Title: Globalisation within a rich e-commerce environment: a case study of large manufacturing firms

Authors: Alan D. Smith; Steve R. Clinton

Addresses: Department of Marketing, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, 15108, PA, USA ' Department of Marketing, Robert Morris University, Moon Township, 15108, PA, USA

Abstract: Globalisation within an e-commerce environment dominates both service and manufacturing sectors as customers are becoming more empowered and expectations of high-levels of service and speed to match. This paper set out to define what globalisation is in relation to the business world, why companies decide to go global, the globalisation strategies they implement, and the advantages and disadvantages of going global. To highlight these points, the paper will focus on two Pittsburgh, PA-based food producers (one was their global headquarters, while the other has corporate offices in Pittsburgh) that are part of major corporate globalisation and e-commerce development. This paper will compare and contrast the different strategic styles that each company has implemented to navigate the complexities of a rich e-commerce global marketplace.

Keywords: case study; e-commerce; electronic commerce; globalisation; hypercompetition; offshoring; tax inversion; case study; large firms; manufacturing industry; food production.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2016.077837

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2016 Vol.22 No.4, pp.436 - 454

Received: 07 Jan 2015
Accepted: 12 Feb 2015

Published online: 17 Jul 2016 *

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