A FRAMEWORK FOR ADOPTION OF E-COMMERCE PROGRAMS IN HIGHER

EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Ergun Gide Mingxuan Wu
Faculty of Informatics and Communications Central Queensland University Australia
Abstract: For the last nine years, electronic commerce (e-commerce) is tremendously changing the way we do
business all around the world. As todays dynamic global business environment moves towards Internet and ecommerce, then the higher educational institutions such as universities are also being forced to introduce new
programs in Internet and e-commerce in order to supply knowledge-based and skilled people to the e-business
marketplaces. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the current situation and further demand of e-commerce
education, and describe their features. This paper also introduces the Australias experience in e-commerce programs,
and provides a proposal framework for developing e-commerce programs, specially, for Chinas higher educational
institutions, which have been facing opportunities and challenges after China was accepted to be a member of World
Trade Organization (WTO).
Key Words: E-Commerce, Higher Education, E-commerce Education, E-commerce Program.

1. Introduction
The Internet and the web provide an
infrastructure for truly world-wide markets and
for new web-based business opportunities (Essex
2003), such as negotiating and auctioning,
business-to-business internet-based transactions
and consortium purchasing. Internet usage as a
part of people's everyday lives is increasingly
pervasive around the world, says a new study
(Cox 2003), and e-commerce is more than ever a
part of life online. Miller (2000) believed that ecommerce was perhaps the fastest growing
phenomenon ever to affect the business
community. The trend of e-commerce application
is just only in the wire environment, but also in
the wireless environment.
E-commerce reduces or eliminates the
geographical and time barriers that limit the
exchange of information and information based
products and services (ND 2003). Today, ebusiness/e-commerce is no longer an option for
companies who want to remain competitive and
successful in the new Internet economy
(InsDomains 2001), which has become a critical
marketing tool, an essential distribution channel, a
cost effective service medium, and the required
technology for your company's survival and
growth. Even to the extent that, a research
(Philadelphia, 2004) indicates that those
businesses that do not use e-businesses will be out
of business.
In today's dynamic and tough economy, ecommerce (Internetnews 2003) has strong
potential to be a bright spot that can play an
important role in fueling a recovery. Some experts
(Naraine 2003) predict that the total business-toconsumer (B2C) commerce market is projected to
reach $133 billion by 2005. E-commerce sales
(Trendsetters 2003) are predicted that will grow to
$218 billion by 2007, representing 8% of total

retail sales.
However, e-commerce as a new branch of
commerce involves informatics, communication,
multimedia, marketing, advertising, management,
finance, business, law, education and training. It
needs a lot of compound talents. The configurable
contradiction of talent is becoming an outstanding
problem after Chinas acceptance of membership
into the WTO.

2. The Challenges and Future of ECommerce

E-commerce is often referred to as business

that is conducted over the Internet using any of
the applications that rely on the Internet, such as
e-mail, instant messaging, shopping carts, Web
services, FTP, and EDI, among others, which can
be between two businesses transmitting funds,
goods, services and/or data or between a
business /a customer (Jupitermedia 2004). Also, it
can between government agents.
With the continued growth of e-commerce,
it (Daniel 2000) will be necessary to have more
and more people with the necessary skills to
understand all aspects of e-commerce.

2.1 The
Education

Demands

for

E-commerce

The demand for e-commerce education is

insatiable at the moment because of the Internet.
Many institutions throughout the Asian region and
Australia are jumping on the bandwagon to offer
e-commerce degrees both Bachelors and Masters
(Ee 2001).
On educational enterprises, e-commerce has
a curious effect bringing pressure for change from
the bottom, driven by student expectations and
technical skills - and from the top, from political
and business leaders demanding the efficiency of
e-commerce technologies. E-commerce now
encompasses all aspects of business and market
processes enabled by web technologies, and

currently intersects with education in at least three

ways (Sanford 2000): As a separate educational
topic; E-commerce principles are affecting many
higher education transactions; These changes are
animating a growing interest by digital economy
leaders -- both private- and public-sector -- in the
nature and quality of education.
Some researchers (Jenkins 2002) believed
that students were quick to respond seeking
courses and programs that provide education in Ecommerce; on the other hand, government
agencies are also affected in the same manner.

Programming; E-Commerce Systems and

Solutions; Business Analysis; Sales and
Consultancy;
Management
and
Strategic
Planning; Education and Training; Research

3. Brief of Australian Universities ECommerce Programs

There are 43 higher educational institutions

in Australia (Detya 2003), which include 39
universities. Among all of the universities, 31
universities provide bachelor of e-commerce; 5
universities do not provide a bachelor program in
e-commerce, but provide masters program.
2.2 The Challenges for E-commerce
Among these programs, Victoria University (VU)
Education
and Central Queensland University (CQU)
Electronic commerce has become a key tool
demonstrate the outstanding progress. VU
for organizations to achieve strategic competitive
provides one bachelor program of e-commerce
advantage. With massive changes in ways that
and eleven double bachelor programs of efirms do business, effective integration of
commerce. Specially, CQU provides a leading einformation technology into business practice is
commerce program both bachelor and masters
crucial to success. However, electronic commerce
degrees within Australian universities.
is a multi-disciplinary field that cuts across
The following table 1 shows that six etraditional functional boundaries. As such, success
commerce programs (about 15.38%) are provided
relies on experts who possess both depth of
by faculties of IT, sixteen (about 41.03%) by
knowledge in their specialist area as well as
faculties of business, and only one (about 2.56%)
breadth of understanding about the multiple
by faculty of engineering. The majority of the
dimensions of electronic commerce (Bond 2002).
universities with 21 (about 53.85%) are providing
2.3 Career Opportunities
three-year full-time studies; however, eight
In recent years the Internet, the web and
universities (about 20.51%) are providing double
computer networks have become essential
degree programs. The study duration in ten
everyday business tools. Not surprisingly the IT
universities (about 25.64%) are four or five years;
industry is one of the worlds fastest-growing
specially, all of the double degree programs are
industries and graduates can expect exciting and
over three years studies; five universities (about
rewarding careers anywhere in the world (JCU
12.82%) are providing only masters program and
2003).
do not provide bachelor program; only three
According to Chan & Swatman (2000, pp.4universities within total thirty-nine universities
13), e-commerce was divided into the following
(about 7.69%) do not provide bachelor of eseven categories: Web Development and
commerce or a related program.
Table 1: Australian E-commerce Programs by the end of 2003
PROGRAMS DURATION IT
num
BACHELORS Three Years 5
Four Years 1
Five Years
MASTERS
NON

