Semester 1 

Unit(s) of Assessment 

Weighting towards Module Mark (%) 

Individual project 

50% 

Examination 

50% 

Qualifying Condition(s) 

E-Business demonstrates the ability of Information and communication technologies (ICTs) to transform the way organisations and governments operate.  Future managers need to be equipped with new management competencies to deal with the challenges associated with increasingly fluid business environments, which depend on the effective exploitation of ICTs.  This module demonstrates the role of ICTs in supporting the efforts of managers for complete integration of business functions, as well as the ability to expand the organization into electronic and mobile business.  It also addresses the operational aspects of managing technological innovation in the marketplace, through the individual course assignment.  Students select a specific market segment or technology and carry out of thorough analysis of the position of the major stakeholders companies and their relationship dynamics.  Examples and cases emerge from a wide range of industries, including tourism, hospitality, retail, health and food as well as a wide spectrum of technologies necessary to run the modern digital economy. 

None 

The purpose of this module is to provide the student with understanding on the diversity of strategic and operational management perspectives associated with e-business and its use to empower organisations.  E-business therefore illustrates how organisations can embrace innovative technologies for achieving strategic and operational competitive advantages as well as the tradeoffs and problems associated with their use.  The module takes an organisational as well as a moderately technological approach, focusing upon the critical links between the demands of business and capabilities afforded by ICTs and their embodiment in website and technical tools.  The student should gain a critical awareness of the main issues/challenges, a framework for making strategic and tactical decisions regarding ICT, and the ability to develop guidelines required to improve e-Business and ICT enabled business performance, while avoiding the pitfalls. 

On successful completion of this module the students will be able to: 
·               Identify relevant factors which allow ICTs and innovative technologies to empower and transform e-Businesses 
·               Be familiar with and critically apply the conceptual/analytical frameworks and methodologies. 
·               Critically assess the impact of ICT and e-Commerce on organisational performance and competitiveness. 
·               Recognise and determine where ICT can be deployed to gain strategic and tactical advantage. 
·               Distinguish key ICT developments and specify such technology to develop information and knowledge architectures that support organisational goals. 
·               Plan out the steps necessary to develop and implement ICT capabilities 
In order to achieve the threshold standard for the award of credits for this module, the student must meet the following criteria related to the learning outcomes described above: 
·               Appreciate the theories, conceptual frameworks and methodologies that underpin e-Business 
·               Demonstrate the ability to synthesise business and ICT concepts within an analytical context. 
·               Demonstrate awareness of information and communication technologies (current and emerging) and their impact on organisational/business performance (foresight). 
·               Demonstrate evidence of background reading and research of the academic and practitioner literature relevant to e-Business. 
·               Demonstrate the ability to evaluate and specify solutions using relevant ICT factors within a specific e-Business context, and create appropriate implementation plans for the proposed solutions. 

·               Infrastructures and Emerging ICT tools 
·               Strategic planning for information systems: enabling B2C and B2B 
·               Frameworks for assessing ICT adoption and impact (User acceptance, Diffusion of innovation) 
·               Hedonic Information Systems
·               ICT-based resource management and application: ERP Systems and Supply Chain Management 
·               IS Risk Management and Failure of IT projects 
·               Outsourcing and Application Service Providers 
·               Payment and Finance Systems 
·               Knowledge Management 
·               Marketing and Challenges for e-Commerce (Branding, CRM) 
·               Mobile Commerce (m-Commerce) and Geographic Information Systems 
·               Security and Safety Issues associated with e-Business 
·               Legal and Ethical aspects of e-Commerce

The teaching and learning strategy is designed to cultivate an understanding of the main issues and challenges; provide a coherent conceptual framework; develop a critical awareness of the various approaches to the strategic and operational management of ICT in services sector organisations. 
The teaching and learning methods include: One two-hour lecture every week as well as several student exercises.  Guest lecturers will be sought to cover appropriate contemporary subjects.  Group presentations will also be given in the lecture periods to facilitate discussion on real organisations.  Web-based learning support and electronic resources will be provided. 
Assessment Strategy: 

Essential Reading 
Jelassi, T. and Enders, A. (2005) Strategies for E-Business; Creating Value Through Electronic and Mobile Commerce.  New Jersey : Prentice Hall. 
Recommended Reading 
Students are also encouraged to look at the ICT and management journals both for general articles and any articles on hospitality/tourism/retail cases and issues: 
The Journal of Strategic Information Systems 
European Journal of Information Systems 
MIS Quarterly 
International Journal of Electronic Commerce 
Harvard Business Review 
Journal of Information Technology 
Long Range Planning 
are good academic journals.  Hospitality/Tourism/Retail journals also have articles on IT issues (see for example the Information Technology and Tourism).  The computing and industry trade press should not be ignored (Revolution, Computing and Computer Weekly, notably).  Conference proceedings of the ENTER conferences are also important for the tourism/hospitality dimension.  There is also a plethora of online resources which you should explore. 
Background Reading