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Perceptions of Web site design characteristics: a Malaysian/Australian comparison Compares the perceptions of Malaysians (representing eastern, Asian culture) and Australians (representing western, European culture) for four Web site design characteristics - atmospherics, news stories, signs and products and services - as part of the integrated Internet marketing model. Under controlled laboratory conditions, two groupings of 30 subjects evaluated eight Web sites - four in Malaysia and four in Australia - in the retail and services sectors. Hypothesises that the predominant culture is not generalised to another culture. Some tentative support for the research premise is found since where a group's perceptions for Web design characteristics and their effectiveness was significantly higher, it was for sites originating in that group's country. Furthermore, perceptions both support and contradict previous research suggesting that Australians prefer an environment of low context and high explicit communications while Asians operate in an environment of high context that stresses implicit communications.
Keywords: National cultures, Design
From EDI to Internet commerce: the BHP Steel experience Discusses the issue of business-to-business e-commerce implementation and the factors affecting it, considering the appropriateness of the various theories which underpin research into systems implementation (primarily diffusion of innovation and traditional change management theory). Describes the results of a case study of BHP Steel, the largest steel producer and one of the largest companies in Australia, which is a leader in e-commerce implementation. The results suggest that, over time, the driving force for e-commerce changed significantly. From an initial push to improve current business processes by adopting EDI to achieve savings and improve efficiency, the company came to be driven by a desire for greater supplier involvement and customer service in later implementations. Discusses the ways in which BHP Steel's e-commerce innovations have changed and suggests that, in addition to considering the characteristics of the innovation process, other more contextual aspects of implementation (such as the social system in which the innovation evolves and the timing of the innovation's introduction) be considered in an inter-organizational context.
Keywords: E-commerce, Business, Internet
Educational superhighways - in the public or private interest? Considers the world-wide emergence of "educational superhighway" policies: government programmes aiming to connect school systems to the Internet - and explores their relevance to education. By examining the key actors and motives behind educational Internet initiatives the paper argues that such policies are primarily economically not educationally driven. The implications of this are then considered in the light of increasing global information priorities.
Keywords: Education, Globalization, Internet, Policy
Global delivery of education via the Internet States that there has been a trend for publications in the Asia-Pacific region to move to a combined print and electronic medium, in an effort to achieve the goals of social equity and increased exposure to the worldwide community through the World Wide Web (WWW). Reviews some of the mechanisms by which this transition can be evaluated with respect to these two goals, both economically, but more importantly, in terms of user-behaviour recorded WWW server access logs. The auditing of these logs facilitates new forms of market research which are impossible to conduct on traditional paper publications, as objective, quantitative information about usage patterns can be measured directly from key variables such as country of origin, most popular content pages, and typical access errors. It is argued that these audits can be used effectively for future planning, developing popular content areas, and creating publicity policy for electronic publications. The transition to a joint paper and electronic format for the South Pacific Journal of Psychology is presented in a three-month case study, with important issues, such as the importance of indigenous contributions, being resolved using statistics computed from the server access logs.
Keywords: Asia, Electronic publishing, Information services, Marketing, National cultures
Investigating the future of Internet regulation The Internet, which began as a communication network controlled by the US Government, is a free and open international information superhighway. The number of Internet users and the variety of information found on the network have grown dramatically in the last decade. This rapid growth also occurred with minimal control of content or acceptable uses of the Internet. This study was designed to investigate the future of Internet regulation. Surveys were sent out to 510 Internet providers in 40 countries. Respondents indicated that some regulation may be necessary, but the cultural diversity in the world will make it difficult to implement.
Keywords: International law, Internet, Regulations
Real electronic commerce - smart cards on the superhighway Discusses "smart cards" as electronic cash carriers. Examines technological innovations such as the Mondex "electronic purse" in the UK, where card values can be topped up by telephone. Forecasts that in the next few years, physical cash will be replaced as a main medium for transactions by "e-cash," which is cheaper to manufacture, more portable, and more versatile.
Keywords: Cash flow, Electronic funds transfer, Smart cards
The use of the Internet for business: the experience of early adopters in Singapore Focuses on business firms in Singapore, identifying the industries in which the Internet is being used for business. These firms are early adopters in the local environment where use of the Internet for business is a new phenomenon still, and they provide information about their Internet experience in terms of their use, perceptions, and the problems encountered. Finds that companies in seven major industries lead in the business use of the Internet in Singapore: computer and information technology; hospitality; manufacturing; travel; retail; publications; and banking and finance. Most of the survey respondents use the Internet for marketing and advertising, customer service and support, information gathering, and, to a lesser degree, electronic transactions. The respondents' perception of the attributes of the Internet are largely positive. The problems encountered by the respondents include difficulty in locating information, rising costs of Internet use, and security.
