Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through database integration

Journal of International Information Management, Dec 2002

A question facing contemporary entrepreneurs is: How can Electronic Commerce be used to exploit business opportunities now available through highly efficient electronic markets? This study aims to answer that question. Although the Internet is increasingly being adopted to market products and services, little academic attention has been paid to its linkages with database technology. This research used focus groups and convergent interviews to develop a framework illustrating how firms use the Internet and database technology for strategic advantage. Results revealed that integration of Internet and database marketing enhances the effectiveness of EC's potential, offering such benefits as increased accuracy and speed, cost saving, and more importantly greater interaction and better relationships with customers; thus providing more effective application of existing and emerging technologies. The extent, degree and speed of communication enabled by the Internet makes it a synergistic component of an effectual database marketing strategy. Findings from this research have implications for both theory and practice providing strategies to achieve optimal results through the integration of Internet and database technologies.

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Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through database integration

Journal of International Information Management Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through Jeretta Horn Nord Oklahoma State University G. Daryl Nord Oklahoma State University Part of the Management Information Systems Commons Recommended Citation Rao, Sally; Nord, Jeretta Horn; and Nord, G. Daryl (2002) "Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through database integration," Journal of International Information Management: Vol. 11 : Iss. Available at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/jiim/vol11/iss1/1 - Article 1 Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/jiim Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through database integration Saiiy Rao Griffith University Jeretta Horn Nord G. Daryl Nord Okiahoma State University ABSTFIACT A question facingcontemporary entrepreneurs is: How can Electronic Commerce be used to exploit business opportunities now available through highly efficient electronic markets? This study aims to answer that question. Although the Internet is increasingly being adopted to market products and services, little academic attention has been paid to its linkages with data­ base technology. This research used focus groups andconvergent interviews to develop aframe­ work illustrating how firms use the Internet and database technology for strategic advantage. Results revealed that integration of Internet and database marketing enhances the effectiveness of EC's potential, offering such benefits as increased accuracy and speed, cost saving, and more importantly greater interaction and better relationships with customers; thus providing more effective application of existing and emerging technologies. The extent,degree and speed of communication enabled by the Internet makes it a synergistic component of an effectual database marketing strategy. Findings from this research have implications for both theory and practice providing strategiesto achieve optimal results through the integration of Internet and database technologies. INTRODUCTION Many firms have adopted the Internet for promotional purposes(Williams, 2000) but have not yet fully capitalized on its interactive marketing capabilities (Rowsom, 1998) . Nevertheless, some practitioners and consultants are realizing the potential for integrating the Internet with organizational databases. For example,Rowson (1998, p. 24) noted the recency and potential of the integration of Internet information into database marketing in driving the success of elec­ tronic commerce by forecastingthat 'instituting database marketing on the Web will be like mak­ ing the leap from playing checkersto playing multi-level chess.' 1 However, academic research relating to the integration of Electronic Commerce and database technology to gain strategic advantage is lacking. There has been recognition in the academic literature about the Internet and database marketing separately (Forrest & Mizerski, 1995; Mont­ gomery, 1999; Hoffman & Novak, 1996) , but not about their integration. Hence the aim of this paper is to develop a framework for integrating Internet and database technology to help entre­ preneurs gain strategic advantage by improving their marketing effectiveness, based on the re­ sults of rigorous academic research. Essentially, the researchers argue that aspects of inputs, processes and strategic outputs describe and explain the integration of business to consumer and business to business marketing strategies utilizing database technology. This paper has three parts. First, a preliminary framework based on the literature is out­ lined. Next, the methodology of focus groups and convergent interviewing is briefly described. Finally, results and a revised framework based on the findings are presented. An extensive review of the literatureconcerning Internet and database marketing preempted development of a framework to integrate Internet marketing into database marketing processesso that related research issues could be identified. The background theories (Phillips & Pugh, 1994) or parent disciplines (Perry, 1998) used to develop the framework are Internet marketing and database marketing. Discussion of these begins broadly and then focuses more narrowly towards the immediate discipline ofthe research problem. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE The literature provides a professional awareness of the background theories or fields of study of this research (Phillips & Pugh, 1994) that are the foundations of the theoretical frame­ work (Perry, 1998) . The Web has been around for a number ofyears in various forms. However, it only broke into the popular culture after the introduction of graphical browsers. Prior to that, it had been primarily an academic and scientific tool for sharing information. Because of thisshort existence there is very little to be found in the literature regarding behavior with respect to Web presence (McManis, et al., 2001) . The parent disciplines for th (...truncated)


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Sally Rao, Jeretta Horn Nord, G. Daryl Nord. Analyzing behavior patterns of internet consumers through database integration, Journal of International Information Management, 2002, pp. 1, Volume 11, Issue 1,