An actor-network theory (ANT) approach to Turkish e-government gateway initiative

There are various models proposed in the literature to analyze trajectories of e-Government projects in terms of success and failure. Yet, only the Actor-Network Theory (ANT) perspective (Heeks and Stanforth, 2007) considers the interaction factors among network actors and actants. This paper proposes the ANT for approaching to the Turkish e-Government Gateway initiative as a case study. In doing so, it provides valuable insight in terms of both local and global actor-networks which surround the initiative

Mobile phone and e-government in Turkey: practices and technological choices at the cross-road

Enhanced data services through mobile phones are expected to be soon fully transactional and embedded within future mobile consumption practices. While private services will surely continue to take the lead, others such as government and NGOs will become more prominent m-players. It is not yet sure which form of technological standards will take the lead including enhance SMS based operations or Internet based specifically developed mobile phone applications. With the introduction of interactive transactions via mobile phones, currently untapped segment of the populations (without computers) have the potential to be accessed. Our research, as a reflection of the current market situation in an emerging country context, in the case of mobile phones analyzes the current needs or emergence of dependencies regarding the use of m/e-government services from the perspective of municipality officers. We contend that more research is needed to understand current preparatory bottlenecks and front loading activities to be able to encourage future intention to use e-government services through mobile phone technologies. This study highlights and interprets the current emerging practices and praxis for consuming m-government services within government

A new VRPPD model and a hybrid heuristic solution approach for e-tailing

We analyze a business model for e-supermarkets to enable multi-product sourcing capacity through co-opetition (collaborative competition). The logistics aspect of our approach is to design and execute a network system where “premium” goods are acquired from vendors at multiple locations in the supply network and delivered to customers. Our specific goals are to: (i) investigate the role of premium product offerings in creating critical mass and profit; (ii) develop a model for the multiple-pickup single-delivery vehicle routing problem in the presence of multiple vendors; and (iii) propose a hybrid solution approach. To solve the problem introduced in this paper, we develop a hybrid metaheuristic approach that uses a Genetic Algorithm for vendor selection and allocation, and a modified savings algorithm for the capacitated VRP with multiple pickup, single delivery and time windows (CVRPMPDTW). The proposed Genetic Algorithm guides the search for optimal vendor pickup location decisions, and for each generated solution in the genetic population, a corresponding CVRPMPDTW is solved using the savings algorithm. We validate our solution approach against published VRPTW solutions and also test our algorithm with Solomon instances modified for CVRPMPDTW

An exploration of B2B social media practices in an era of digital transformation: the case of the pharmaceutical industry in Thailand

Research suggests that humans’ experiences have been significantly impacted by the digitisation of communication technologies (Castell, 2001). In this digital context, marketing practices in the B2B sector have shifted towards leveraging new technologies (Goggin, 2012) and new platforms such as social media. While some studies support the view that digitalisation processes have largely produced positive impacts, in turn creating marketing opportunities especially in emerging growing markets such as Thailand (Ansari and Phillips, 2011; Gross, 2014); others point to the associated tensions that arise from that particular digital environment where technology demands challenge firms’ traditional frames of reference, stability and resources, thus threatening current strategies (Andriessen et al, 2011; Santos and Eisenhardt, 2009). Tension is defined as “clash of ideas or principles or actions and… the discomfort that may arise as a result” (Stohl et al.; 2001 pp.353, 354). As such, leveraging the power of social media in B2B (Pharmaceutical sector) is somehow under investigated especially in the context where strong legal constraints are present (Ventrataram and Nagatode, 2014; Whalen, 2012; Liu, 2011). The aim of this study is to explore how and to what extent pharmaceutical stakeholders (firm, physician and pharmacist) are starting to leverage the power of social media communication. Sale force management and social media literature is utilized together with literature on communication and innovation management in B2B. Findings from 23 in depth interviews (6 physicians, 7 pharmacists and 10 managers from a leading global pharmaceutical firm) are analysed. Themes such as content acceptance, self-efficacy, control, managerial tensions, technical issue (security and privacy) and legislation impact are found to be relevant. In addition, cultural factors appear to also mediate engagement by stakeholders. Theoretical implication of social media communication in B2B sector under strong and evolving legislative conditions are discussed together with the emerging managerial implications for the pharmaceutical industry of digital transformation in an era of accelerated culture

Trading-up on unmet expectations? Evaluating consumers’ expectations in online premium grocery shopping logistics

Geography and retail store locations are inherently bound together; this study links food retail changes to systemic logistics changes in an emerging market. The later include raising income and education, access to a wide range of technologies, traffic and transport difficulties, lagging retail provision, changing family structure and roles, as well as changing food culture and taste. The study incorporates demand for premium products defined by Kapferer and Bastien [2009b. The Luxury Strategy. London: Kogan Page] as comprising a broad variety of higher quality and unique or distinctive products and brands including in grocery organic ranges, healthy options, allergy free selections, and international and gourmet/specialty products through an online grocery model (n = 356) that integrates a novel view of home delivery in Istanbul. More importantly from a logistic perspective our model incorporates any products from any online vendors broadening the range beyond listed items found in any traditional online supermarkets. Data collected via phone survey and analysed via structural equation modelling suggest that the offer of online premium products significantly affects consumers’ delivery logistics expectations. We discuss logistics operations and business management implications, identifying the emerging geography of logistic models which respond to consumers’ unmet expectations using multiple sourcing and consolidation points