The-impact-of-e-commerce-on-international-trade

Availableonlineat–0428©2011PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionand/orpeer-reviewunderresponsibilityof7thInternationalStrategicManagementConferencedoi:10.1016/j.sbspro.2011.09.010ProcediaSocialandBehavioralSciences24(2011)745–7537thInternationalStrategicManagementConferenceTheimpactofe-commerceoninternationaltradeandemploymentNurayTerziaa*aMarmaraUniversity,RessamNamikøsmailSk.No.1Bahçelievler/østanbul34590,TurkeyAbstractThepurposeofthepresentstudyistoinvestigatetheimpactofe-commerceoninternationaltradeandemployment.Electroniccommerceofferseconomy-widebenefitstoallcountries.Thegainsarelikelytobeconcentratedindevelopedcountriesintheshortrunbut,developingcountrieswillhavemoretobenefitinthelongrun.Thevolumeofinternationaltradewillincreaseviae-commerce.Thecountriesopentoimportsfromhigh-incomeeconomieswillbenefitfromknowledgespillovers.Inaddition,electroniccommerceisexpectedtocreateanddestroyjobs.©2011PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionand/orpeer-reviewunderresponsibility7thInternationalStrategicManagementConferenceKeywords:e-commerce;internationaltrade;employment1.IntroductionElectroniccommerceoffersunprecedentedopportunitiestobothdevelopinganddevelopedcountries.Intheshortrun,thegainsarelikelytobeconcentratedindevelopedcountriesbut,inthelongrun,developingcountrieshavemoretobenefit.Intheshortrun,developingcountrieslacktheinfrastructurenecessarytotakefulladvantageofInternet.Butinthelongrun,theycanleapfrog,skippingsomeofthestagesinthedevelopmentofinformationtechnologythroughwhichdevelopedcountrieshavehadtopass[1].Theadvancementoftechnologyhasaidedinternationalbusiness.MillionsofpeopleworldwideusetheInternettodoeverythingfromresearchtopurchasingproductsonline.TheInternetisprofoundlyaffectingalmostallbusinesses.ThevarioususesoftheInternetbybusinessentitiesincludetheabilitytoadvertise,generate,orotherwiseperformregularbusinessfunctions.Therefore,manyfirmsareembracingtheInternetformanyoftheiractivities.Oneimpactfore-commerceistointensifycompetitionandproducingbenefitstoconsumersinlowerpricesandmorechoices[2].Electroniccommerceisexpectedtodirectlyandindirectlycreateanddestroyjobs.Newjobswillbegeneratedintheinformationandcommunicationtechnologiessector,whiletheindirectcreationofjobs*Correspondingauthor.Tel.:[phone](1320);fax:[phone].E-mailaddress:[e-mail].©2011PublishedbyElsevierLtd.Selectionand/orpeer-reviewunderresponsibilityof7thInternationalStrategicManagementConference746NurayTerzi/ProcediaSocialandBehavioralSciences24(2011)745–753willoccurviaincreaseddemandandproductivity.Atthesametime,somereallocationanddestructionofjobsareexpectedasaconsequenceofchangesinthewayofdoingbusiness.Theneteffectonemploymentwillbetheresultantofacomplexsetofinteractionsandwillbynomeansbeuniformacrosscountries,geographicareas,industriesorskillgroups[3].Thisarticleproceedsinthefollowingmanner.Followingsectionprovidesanoverviewofelectroniccommerce.SectionIIincludessomeindicatorsthatshedlightonthegrowthe-commerceandanditseconomy-wideeffects.SectionIIIhighlightstherelevantissuesdealingwiththeimpactofe-commerceoninternationaltradeandemployment.Finally,SectionIVpresentsconcludingremarks.2.E-commerce:AnoverviewE-commercecanbedefinedastheuseoftheInternettoconductbusinesstransactionsnationallyorinternationally[4].E-commercehascometotakeontwoimportantroles;firstasamoreeffectiveandefficientconduitandaggregatorofinformation,andsecond,asapotentialmechanismforthereplacementofmanyeconomicactivitiesonceperformedwithinabusinessenterprisebythosethatcanbedonebyoutsidesuppliersthatcompetewitheachothertoexecutetheseactivities[3].TheInternetisdramaticallyexpandingopportunitiesforbusiness-to-businessandbusiness-to-consumere-commercetransactionsacrossborders.Forbusinesstoconsumertransactionsespecially,theinternetsetsupapotentialrevolutioninglobalcommerce:theindividualizationoftrade.Itgivesconsumerstheabilitytoconductatransactiondirectlywithaforeignsellerwithouttravelingtotheseller’scountry.TheInternetallowssellerstoputtheirstorefronts,intheformofWebpages,infrontofconsumersallovertheworld.Technologyhasexpandedtheconsumermarketplacetoanunprecedenteddegree[5].TheInternetande-commercearetransformingthewayfirmsoperatebyredefininghowback-endoperations–productdesignanddevelopment,procurement,production,inventory,distribution,after-salesservicesupport,andevenmarketing–areconducted.Inthisprocess,theInternetande-commercealtertherolesandrelationshipsofvariousparties,fosteringnewsupplynetworks,servicesandbusinessmodels.Theendresultsareefficiencyimprovements,betterassetutilization,fastertimetomarket,reductionintotalorderfulfillmenttimes,andenhancedcustomerservice[3].Numberscanindicatetheimportanceofthee-commercegrowth.In1999,globale-commercewasworthover$150billion[6].Aroundeightypercentofthosetransactionswerebetweenonebusinessandanother.AccordingtoInc.MagazinealthoughtheUSandCanadaleadtheworldinecommercespending,othercountriesareincreasinglyshoppingonline.By2014,globalecommercespendingisproj