Codifiability, relationship-specific information technology investment, and optimal contracting

• 成果类型: Article; Proceedings Paper
• 署名作者: Levi, M; Kleindorfer, PR; Wu, DJ
• 署名单位: Pennsylvania Commonwealth System of Higher Education (PCSHE); Pennsylvania State University; Pennsylvania State University - University Park; University of Pennsylvania; University System of Georgia; Georgia Institute of Technology
• 刊物名称: JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0742-1222
• DOI: 10.1080/07421222.2003.11045762
• 发表日期: 2003
• 页码: 77-98
• 关键词: markets; B2B; firm

摘要

The past few years have seen an explosion in the number of e-marketplaces, including a variety of electronic exchanges in the B2B arena, but many of these have also collapsed (e.g., ChemdexNentro). The question addressed in this paper is what are the underlying factors that affect which transactions are likely to be supportable by B2B exchanges. In particular, we identify and study three factors: supplier management, idiosyncratic investments in information systems, and codifiability (i.e., digitalizability) of product and order-fulfillment specifications underlying transactions. We show that transaction codifiability plays a fundamental role in influencing the nature of sustainable contracting and IT investments in e-markets. Hypotheses are derived from an analytical model of codifiability in e-marketplaces; these hypotheses are supported by several case studies by the authors and others on the key success factors underlying B2B exchanges.