Strategic management lessons from e‐commerce

This study aimed to explain the high failure rate of e‐commerce ventures.

Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine more than 100 e‐commerce ventures.

The key failure factors for e‐commerce ventures were found to include a lack of: a sound business idea, good market knowledge, long‐term planning, external relationships, and balanced business development. Research limitations/implications – Further research is recommended to examine if the key success/failure factors for e‐commerce differ across industries and geographic markets.

The findings strongly suggest that e‐business development is a slow and steady process, with planning and relationship building being critical to success.

By systematic examining cause‐and‐effect relationships in e‐commerce ventures, this study has demonstrated the paramount importance of strategic management.