Title: Information needs, enterprise growth and e-commerce intermediation: a study of southern-Brazilian companies

Authors: Eusebio Scornavacca Jr., Joao Luiz Becker, Stuart J. Barnes

Addresses: School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand. ' School of Management, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Washington Luis, 855, CEP 90010-460, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. ' School of Information Management, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract: Information is no longer just a control tool for managers – it is a basic resource as important as raw materials or the human resource. Consequently, it is a significant managerial responsibility to decide which kind of information should support the organisation|s decision-making process. This is particularly the case when expanding the business. This paper presents the results of a study examining the information needs of 796 southern Brazilian enterprises contemplating business growth. The survey is part of a programme of research into information intermediation via the internet. The results show a marked convergence of the sample|s informational needs, but also some significant differences among specific business groups. In addition, the research has surfaced some a clear ||core|| of informational needs, supported by some ||peripheral|| needs. The paper concludes with a summary, reflections and some future research directions.

Keywords: information intermediation; information needs; business growth; lexical analysis; Brazil; e-commerce.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMED.2004.004522

International Journal of Management and Enterprise Development, 2004 Vol.1 No.3, pp.218 - 232

Published online: 21 May 2004 *

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