Electronic Intermediary Functional Roles and Profitability
2011; Wiley; Volume: 42; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.1111/j.1540-5915.2011.00313.x
ISSN1540-5915
AutoresRichard Klein, Jonathan Wareham, Karlene Cousins,
Tópico(s)Consumer Market Behavior and Pricing
ResumoDecision SciencesVolume 42, Issue 2 p. 309-337 Electronic Intermediary Functional Roles and Profitability Richard Klein, Corresponding Author Richard Klein Department of Management, College of Business and Behavioral Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, e-mail: [email protected]Corresponding author.Search for more papers by this authorJonathan Wareham, Jonathan Wareham ESADE, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona 08034, Spain, e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKarlene Cousins, Karlene Cousins Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems, College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author Richard Klein, Corresponding Author Richard Klein Department of Management, College of Business and Behavioral Science, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, e-mail: [email protected]Corresponding author.Search for more papers by this authorJonathan Wareham, Jonathan Wareham ESADE, Ramon Llull University, Barcelona 08034, Spain, e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this authorKarlene Cousins, Karlene Cousins Department of Decision Sciences and Information Systems, College of Business Administration, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, e-mail: [email protected]Search for more papers by this author First published: 26 April 2011 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.2011.00313.xCitations: 11Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat ABSTRACT Internet start-ups and traditional firms expanding existing offerings and services through the Net have seen both success and failure. For such business model pursuits, electronic intermediation possesses the ability to cultivate new marketplaces and restructure supply chains. The economic literature identifies four distinct intermediary roles, specifically: (i) information and (ii) logistics management, (iii) transaction securitization, as well as (iv) insurance/market-making and liquidity management. Research notes that electronic intermediaries, while possessing clear advantages in their ability to manage information, face greater challenges in allowing parties to benefit from the facilitation of more complex coordination activities, namely transaction securitization in addition to insurance/market-making and liquidity management. In an effort to better understand pursuit of functional intermediary roles, our analysis of data collected on 182 electronic intermediaries explores relationships between intermediation roles and profitability. Business models relying solely upon the provision of information management are likely to realize lower levels of profitability. Alternately, the intermediary roles of logistics management as well as insurance/market-making and liquidity management realize higher levels of profitability. Moreover, when comparing commodity- and service-based intermediaries, the provision of logistics management on the part of commodity-based firms sees higher levels of profitability, with insurance and liquidity provisions associated with greater profitability for both commodity- and service-based firms. 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He researches electronic business initiatives, intermediation, and digitally enabled supply chain management with an emphasis on the health care industry. His research has been published in top journals, including the European Journal of Information Systems, the Journal of Management Information Systems, MIS Quarterly, and the Journal of Operations Management. Additionally, he has over 10 years of industry experience with Automatic Data Processing and First Data. REFERENCES Karlene C. Cousins is associate professor of decision sciences and information systems in the College of Business Administration at Florida International University. She is best known for her research on the implications of alternative organizational designs such as virtual and mobile organizations and evolving work practices as a result of the capability of mobile technology to accommodate both work and life activities. Her work has been published in prestigious journals including European Journal of Information Systems, Communications of the AIS, and Information and Organization. She has over 10 years of industry experience including management consulting at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. REFERENCES Jonathan Wareham is a professor of information systems at ESADE, Ramon Llull University. His research has been published or is forthcoming in over 70 refereed journals and proceedings such as MIS Quarterly, Decision Support Systems, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, IEEE Computer, Journal of Medical Internet Research, Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, International Journal of Medical Informatics, and numerous others. He currently serves as associate editor for Information Systems Research as well as Vice Dean of Research at ESADE. He also serves on advisory boards for a number of academic institutions, NGOs, and social entrepreneurs. 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