[AISWorld] Publication of Vol.13, No.1, 2012 issue of Journal of Electronic Commerce Research

[Melody Kiang]

Dear Colleagues,
     On behalf of the Journal of Electronic Commerce Research (JECR), I am pleased to announce that Vol. 13, Number 1, 2012 issue of JECR is now available at the journal web site:  http://www.csulb.edu/journals/jecr/c_i.htm. 
This is a regular issue guest co-edited by Dr. Dongming Xu, UQ Business School, The University of Queensland, Australia and Dr. Christy M.K. Cheung, School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon Tong Hong Kong, China

Table of Contents
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Evaluating Ranking Semantic Offers According to Users’ Interests
Wei Jiang      Computer Science Department, University of Regina, Canada
Samira Sadaoui   Computer Science Department, University of Regina, Canada 1-22
 
ABSTRACT
Semantic matchmaking systems are not successful in identifying the differences between users’ interests. To address this weakness, we develop a user-oriented and personalized system to evaluate the offers that match the user’s request. Our system evaluates and ranks the offers according to the user’s specific interests to bring better results to each individual. The best offer represents the maximum satisfaction of the user. The proposed system extracts and analyzes the user’s interests for multiple offer attributes. To evaluate the offers, we adapt the well-known economic model MultiNomial Logit to the field of semantic matchmaking. We show the benefits of our offer evaluation system through a detailed case study involving multiple, high-dimensional, concept and value-based attributes. In this study, we show how our system catches the differences between the purchasing interests of two buyers, and how it recommends a different best offer to each buyer. Furthermore, we assess the feasibility of the proposed system with a transport usage dataset. The experiment results demonstrate that our system can provide good result for each individual.

Keywords: MultiNomial Logit model, clustering technology SOM, semantic matchmaking, interest model, high-dimensional offer attributes.
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Time and Online Auctions
Jason Kuruzovich  Lally School of Management & Technology, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, USA   23-32

ABSTRACT
Online auctions differ from traditional auctions in several ways, but perhaps one of the most significant is the amount of time that bidders interact with the auction mechanism. This paper examines past findings in online auctions and discusses three psychological mechanisms through which bidders may increase their valuations of an item through interaction with the auction mechanism over time. In doing so, this paper provides a theoretical lens through which previous empirical studies of online auctions can be interpreted and serves as a guide for future research.

Keywords: Behavioral economics, prospect theory, online auctions, sniping, auction equivalence
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Web Site Localization in the Chinese Market
Mike Chen-ho Chao  Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College at City University of New York, USA
Nitish Singh         John Cook School of Business, Saint Louis University, USA
Chin-Chun Hsu   Lee Business School, University of Nevada, USA
Chen YiFeng Nancy   Department of Management, Lingnan University, Hong Kong
Jenyi Chao Graduate School of Educational Communications and Technology, National Taipei University of Education, Taiwan  33-49

ABSTRACT
After content analyzing 100 multinational companies’ webpages for American and Chinese consumers respectively, this study validates Singh et al.’s [2009] localization framework (i.e., cultural customization, content localization and translation quality) in the Chinese market and present best practices in localizing websites for the Chinese market.

Key words: Website localization; Chinese market; Cultural customization; Content localization; Translation quality
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 How Do Technology Readiness, Platform Functionality and Trust Influence C2C User Satisfaction?
June Lu  School of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, USA
Luzhuang Wang  School of Business, Zhejiang University City College, Hangzhou, China
Linda A. Hayes School of Business Administration, University of Houston-Victoria, USA    50-69

ABSTRACT
C2C transactions make up an important part of electronic commerce in emerging markets. A C2C platform has a better chance of sustaining profitability when customers are generally satisfied with using the website. This study proposed a conceptual model using both IS and marketing perspectives illustrating the impact of user technology readiness, perceived platform functionality and user trust on user satisfaction with top C2C platforms in China. The proposed model was validated using perception data from C2C users in popular online chat rooms and employing SEM analysis procedures. The study revealed perceived user trust a much stronger determinant of user satisfaction than perceived platform functionality. Two dimensions of user technology readiness, optimism and insecurity, had significant effects on user perceived trust and platform functionality, one positively and one negatively. The findings are discussed with implications for research and practice. The paper concludes with further research directions.

Keywords: Electronic commerce, C2C platform, technology readiness, trust, satisfaction
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Structural Modeling and Mapping of M-Banking Influencers in India
S. P. Ketkar   Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
Ravi Shankar  Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
D. K. Banwet  Department of Management Studies, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India  70-87
 
ABSTRACT
Given that government reckons mobile phone as a vehicle for financial inclusion; banks view it as a cost-effective way of reaching out and telcos see mobile banking as an emerging stream of revenue; several enablers and drivers are at play in India’s m-banking space. At the same time, low adoption of mobiles as a channel for banking, even after two years of the Reserve Bank notifying the operating guidelines, points to existence of several barriers blocking/inhibiting the spread of mobile banking in India. In these circumstances, a method like Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM), which forces the managers to consider linkages amongst issues, can provide a better insight than the conventional survey merely seeking ranking or rating of the importance of issues.
ISM of enablers/drivers brings out the factors such as ‘facility to get quick updates’, ‘time and cost saving’, ‘reach of telecom distribution’ and ‘need for telcos to improve customer retention’ as the key drivers. On the other hand, ‘lack of need for banking’, ‘quality of telecom service reach and reliability’ and ‘interoperability among banks and Telcos’ emerge as the inhibitors likely to have highest impact on success of m-banking implementation. Finally, juxtaposition of the two outputs on a common driver-dependency grid segregates the issues to be addressed in different stages of implementation and also highlights the factors needing attention of the top levels in government, Banks and Telcos.

Keywords: M-banking, drivers, barriers, ISM - Interpretive Structural Modeling, MICMAC
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Measuring Service Quality in Online Luxury Goods Retailing
Brigitte Türk   HUGO BOSS AG, Germany
Michael Scholz  University of Passau, Germany
Patrick Berresheim  HUGO BOSS AG, Germany 88-103

ABSTRACT
Service quality has been identified as a crucial factor to successfully and sustainably manage online shops. In this paper, we introduce an adaptation of the E-S-Qual instrument to measure service quality in online luxury goods retailing. Based on a literature review, we identify efficiency, design, fulfillment, information, contact and responsiveness as factors of service quality in online luxury goods retailing. We found empirical evidence that these factors should be considered as dimensions rather than antecedents. A survey conducted in cooperation with the HUGO BOSS AG indicates that our proposed instrument is valid and reliable. Implications for research and practice as well as limitations of our study are discussed.

Keywords: Service Quality, Luxury Goods, E-S-Qual, Customer Service
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Best Regards,
Dr. Melody Kiang, Co-Editor in Chief,
Journal of Electronic Commerce Research
Information Systems Department
College of Business Administration
California State University at Long Beach
Long Beach, CA 90840
Tel: 562-985-8944
Fax: 562-985-5478