Flytande identitet. NetOnNet och e-handelns återkomst

Abstract

Flytande identitet NetOnNet och e-handelns återkomst Johan Hagberg. AKADEMISK AVHANDLING För avläggande av ekonomie doktorsexamen i företagsekonomi som med tillstånd av Handelshögskolans fakultetsnämnd vid Göteborgs universitetframlägges för offentlig granskning onsdagen den 23 april 2008 kl. 10 i sal E44vid Företagsekonomiska institutionen, Vasagatan 1, Göteborg. Abstract Göteborg University Author: Johan HagbergSchool of Business, Economics and Law Language: SwedishDept. of Business Administration ISBN: 978-91-85659-13-5PO Box 610, SE-405 30 Göteborg 322 pages Sweden Doctoral thesis 2008 Fluid identities NetOnNet and the return of e-commerceIn June 2004, a curious story appeared in the Swedish business press. One could read that ecommercehad "recovered" and was "taking revenge". A few years earlier the media spoke ofnothing but the dotcom-burst, broken expectations and bankruptcies. It seemed that by 2004, ecommercewas established in its own right as a retail form. One of the companies mentioned inthe articles was called NetOnNet. The purpose of this study was to describe the emergence of ecommercein Swedish retailing through a history of NetOnNet, thereby contributing to a betterunderstanding of changes in retail.Assuming that it is particularly interesting to study change in retail by studying the emergence ofa retail form in an early stage, the starting theoretical point for the study was McNair's now fiftyyear old version of the so called wheel of retailing. The study took a constructivist perspectiveand uses the actor-network theory approach. Particular attention was paid to the classification ofretail forms, the establishment of retail form characteristics and retail change periodization.The boundaries between retail forms were fluid, but the classification of retail forms was animportant element in the change efforts. The emergence of e-commerce also simultaneouslyincluded a re-classification of other forms of retail. This shows that retail forms are constantlyconstructed and reconstructed. This means that an a priori classification of retail forms precedes astudy of change, important aspects of the change process may be absent from analysis. Also the characteristics of retail forms were fluid. There were considerable conflicts regarding thecharacteristics of retail forms especially relating to price. This is an illustration of the difficultiesof a priori deciding retail form characteristics, as these characteristics are temporary results of thechange process. Even the periodization was fluid. Periods, phases and stages indicated by theoriesof retail change (such as introduction, growth or maturity) were continuously referred to, but fordifferent purposes. The change process can best be described as recursive activities of translationand classification, which are preceded or followed by new periodizations. The notion of fluididentity, as exemplified by NetOnNet, reveals a continuous construction and reconstruction ofmultiple, changeable identities supported by efforts to establish continuity and uniformity throughtime and space. Fluid identity was possible due to the recursive interplay of differentiation andidentification by means of translation and classification. Key words: retailing, retail change, retail forms, e-commerce, actor-network theory, translation,classification, periodization, identification, differentiation. Printed in Sweden by © 2008 Johan Hagberg Responstryck, Borås 200