Hello,
I have just started writing my M.Sc dissertation and would appreciate your comments about my first chapter.
Thanks
1.0 Introduction
This research has been prompted by a group-based project which entailed the articulation of an electronic commerce (e-commerce) strategy for the Met Office. The Met Office is the UK government organisation saddled with the provision of weather information, data and services to individuals and organisations alike.
E-commerce is the exchange of goods, information, products/services and or payments between an organisation and its various stakeholders through the use of Internet technologies. While a majority of private organisations have achieved some measure of success with their e-commerce operations, most government organisations are yet to successfully deploy e-commerce especially for revenue generation purposes (West, 2007). This research therefore seeks to discover the factors inhibiting e-commerce in government organisations as well as propose a suitable e-commerce model that can assist government organisations generate revenues from their e-commerce channels.
Within the mainstream theoretical and empirical e-commerce literature, research about e-commerce has dwelt largely on private organisations and where it has been discussed in the context of government organisations, it has focused on electronic government (e-government) as a channel for providing services (such as tax payments, registrations for driver's licence, passports, social security, e.t.c) with the emphasis being on service delivery and not revenue generation. However, there exists some government owned organisations that provide services different to the ones earlier mentioned and have financial targets set for them to achieve. The UK Meteorological Office (Met Office) is one of such organisations. As a government owned weather services information provider, the Met Office is saddled with the provision of accurate weather information to businesses individuals alike.
The Internet channel is yet to become a revenue generating medium for most government organisations due to some challenges which they are experiencing. There is however insufficient literature relating to the revenue generating applications of e-commerce in government organisations. Existing business models such as those of Hofacker (2000), Hanson (2000) and Hoffman (1995) amongst others are basically suitable for private organisations and have been difficult to utilise in government organisations. The development and adaptation of a suitable e-commerce model can greatly facilitate assist government organisations such as the Met Office to leverage on the Internet as a medium for the provision delivering their services to businesses and individuals in a revenue generating manner.
This research utilises the Met Office as a case study in evaluating e-commerce strategies in government organisations. A review of various e-commerce models will be undertaken and a suitable one will be adapted to the Met Office scenario (Chan and Swatnaman, 1999; Hofacker, 2000, Hanson, 2000).
1.1 Research aims and Objectives
The aim of this study is to evaluate the e-commerce strategies in government organisations in particular the Met Office. The following specific objectives will be addressed.
1) To determine the factors inhibiting successful/profitable e-commerce deployment in government organisations.
2) To analyse the various e-models employed by different organisations
3) To discuss and adapt the electronic commerce component model (ECCM) to the Met Office case.
4) To explore how government organisations can achieve the revenue generation objective of their e-commerce strategy using the adapted ECCM model.
1.2 Research Questions
1. What are the factors inhibiting successful/profitable e-commerce deployment in government organisations?
2. How can government organisations achieve the revenue generation objective of their e-commerce strategy?
1.3 Research Context
Figure 1: Research Context
The research is a case study and as such will incorporate an exploratory approach in the phenomenon because it aims to determine the present facts as well as facts that are not yet explored about the phenomenon (Yin, 2003). Exploratory research using an interpretive/constructionist approach will enable the study to look at the problem in both descriptive and exploratory manner. It will look into the problem by exploring the views of different sets of respondents, as well as by exploring different literatures related with the study.
For this study, primary research and secondary research will be used. The primary source of data will be obtained from the semi-structured interviews and teleconferences held with the Met Office staff regarding the experiences with e-commerce initiatives. Secondary sources of data will consist of Met Office published articles, Met Office website, websites of other weather service providers, books, journals and related studies on e-commerce and e-government.
1.4 Research Ethics
In accordance with the ethical guidelines put forward by Saunders et al. (2007), the personal details of the interviewees will be kept confidential. In addition, all details collected both from the organisation and individuals interviewed will be used exclusively for the purpose of this research alone.