Keywords: Asia-Pacific region, Business development, Corporate culture, Internet, Singapore
The ins and the outs of electronic publishing Electronic publishing needs a strong input of marketing thinking. Technological hype has created a sales fetish which has little evidence to support its claims. The substantive benefits when a broader perspective is taken for authors and readers are very significant, including considerably faster publication and much wider dissemination via Internet. Archival knowledge and current awareness/browsing of the body of knowledge and information require quite different marketing approaches. Little attention has been given to their discrete needs. Draws comparisons from retailing theory and from the emerging range of experimental cases from Internet pioneers to identify robust strategies for short- and medium-term action by publishers. They imply a determined effort to avoid hard selling and product-driven mindsets in favor of exploitation of the scope for interactive and integrated marketing to authors and readers alike.
Keywords: Customers, Electronic publishing, Internet, Marketing strategy
Electronic commerce - would, could and should you use current Internet payment mechanisms? Suggests that the discussion of online payments, while ultimately being a key issue for the future Information SuperHighway, is as significant now as it ever will be. The explosive increase in the use of the Internet has seen the emergence of commercial services and pressures previously restricted to Compuserve and the like. Many predictions see this burgeoning electronic marketplace becoming a significant component of the world economy. However, this can only happen once two key problems have been addressed, namely, protecting property rights, and making payments. This has led to a frantic battle for payment mechanisms that can provide the new medium with the means of conducting transactions. Identifies the key commercial requirements that successful use of the Internet will impose on a payment mechanism. Identifies the different types of mechanisms that are proposed, on trial or in use on the Internet. Evaluates each of these mechanisms against the requirements to determine which (if any) are really suitable for electronic commerce.
Keywords: Internet, Online transaction processing, Property rights
Chameleons in marketspace: industry transformation in the new electronic marketing environment By the year 2000 over a billion people will be connected to the electronic network commonly known as the Internet. Already the Internet can easily be accessed by anyone who has a reasonably configured PC with Netscape Mosaic software and a modem. This network constitutes a whole new marketplace in its own right. Already thousands of firms are marketing their products and services on the Internet. Asks will marketing change in this new electronic environment? Will firms and their networks change as they become involved in this new environment? Suggests there is some evidence that the traditional manipulation of the marketing mix has to be modified for the new environment, value chains may become multidimensional and significant disintermediation may occur as customers link directly electronically with their suppliers. Discusses these issues emphasizing transformation of firms and their networks as they move into the new electronic environment.
Keywords: Communications technology, Computers, Information technology, Internet, Marketing
World Thai Expert Link: a proposal in progress Proposes World Thai Expert Link (WorldTEL), to exploit new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), or telematics, as a main means of creating social groups and thus task-oriented workgroups in terms of motivational advantage and in a context of the psychology of interpersonal relations in a new geography of virtual space. Introduces the concept of "diaspora" communications in terms of the widespread distribution of special interest groups (e.g. experts, managers), highlighting related corporate communication issues, while concentrating on the Thai Expert diaspora. Touches on the critical philosophical issues and introduces a new relativity of space arising from the idea that, already, ICTs can enable spaces to move and people stay.
Keywords: Groups, Information technology, Psychology, Space utilization
Software piracy among academics: an empirical study in Brunei Darussalam
This article reports the results of a survey in Brunei Darussalam concerning the use of pirated software among academics. Though, the suspicion of academics using pirated software has long been circulating around in East and South East Asia, no "hard data" has ever been collected. This article confirms the suspicion, and provides new information on the use of pirated software outside the USA. Also reveals the type of tasks accomplished by academics with pirated software, and identifies the reasons for using such software. Moreover, relates academics' use of pirated software with nine factors related to demographics, computer exposure, and job profile of academics. The findings are discussed, and are compared with some related findings reported elsewhere. Finally, concludes with some suggestions to curb piracy, and identifies areas of further research.
Keywords: Computer software, Theft, Academic staff
EDI via the Internet
Only about 5 per cent of the companies that could be doing EDI are doing EDI. Can the Internet change the mathematics with its lower costs and easy accessibility? The Internet is attractive, not only because it is free and can handle EDI, but because it affords even small retail concerns a new marketplace for linking with suppliers. The Internet has its own vulnerabilities. Unreliable Internet performance could result in message loss - totally unacceptable to trading partners. The Internet is perceived as an unsafe medium for the valuable and sensitive information in business transactions. Mass adoption of Internet/EDI will come when Web browser technology is married to forms-based EDI. While Internet/EDI may be dark and dangerous, several firms are now conducting pilots or implementing production systems.
Keywords: Electronic data interchange, Internet, Companies
Information security management: why standards are important
Information security is no longer a domestic issue. In this age of electronic commerce, one company's information security certainly affects their business partners. For this reason it became imperative that business partners demand an acceptable level of information security from one another. Information security management standards should certainly play a major role in this regard. In this paper, some information security management standards and their applicability will be discussed and put into context.
