Failure and Success of B-to-B Exchange Business Models:: A Contingent Analysis of Their Performance

Andrea Ordanini, Stefano Micelli and Eleonora Di Maria

European Management Journal, 2004, vol. 22, issue 3, 281-289

Abstract: The new economy presents extraordinary opportunities for growth and profit of electronic management of business-to-business relationships. E-marketplaces, or digital exchanges, represent one of the most promising phenomena in this environment but, despite the promises, many of these B-to-B exchanges have failed in the last few years, while a few 'survivors' remained in the market. The purpose of this paper is to investigate business models of active e-marketplaces, to understand which features make the difference between successful initiatives and failures. The paper is based on a survey of a sample of European exchanges located in Italy. Alternative business models are described through a cluster analysis along with three dimensions: content, structure, and governance. By comparing performances of the alternative business models, the analysis is able to show key features of successful business models for B-to-B e-marketplaces. The findings show that private large exchanges have a superior capability to generate turnover compared to vertical niche operators, due to specific choices of content, structure, and governance. Managerial implications and suggestions for future research are proposed.

Keywords: B-to-B; Exchange; business; models; E-marketplaces; Digital; exchanges; Italy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2004
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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