1.5 Significance of the Research
The significance of this work is premised on three main reasons. First, as identified by Damanpour (2001), in launching e-commerce initiatives, organisations are increasingly focusing on how these initiatives advance the organisation's overall business strategy - whether it improves customer satisfaction, increases brand awareness or opens up new revenue channels. This fact was also buttressed by authors such as Ho (1997) and Ruppel et al. (2003). Government organisations too cannot afford to be left out of the race and must start aligning their actions in this direction hence the opportunity arises for the writer to suggest a model.
Secondly, Gil-Garcia and Pardo (2005) argue that the key challenges for IT initiatives in government organisations are information/data, information technology, organisational/managerial, legal/regulatory and institutional/environmental challenges. Executives and managers in government organisations therefore need a practical yet theoretically sound model to guide their actions when contemplating e-commerce initiatives. Given this very pertinent observation, the writer hopes that the proposed model will provide a solution for this scenario.
Lastly, beyond its academic value, the writer hopes that executives and managers working in the Met Office in particular and government organisations in general will find the suggested model simple, practical and easy to use when deploying their e-commerce initiatives.
1.6 Structure of the Dissertation.
The remaining part of this dissertation is structured as follows.
Chapter Two (Literature Review): This section provides an overview of e-commerce in general, analyses various e-commerce models, discusses the factors affecting e-commerce in government organisations, evaluates the role of ICT in e-commerce and concludes with a discussion on the suitability of the ECCM.
Chapter Three (Research Methodology and Design): This section provides an introduction to the methodology and research designed used for this dissertation. It goes on to discuss the research paradigm as well as the data collection and analysis techniques used for this research.
Chapter Four (Data Analysis and Interpretation): This section introduces the organisational background of the Met Office, explores the adaptability of the ECCM to the Met Office case and goes on to analyse the responses of interviewees.
Chapter Five (General Discussion and Conclusion): This concluding part of the dissertation discusses the research implications of this dissertation on e-commerce initiatives in government organisations. It also contains the constraints and limitations of the research as well as the academic reflections of the writer regarding this research."
I have just started writing my M.Sc dissertation and would appreciate your comments about my first chapter.
Thanks
1.0 Introduction
This research has been prompted by a group-based project which entailed the articulation of an electronic commerce (e-commerce) strategy for the Met Office. The Met Office is the UK government organisation saddled with the provision of weather information, data and services to individuals and organisations alike.
E-commerce is the exchange of goods, information, products/services and or payments between an organisation and its various stakeholders through the use of Internet technologies. While a majority of private organisations have achieved some measure of success with their e-commerce operations, most government organisations are yet to successfully deploy e-commerce especially for revenue generation purposes (West, 2007). This research therefore seeks to discover the factors inhibiting e-commerce in government organisations as well as propose a suitable e-commerce model that can assist government organisations generate revenues from their e-commerce channels.
Within the mainstream theoretical and empirical e-commerce literature, research about e-commerce has dwelt largely on private organisations and where it has been discussed in the context of government organisations, it has focused on electronic government (e-government) as a channel for providing services (such as tax payments, registrations for driver's licence, passports, social security, e.t.c) with the emphasis being on service delivery and not revenue generation. However, there exists some government owned organisations that provide services different to the ones earlier mentioned and have financial targets set for them to achieve. The UK Meteorological Office (Met Office) is one of such organisations. As a government owned weather services information provider, the Met Office is saddled with the provision of accurate weather information to businesses individuals alike.
The Internet channel is yet to become a revenue generating medium for most government organisations due to some challenges which they are experiencing. There is however insufficient literature relating to the revenue generating applications of e-commerce in government organisations. Existing business models such as those of Hofacker (2000), Hanson (2000) and Hoffman (1995) amongst others are basically suitable for private organisations and have been difficult to utilise in government organisations. The development and adaptation of a suitable e-commerce model can greatly facilitate assist government organisations such as the Met Office to leverage on the Internet as a medium for the provision delivering their services to businesses and individuals in a revenue generating manner.
