A framework to identify factors affecting the performance of third-party B2B e-marketplaces : a seller's perspective | |
| Author | Wiyada Thitimajshima |
| Call Number | AIT Diss no.IM-18-01 |
| Subject(s) | Small business Negotiation in business |
| Note | A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Management, School of Engineering and Technology |
| Publisher | Asian Institute of Technology |
| Abstract | B2B e-marketplaces have established themselves as leading trading platforms and become a driving force for global business. Furthermore, e-marketplaces have become an increasingly important field of research since the tremendous rise in the number of e-marketplaces such as Alibaba and Amazon. Despite the proliferation and the economic significance of B2B e-marketplaces, many B2B e-marketplaces have failed. The driving force behind the failures is poor performance. However, little is actually known about the performance of B2B e-marketplaces. This study addressed the recent call for studies that improve B2B emarketplace performance research. The purpose of this study is to determine factors that affect the performance of third-party B2B e-marketplaces based on a seller’s perspective. A two-phase sequential mixed-method approach combining quantitative and qualitative methods was employed to gain a better understanding of the research problems. The first phase was exploratory research employing a review of the literature and expert interviews in order to develop and revise a conceptual model. The second phase involved a descriptive and causal research aiming to examine the relationships between the proposed factors. Drawing on a literature review, the conceptual model was developed by integrating a B2B emarketplace framework and theories in related disciplines including transaction cost theory, trust concepts, critical success factors, and website evaluation. The domain-specific model for e-marketplaces consisted of four views (business, transaction, market service, infrastructure) served as the meta-model of this study. The preliminary conceptual model was verified and revised through expert interviews. This resulted in ten proposed factors classified into the four views of the domain-specific model for e-marketplaces. The business view had two factors: relative advantage and number of buyers and sellers. The transaction view had one factor: transaction cost reduction. The market service view had three factors: functionality and value-added service, reputation of e-marketplace, and trust in market makers. The infrastructure view had four factors: website usability, website reliability, quality of information, and security and privacy. In addition, the performance view, added in this study, had two performance measures: trading volume and customer loyalty. The revised conceptual model was further validated and refined through the survey data. The measurement instruments were generated based on the most relevant literature, and then refined on the basis of the pretests and pilot testing. The research model was tested on data from 200 Thailand-based selling companies participating in various third-party B2B emarketplaces from diverse industries. The exploratory factor analysis results suggested that some factors could be combined, which finally generated seven factors. The research model was refined and hypotheses were formed accordingly. Hypothesis testing was performed using partial least squares structural equations modeling. The results revealed four factors that affected the performance of third-party B2B e-marketplaces. In addition, this study contributes five findings that were unreported in the existing literature. The reputation of emarketplace and trust in market makers had the strongest effect on customer loyalty, followed by transaction cost reduction and website usability. Website reliability had a positive impact on trading volume. Relative advantage and number of buyers had significant effects on customer loyalty and trading volume. This study provides key areas to which market makers should pay special attention in order to attract new customers as well as retain existing ones. iii They can be used as guidelines to develop effective business strategies in order to enhance competitive advantage, and to better meet customer needs. The concentration on these key areas could enhance the performance of third-party B2B e-marketplaces |
| Year | 2018 |
| Type | Dissertation |
| School | School of Engineering and Technology (SET) |
| Department | Department of Information and Communications Technologies (DICT) |
| Academic Program/FoS | Information Management (IM) |
| Chairperson(s) | Vatcharaporn Esichaikul; |
| Examination Committee(s) | Donyaprueth Krairit;Janecek, Paul;Standing,Ramon Craig; |
| Scholarship Donor(s) | Bangkok University |
| Degree | Thesis (Ph.D.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2018 |