TOTAL

Business
Engineering
%
num %
num %
12.82% 16 41.03%
2.56%
1
2.56%

Double
num %

6
15.38%
2
5.13%

4. Proposed Framework for a Bachelor of

E-Commerce Program
By July 1, 2003, China has established 1517
higher educational institutions (EDU 2003),
which are classified into thirteen categories (CAS

SUM
num %
21 53.85%
8
20.51%
2
5.13%
5
12.82%
3
7.69%
39 100.00%

2002) including comprehensive, science and arts,

science and engineering, liberal arts, science,
engineering, agriculture, medical and health
science, law, literature, management, sport and
arts. These different kinds of universities have
different programs aims and focuses in career

opportunities and outcomes.

E-commerce program should be a mix of
commerce,
computing,
networking
communication, multimedia, Internet technology,
marketing, laws, and management, which should
provide students with a solid foundation in the
development of Internet applications, focus on
one aspect of business activities, such as
commerce, communication, multimedia, Internet
technology, Internet marketing, information
systems management, e-commerce security, and
payment systems. Therefore, considering the
present situation of Chinese higher education and
Chinese talent demands, a proposal framework for
Chinas higher educational institutions are
suggested in order to provide the following
bachelor programs of e-commerce with study
duration of four years, such as bachelor of ecommerce with major in: Internet/Web
technologies, Information systems management,
Marketing/Management.
The following programs are based on a four
years full-time study, which consists of four
sections including eight foundation courses (see
table 2), eight core courses (see table 3), eight
specialization courses (see table 4), and other
eight elective courses (see table 5) totaling thirtytwo courses.
Table 2: Eight Foundation Courses:
1 Computing Mathematics
2 Introduction to Programming
3 Computer Hardware Fundamentals
4 Computer Software Fundamentals
5 Introduction to Internet and Multimedia
6 Introduction to Information Systems
7 Introduction to Electronic Commerce
8 Systems Analysis and Design

Areas
Major in Internet/Web Technologies:
1 Computer Programming
2 Algorithms and Data Structures
3 Internet Programming (Advanced Java)
4 Business Programming
5 Software Engineering
6 Wired and Wireless Networking
7 Operating Systems
8 Software Development
Major in Information Systems Management:
1 Fundamentals of e-Management
2 Computing Programming
3 Internet Programming (Advanced Java)
4 E-Business Process Management
5 E-Management Strategy
E-Commerce
Management
Information
6 Systems
7 E-Project Management
Knowledge-based
Management
Support
8 Systems.
Major in Marketing/Management
1 Fundamentals of e-Marketing
2 E-Business Financial Statistics
3 E-Marketing Principles
Introduction
to
E-Human
Resources
4 Management
5 Accounting for E-Commerce
6 Advanced e-Marketing Strategies
E-commerce
Management
Information
7 Systems
8 E-Project Management
Table 5: Other Eight Elective Courses
These courses can be chosen from other study
areas
so as to enlarge students' knowledge scope.

5. Conclusions

Although e-commerce has provided a

number of opportunities, some researchers (Sushil
& Jatinder 2001, p.32) believed that it has also
Table 3: Eight Core Courses:
opened up new challenges to tackle various
problems such as linguistic challenges, import /
1
E-Commerce Systems and Applications
export regulations, real-time currency exchange,
2
Digital Data Communications
security, tax and fee implications, and
3
Security of E-Commerce and the Internet
increasingly sophisticated frauds, etc. A report
4
Management Information Systems
(Levy 2002) indicated that the use of e-commerce
5
Web Site Design and Development
6
Database Use and Design
would continue to increase, despite the economic
7 & 8 Project thesis: E-commerce Application
climate, with a more efficient, disciplined,
(Last two semesters as it has double credit orderly, and user friendly manner that would
points
increase not only the usage rate, but also
in chosen major area)
participation.
The following tips should be good
Table 4: Eight Courses for Specialization Study
suggestion (Miller 2000; About 2003):

Undergraduates as well as postgraduate students

must understand the opportunities and challenges
of doing business on the web with the new
technologies. It will take time, perhaps several
years, to integrate these technologies into the
standard business curriculum, although this is
necessary in all aspects of business education. The
e-commerce world is changing week by week. Be
prepared to change your business plans at short
notice to adapt to changing conditions.
In fact, e-commerce is challenging this
world daily. The above rules and features should
be considered and reflected in developing the
further e-commerce program including program
aims, structure, teaching methods, and study
materials and resources.

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