Keywords: Certification, Computer security, Data security, Evaluation, Information management,
Standards
Security considerations in the delivery of Web-based applications: a case study
The study outlines a number of security requirements that are typical of a host of Web-based applications using a case study of a real life online Web-based customer support system. It subsequently proposes a security solution that employs a combination of Web server security measures and cryptographic techniques. The Web server security measures include the formulation and implementation of a policy for server physical security, configuration control, users' access control and regular Web server log checks. Login passwords, in conjunction with public key cryptographic techniques and random nonces, are used to achieve user authentication, provide a safeguard against replay attacks, and prevent non-repudiatory usage of system by users. These techniques, together with the use of session keys, will allow data integrity and confidentiality of the customer support system to be enforced. Furthermore, a number of security guidelines have been observed in the implementation of the relevant software to ensure further safety of the system.
Keywords: Communications technology, Computer security, Data security, Encryption
Digital signatures and the future of documentation
While the business world has been moving inexorably online ever since the PC appeared, documentation itself has remained paper based for the most part. Paper of course has several major advantages including its longevity and robustness, its legal traditions, and its ability to be signed. But now the reach and speed of the Internet plus the sheer volume of business documentation is creating irresistible demand for entirely electronic documents and processes. Why should you have to wait for a hard copy to arrive by courier when you can get an e-mail instantaneously? And why should you have to re-key faxes, especially when the original almost certainly started out as a soft copy somewhere? Recent digital signature technology and associated legal analysis mean that contracts can be reliably formed online, and that purely electronic evidence can be treated the same as paper, for all legal and accounting purposes. This paper explains how digital signatures are used and online information authenticated, and paints a picture of the future documentation environment, utilising trusted electronic credentials for lawyers, doctors, accountants and so on.
Keywords: Certification, Computer security, Confidentiality, Data communications
Internet-based business opportunities: buyers beware of scams
The online consumer market is growing geometrically. Although online shopping offers convenience and saves time, it has its serious drawbacks as well. The Internet is a fabulous tool for shoppers and investors, as well as a fabulous tool for scam artists. This article gives an overview of some of the deceptive business opportunities in the virtual mall and provides tips for safeguarding against them.
Keywords: Consumer marketing, Online transaction processing, Internet, Fraud, Loss prevention
Managing and controlling computer misuse
This paper argues that many of the losses owing to computer-related fraud could be avoided if organizations adopt a more pragmatic approach in dealing with such incidents. The paper suggests that in implementing controls, both within organizations and computer systems, a balanced approach be adopted. Such an approach should place equal emphasis on technical, formal and informal interventions. The argument is conducted by reviewing the nature of security breaches that have taken place in different parts of the world.
Keywords: Computer fraud, Loss prevention, Computer security
Copyright protection in the digital age
The global generation and the use of digital information over online networks has massive implications for copyright management, a situation for which few countries are well prepared. Current copyright protection measures cause difficulties with new works such as computer-generated material, multimedia products and digital technology. In Australia, Internet service providers (ISPs) have been targeted in cases of copyright infringement on the Internet, and there has been much debate about ISPs' liability, forcing the Australian Government to consider limiting liability for copyright infringemnt by ISPs.
Keywords: Copyright, Internet, Legal matters
Identifying the proceeds of electronic money fraud
eCash by DigiCash is one of a range of software-based systems devised for payments to be made over the Internet by the use of electronic tokens or "coins" (known colloquially as "electronic money"). As in the case of other new electronic systems, the functioning of the system gives rise to novel and difficult legal issues, some of which have yet to be resolved. This article will consider the extent to which a user of the system whose value is stolen may use the common law and equitable tracing rules as a means of taking action against the perpetrator of the fraud.
Keywords: Fraud, Electronic data interchange, Computer software, Internet, Payments, Legal matters
Privacy and security on the Internet: how to secure your personal information and company data
More and more people are logging on to the Internet. The increased use of the Internet and the World Wide Web for everyday activities is bringing new threats to personal privacy. Your activities, whether they are passive or active, in Cyberspace can give others a great deal of information about you. This paper gives an overview of where the risks lie, and how to minimize the risk to you and your work.
Keywords: Internet, Data security, Data protection, Electronic data interchange
IT contingency planning: management roles
This paper presents an analysis of selected participants in a survey of Australian organisations' approaches to business and information technology (IT) contingency planning. In particular, it examines the role of management in planning and setting priorities for contingency planning, especially in those organisations that have specified that IT is critical to the business operations. The survey was undertaken because there was a perception that coping with disaster is a much-neglected aspect of management in Australia, and this analysis examines the underlying attitudes. The findings reveal that most organisations are inadequately prepared and fail to take the issue seriously. Business continuity is not rated as a high priority. Managers in the IT area are also expected to take the responsibility for contingency planning for the whole business.
Keywords: Contingency planning, Information technology, Strategic management, Australia
As always we have only skimmed the surface of relevant articles this week and only those that are particularly relevant for Asia-Pacific managers. Many other articles are available as well including those focusing on other countries and international perspectives.
See also our previous review on internet research |
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