Title: Towards e-business and supply chain operations: an empirical study of Hong Kong's trading industry

Authors: Kit F. Pun, Kwai S. Chin, Henry C.W. Lau

Addresses: Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago. ' Department of Manufacturing Engineering and Engineering Management, City University of Hong Kong, 83 Tat Chee Avenue, Kowloon, Hong Kong. ' Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong

Abstract: Faced with the dynamic competition in regional and global marketplaces, many trading firms have shifted from conventional business operations towards an e-business paradigm. They are expanding their business operations with Supply Chain Management (SCM) initiatives in order to sustain competitive advantage. This paper discusses the e-business paradigm, the SCM initiatives and the changing roles of trading firms, incorporating the empirical findings of a recent study in Hong Kong. The study acquired industry practitioners| views on their SCM and e-business practices in response to the challenges of globalisation and the trend on digitising their businesses. It explores the need for adopting a collaborative approach for SCM operations in the trading industry. Based on a simple analysis with mean and standard deviation, the study aimed at identifying the key determinants such as drivers, obstacles and perceived benefits. The paper contributes to the study of the traditional versus emerging roles of trading firms in Hong Kong.

Keywords: supply chain management; SCM; e-business; determinants; trading firms; electronic business; Hong Kong; globalisation; collaboration.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVCM.2008.019851

International Journal of Value Chain Management, 2008 Vol.2 No.4, pp.450 - 467

Published online: 10 Aug 2008 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article