Information Society Watch

2000, Andrea Goldstein and David O’Connor, OECD Development Centre

In this paper the authors analyse the potential contribution of the Internet and its commercial application to the development process in poor countries. The authors focus on the opportunities e-commerce offers to small-scale entrepreneurs in developing countries and the challenges they face in exploiting e-commerce’s potential.

Judith E. Payne, Academy for Educational Development

The objective of the paper is to provide useful guidance to USAID development professionals as they create ways to help small and medium enterprises (SME) prepare for and use electronic commerce – to be “e-ready.”

November 2000, Michael Gurstein, Sustainable Development Dimensions

This article first outlines the advantages and components of e-Commerce, and then goes on to examine the relationship between e-Commerce and the Community Economic Development (CED) sector. It is argued that the CED sector must take advantage of the opportunities for local development presented by e-Commerce.

2002, Daniel J. Paré

The argument presented in this paper challenges the efficacy of the adoption of B2B e-commerce applications based on the Internet and the World Wide Web. These are being promoted as offering producer firms in developing countries new exchange mechanisms that enable them to compete on a more equal basis in world markets.

September 2001, Hubert Schmitz, John Humphrey, Robin Mansell and Daniel Paré

This Policy Briefing is concerned with opportunities and obstacles arising from business-to-business (B2B) e-commerce. Many development institutions hope that its spread will improve trade prospects for producers in developing countries.

2002, Andrea Goldstein and David O’Connor, eds., Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)

This is an OECD e-book of economic research based on papers from a May 2001 conference at the University of Bologna’s School of Development and Institutional Change providing insights from a number of contributors.

2003, Mayuri Odedra-Straub, The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

The author of this short article provides a critical commentary on the UNCTAD report titled 'E-Commerce and Development Report 2002', citing it as having a misleading title and as lacking in focus on the majority of developing countries, or on development as such. The author critiques the kind of ‘opportunities for growth’ being considered by the report, and notes that such opportunities are rarely accomplished even in developed countries, let alone in developing ones.

December 1999, Charles Steinfield and Pamela Whitten

In this paper, the authors suggest that it is important to consider how electronic commerce may influence the health of local economies. Their research suggests that local merchants typically go online in order to better access distant markets, but are often unprepared to cater to remote customers and hence do not fare well.

November 2002, Jennifer Gibbs, Kenneth L. Kraemer, and Jason Dedrick, Centre for Research on Information Technology and Organizations

This article examines the key global, environmental and policy factors that act as determinants of e-commerce diffusion. It is based on a systematic comparison of case studies from 10 countries--Brazil, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Mexico, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States.

2003, R.C. Sharma, The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries

This short piece by the regional director of Indira Gandhi Open University (IGNOU) discusses major barriers to women's entry into the e-commerce sector. The analysis of gender issues in e-commerce settings reveals that women face significant barriers in education and training.