Managing Electronic Commerce
Please note: Before scheduling classes, check with the department to determine the availability of courses for the upcoming semester or visit the Marketing website or the Operations and Information Management website.
The major in Managing Electronic Commerce is concerned with the design and implementation of effective strategies related to the use of electronic commerce.
The Internet offers a fundamentally new way of conducting business, creating tremendous opportunities and risks for organizations. E-commerce and computer-mediated interaction have transformed business by providing large-scale, instantaneous and nearly free commercial communications. This has changed vendor management and the nature of the supply chain speeding production and allowing it to respond to fluctuations in demand. More significant changes can be observed in consumer and business marketing since rapid access to information provides opportunities for customizing products, services, and advertising and promotional initiatives. Firms are able to measure the impact of marketing programs and supply-chain decisions as never before. Electronic commerce for many organizations also represents a new and unique path to the marketplace, leading to complex and innovative opportunities for distribution and for pricing.
The Managing Electronic Commerce major is intended to provide an in-depth foundation for those interested in pursuing ventures specifically focused on the Internet (such as electronic retailing, providers and packagers of information or communication, etc.) As importantly, the major is intended to prepare students for positions in traditional product/service firms that are attempting to define the appropriate role for electronic commerce. It also provides a useful basis for consulting to both these types of organizations. Non-majors interested in an overview of business and policy in the electronic commerce area should also find selected courses from this major of interest.
The purpose of the major is to highlight those principles that will meet the following two objectives:
o They will be timeless, based on sound theoretical principles; the recent collapse of dot-coms and much of the first generation of eCommerce firms underscores once again the importance of this.o They will be current and immediately applicable, and thus will prepare our graduates for leadership positions in industries attempting to deal with the impact of electronic commerce and information-based strategies. Key strategic choices will be in the areas of online pricing, degree of individualized or customized products and services, and the choice of online, traditional, or hybrid distribution channels.
The major provides an interdisciplinary approach to several decision areas, including advertising/communication, electronic retailing, information structures for large organizations, pricing, product and service design, and supply chain management. It builds on faculty and courses from departments such as Management, Marketing, Operations and Information Management, and Business and Public Policy.
Since a large number of elective courses are available for this major, and since the courses span multiple departments (and schools), several "tracks" within the major are also described. The student need not select one single such track to complete the Managing Electronic Commerce major. However, the set of courses for each track is intended to provide important guidance to the student interested in that particular area within electronic commerce.
Requirements for the Major
The major in Managing Electronic Commerce requires five credit units.
Required Course
Plus 1/2 credit unit from among:
Candidates for the major must take four credit units from among the set of electives below. Five tracks within the major have been identified specifically, that combine certain sets of these electives. These tracks are described on the next page, and students are strongly encouraged to refer to those tracks as guidance in selecting from the array of electives.
Double Majors
Those wishing to include Managing Electronic Commerce as part of a double major should note that in doing so all requirements of both majors must be met, and furthermore, at most two course units may be "double-counted" as contributing to both majors.
Tracks within the Electronic Commerce Major
The following specific tracks within the Managing Electronic Commerce major suggest certain combinations from among the elective courses for the major.
Business-to-Business Track
Focus on the role of electronic commerce in managing relationships with business customers.
One of:
One of:
Electronic Media and Marketing Track
The role of communications in supporting the e-commerce enterprise, and customer-oriented marketing aspects of e-commerce.
Four credit units from among:
Entrepreneurial Track
Electronic commerce venture initiation; managing small and entrepreneurial business units.
Information-Based Strategy and
Economics Track
Impact of interconnectivity on balance of power between new channel entrants and incumbents, channel control mechanisms, information-based pricing and strategic planning, choice of sourcing, type of inter-firm alliances, and decisions to cooperate or compete.
One of:
At least one credit unit from:
Remaining course units to provide focus on corporate and customer issues, from among:
Supply Chain Management Track
Use of Internet and information-based strategies to manage the value chain.
Other courses from the list of electives to represent 1.5 cu in total.
Faculty
The major will be administered through the Marketing Department. Evolution and monitoring of the requirements for the major will be coordinated by an interdepartmental group of faculty with teaching and research interests in electronic commerce. The initial set of these faculty is listed below. The major has Eric Clemons (Operations and Information Management Department) as its Director and Harbir Singh(Management Department) as Associate Director.
Standing Faculty:* coordinator for OPIM courses
** coordinator for BPUB courses
*** coordinator for Health Care Systems courses
**** coordinator for Marketing courses
***** coordinator for Management courses