INMA_A01.QXD

remains stable between 55% and 85% (see Figure
11.7).

Significant variation across industries in levels of
uptake of e-commerce. On the buy side, retail busi-
nesses are making the most significant amount of
online purchases: 36% in the UK and an average of
38% across other surveyed nations. The construction
sector was the lowest in terms of uptake with 17% of
businesses in the UK and 21% in other nations. On the
sell side, of companies that enable customers to order

online, the percentage varies across sectors from 28%

to 10% (see Figure 11.8).


Sweden, Ireland and the UK remain ahead in terms of

levels of sophistication(see Figure 11.9).

This case has focused on the growth and dispersion of

Internet adoption and e-commerce and in doing so has

identified varying levels of uptake and usage of web tech-

nologies across the nations surveyed. Academic

researchers (Doherty et al., 1999, Teo and Pian, 2003)

have produced various models of the ways organisations

use Internet technologies and how usage can be influ-

enced by various factors, for example, levels of maturity,

business integration, marketing applications and the cate-

gory of the adopter.

Teo and Pian (2003) suggest that such different levels of

adoption are likely to confer different degrees of competi-

tive advantage, which they have found to be a key driver of

Internet adoption (see Table 11.3) and which ultimately will

affect the types of goals an organisation aims to achieve

through the application of Internet technologies.

The level of adoption affects the extent to which Internet

technologies impact on an organisation’s practical opera-

tions. In doing so it provides a context for digital strategy

formulation and ultimately the objectives pursued.

CHAPTER 11· BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS INTERNET MARKETING

Figure 11.7Proportion of business with a web site

100

Have a web

site

%

90

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

1997

Key UK

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

High

2003 2004

Ger USA Fra

Jap Can Ita Swe

Aus ROI SKo

Low

Figure 11.8Adoption of buying and selling online

Swe

70

66

72

Ger

44

(^6259)
UK
50
54
59
USA
56
63
58
Can
47
(^5857)
ROI
38
(^5453)
Aus
43
46
52
Ita
Difference
= 13 percentage
points
International
mean: 38%
International
mean: 51%
3536
41
Jap
28
(^4140)
Fra
30
36
33
SKo
30
33
Key 2002 2003 2004
Swe
43
5154
SKo
45
52
Ger
(^4746)
39
Aus
373738
Jap
40
45
38
UK
3232
37
Can
30
38
35
USA
343634
ROI
36
41
34
Ita
33
29
33
Fra
18
2122
Key 2002 2003 2004