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The benefits a firm can realise from establishing cooperative relationships with suppliers and customers have been documented, extensively. However, very little is known about what happens when a firm uses information technology to facilitate a cooperative relationship (IT-mode) with suppliers and customers, and when it uses face-to-face (socialisation). Results of this study suggest that a firm’s decision to either use IT or socialisation to facilitate its cooperative relationships with suppliers and buyers is contingent on the type of knowledge exchanged between cooperating partners. A firm uses IT to facilitate cooperative relationships when exchanging codified information, whereas tacit knowledge is exchanged through face-to-face interactions. This study suggests that the use of IT or socialisation to facilitate cooperative relationships is contingent on type of knowledge being exchanged.

A Virtual Organisation (VO) is a collection of several independent companies connected together by Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to provide products and services to the customer. With the availability and ubiquitousness of ICT the concept of VO is a reality. Achieving customer satisfaction in a VO environment is complex. Total Quality Management (TQM) is recognised as a philosophy focusing on customer satisfaction through continuous improvement and employee involvement. The traditional TQM implementation model is based on the notion that all the major organisational function is performed within the confinement of a single company. This paradigm is not valid for a VO and implementing TQM in a VO is apparently much more complex. This research efforts investigates the complex issues for TQM implementation in a VO.

The implementation of ERP systems is a complex undertaking with wide-reaching impact on key stakeholders including staff and customers. As many as 90% of all initiated ERP implementation projects can be regarded as failures as a result of changes in scope, prolongation of the project time or simply budget overruns. This paper presents an integrated strategic framework that could be useful for identifying parameters which may help the ERP implementation process become successful. The integrated strategic framework is developed through a real case study implementation.

The revolutionary potential of the internet promises to transform economic and environmental gains. By reducing the amount of energy and materials consumed by business, the internet stands to revolutionise the relation between economic growth and the environment. The internet is improving the capability to understand the science of environmental degradation and communicate that knowledge to public and private decision makers. It also helps decrease resource waste and associated pollution by improving the efficiency of economic activity and provides improved sensors and instantaneous telecommunications links to control pollution spillovers, better manage shared resources and reduce waste. This paper examines the impact and potential of internet-based technologies in the performance of important information and communication functions for resolving the environmental issues using Porter's value chain model. Managerial implications of using the internet for environmental gains for SMEs are also discussed.

Turbulent market conditions characterised by very fast and continuous changes are forcing many enterprises to adopt new organisational paradigms of collaboration and cooperation forming highly dynamic organisations known as Virtual Enterprises (VE) or Virtual Organisations (VO). Implementing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in a virtual enterprise setting is an entirely different preposition than implementing an ERP system in a single enterprise environment. Collaborative enterprises have to integrate between their ERP packages and other applications such as legacy systems and e-commerce sites. This paper identifies various issues and challenges that may arise for ERP implementation in virtual enterprises.

The strive to build customer-centric organisations and the transition from passive to active customer is causing companies to build their information systems around reverse value chain. These systems usually termed as "web-based information systems" are changing market dynamics and the manner in which firms conduct business. Customer-centric web-based information systems demand new approach to systems development. Advances in technology are making reverse value chain logic – focusing on the customer and the dynamics of a changing market – a business imperative, and companies that have reversed the value chain are realising significant strategic advantages over their competitors. This paper describes about new approach of building systems around reverse value chain and the design characteristics of web-based information systems.

The new economy is built on information technology and the sharing of knowledge and intellectual capital. In such a knowledge-based economy, competitive advantage will be with those countries that have the capacity to deliver fast and have innovative forms of work organisations that raise productivity. In such an environment, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have tremendous opportunities. Implicit promises include access to world markets, low-cost entry into new markets and the ability to gain efficiencies in business processes. However, these promises may be illusory for most SMEs. The virtual marketplace is rapidly fostering the growth of new business models that require restructuring of their value chains for current businesses. To be a player in this competitive arena, a large investment in personnel and infrastructure is required. Technological, organisational and marketing hurdles are also making it more difficult for SMEs to succeed in knowledge-based economies. The following discussion describes many of the primary factors that are hindering the success of SMEs in today's knowledge-based economy.