 



 


6.    Limitations of the Study

            The broad scope of the research topic is the foremost concern when it comes to the identifiable limitations and barriers of the research activity. but the holistic approach likewise will enable the researcher to contribute fully to the academe as well as to the involved business industries that will be analyzed. Meanwhile, when it comes to the selected data gathering procedures, limitations and shortcomings could be expected in the data gathering procedures. Beginning from the sampling techniques that will be used to identify the participants of the study up to the facilitation of the survey forms and the interview sessions, difficulties will be expected. But with the support of the academe to the research activity and the explanations that will be provided regarding the important contributions of the study to the business industry upon completion, will serve as gateway to the successful research accomplishment. Other political, economic, as well as social issues and constraints are also expected while conducting the research activity which will be evident in the different stakes of the participants and the companies they represent.


           


 



 


7.    References



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