The Real Value of B2B: From Commerce Towards Interaction and Knowledge Sharing

The paper analyzes the evolution of business-to-business e-commerce (B2B) and outlines the emerging framework for business networks where interactive relations between firms are empowered by ICT. The rise and decline of B2B have highlighted the weaknesses of its hypotheses, focused on the benefits for firms to gain in efficiency through electronic transactions (Transaction cost theory). The economic and financial problems in which B2B marketplaces occurred have stressed the dif- ficulties of their transaction-based business models, while the low value of e-commerce over the years can be explained in terms of firms’ indifference in using electronic networks as new commercial channels. Instead, such emphasis on emerging technology solutions, mainly based on the Web, to connect firms with its customers, suppliers and partners increases firm’s opportunities of interaction within its value chain. From a knowledge-based perspective, firms are discovering a completely different scenario and new drivers for their competitiveness, based on a renovated use of ICT to manage distributed business processes. Opposite to the e-commerce value proposition focused on spot efficiency of electric transactions, firms refer to ICT to enhance their established networks of business-to-business relationships.

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