This research utilises the Met Office as a case study in evaluating e-commerce strategies in government organisations. A review of various e-commerce models will be undertaken and a suitable one will be adapted to the Met Office scenario (Chan and Swatnaman, 1999; Hofacker, 2000, Hanson, 2000).
1.1 Research aims and Objectives
The aim of this study is to evaluate the e-commerce strategies in government organisations in particular the Met Office. The following specific objectives will be addressed.
1) To determine the factors inhibiting successful/profitable e-commerce deployment in government organisations.
2) To analyse the various e-models employed by different organisations
3) To discuss and adapt the electronic commerce component model (ECCM) to the Met Office case.
4) To explore how government organisations can achieve the revenue generation objective of their e-commerce strategy using the adapted ECCM model.
1.2 Research Questions
1. What are the factors inhibiting successful/profitable e-commerce deployment in government organisations?
2. How can government organisations achieve the revenue generation objective of their e-commerce strategy?
1.3 Research Context
Figure 1: Research Context
The research is a case study and as such will incorporate an exploratory approach in the phenomenon because it aims to determine the present facts as well as facts that are not yet explored about the phenomenon (Yin, 2003). Exploratory research using an interpretive/constructionist approach will enable the study to look at the problem in both descriptive and exploratory manner. It will look into the problem by exploring the views of different sets of respondents, as well as by exploring different literatures related with the study.
For this study, primary research and secondary research will be used. The primary source of data will be obtained from the semi-structured interviews and teleconferences held with the Met Office staff regarding the experiences with e-commerce initiatives. Secondary sources of data will consist of Met Office published articles, Met Office website, websites of other weather service providers, books, journals and related studies on e-commerce and e-government.
1.4 Research Ethics
In accordance with the ethical guidelines put forward by Saunders et al. (2007), the personal details of the interviewees will be kept confidential. In addition, all details collected both from the organisation and individuals interviewed will be used exclusively for the purpose of this research alone.
1.5 Significance of the Research
The significance of this work is premised on three main reasons. First, as identified by Damanpour (2001), in launching e-commerce initiatives, organisations are increasingly focusing on how these initiatives advance the organisation's overall business strategy - whether it improves customer satisfaction, increases brand awareness or opens up new revenue channels. This fact was also buttressed by authors such as Ho (1997) and Ruppel et al. (2003). Government organisations too cannot afford to be left out of the race and must start aligning their actions in this direction hence the opportunity arises for the writer to suggest a model.
Secondly, Gil-Garcia and Pardo (2005) argue that the key challenges for IT initiatives in government organisations are information/data, information technology, organisational/managerial, legal/regulatory and institutional/environmental challenges. Executives and managers in government organisations therefore need a practical yet theoretically sound model to guide their actions when contemplating e-commerce initiatives. Given this very pertinent observation, the writer hopes that the proposed model will provide a solution for this scenario.
Lastly, beyond its academic value, the writer hopes that executives and managers working in the Met Office in particular and government organisations in general will find the suggested model simple, practical and easy to use when deploying their e-commerce initiatives.
1.6 Structure of the Dissertation.
The remaining part of this dissertation is structured as follows.
Chapter Two (Literature Review): This section provides an overview of e-commerce in general, analyses various e-commerce models, discusses the factors affecting e-commerce in government organisations, evaluates the role of ICT in e-commerce and concludes with a discussion on the suitability of the ECCM.
Chapter Three (Research Methodology and Design): This section provides an introduction to the methodology and research designed used for this dissertation. It goes on to discuss the research paradigm as well as the data collection and analysis techniques used for this research.
Chapter Four (Data Analysis and Interpretation): This section introduces the organisational background of the Met Office, explores the adaptability of the ECCM to the Met Office case and goes on to analyse the responses of interviewees.
Chapter Five (General Discussion and Conclusion): This concluding part of the dissertation discusses the research implications of this dissertation on e-commerce initiatives in government organisations. It also contains the constraints and limitations of the research as well as the academic reflections of the writer regarding this research."