|
In order to provide a definition of e-business which is
appropriate for the purposes of the present project, it seems helpful to refer
to the study focus of the project. Aiming at sector data, the relevant units of
research are industries as well as companies. It is essential to keep this focus
on well defined units of research in order not to blur and confuse the picture
by moving arbitrarily along the value chain. The
Figure provides an illustration of the sector/company location in the value
chain (for a more detailed discussion on e-business applications along the value
chain see, for example, Cohen et
al. 2001, Verhoest et al. 1999, Wigand 1995).
Two types of units of research occur in the course of the
project: industries and companies or firms. Some data is gathered at a company
or establishment level and then aggregated into industry data. Some background
information is gained from macro data that consider the economy as a whole
(e.g., data on telecom infrastructures) These is used to interpret micro- and
sector data.
Industrial
Sectors
Service
Companies |
