Preface - E-COMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES
Preface - E-COMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES
electronic commerce and the digital economy in the industrialised countries. It is natural
then that the Development Centre should assess the scope for e-commerce in developing
countries. But like the sailors in the strait of Messina, the research should avoid at once
the scylla of technological pessimism — seeing an inevitably widening “digital divide”
between industrialised and developing countries — and the charybdis of exaggerated
claims about the Internet’s potential to resolve a host of development problems that have
heretofore proved intractable.
The novelty of the Internet means that there is little historical evidence on which to
venture projections of future trends, even in the OECD countries. As industry watchers
claim, a year is very long in Internet time. E-commerce is evolving rapidly, with the corporate
landscape being continuously transformed by start-ups, acquisitions, and failures, and
with new technologies coming to market almost daily.
An analysis of its potential in developing countries has to be guided by a realistic
assessment of: i) the prospects and timeframe for improving Internet access and affordability
in low-income countries (no Internet, no e-commerce); and ii) the major sources of current
and likely future demand for e-commerce transactions and web-based services in
developing countries.
The obstacles facing developing country entrepreneurs, whether in penetrating world
markets or in expanding and diversifying sales in their domestic markets, include limited
information about market opportunities, limited access to financing, and limited capacity
to satisfy the quality, cost and logistical requirements of overseas customers. How can the
Internet and e-commerce be used to lower if not remove these barriers?
One of the key barriers identified here is the limited trust potential customers may have in
on-line developing country enterprises. The paper also points to some of the initiatives,
private and public, aimed at strengthening trust. Above all, it demonstrates the need for
sector-by-sector research on the scope for small entrepreneurs in poor countries to tap
into this new reservoir of technologies for their own benefit and that of their communities.
This paper, on which the authors based their article in the Financial Times on the day
of the Okinawa summit of the G-7, represents an early contribution to a major Development
Centre research project on e-commerce for development, under the heading “Globalising
Technologies and Domestic Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries”.
Jorge Braga de Macedo
President
OECD Development Centre
September 2000
OECD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Working Paper No. 164
E-COMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES
by
Andrea Goldstein and David O’Connor
Preface ECOMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES - To learn more about this author, visit OECD Development Centre's Website.
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The OECD has been a pioneer in addressing the challenges and opportunities of
electronic commerce and the digital economy in the industrialised countries. It is natural
then that the Development Centre should assess the scope for e-commerce in developing
countries. But like the sailors in the strait of Messina, the research should avoid at once
the scylla of technological pessimism — seeing an inevitably widening “digital divide”
between industrialised and developing countries — and the charybdis of exaggerated
claims about the Internet’s potential to resolve a host of development problems that have
heretofore proved intractable.
The novelty of the Internet means that there is little historical evidence on which to
venture projections of future trends, even in the OECD countries. As industry watchers
claim, a year is very long in Internet time. E-commerce is evolving rapidly, with the corporate
landscape being continuously transformed by start-ups, acquisitions, and failures, and
with new technologies coming to market almost daily.
An analysis of its potential in developing countries has to be guided by a realistic
assessment of: i) the prospects and timeframe for improving Internet access and affordability
in low-income countries (no Internet, no e-commerce); and ii) the major sources of current
and likely future demand for e-commerce transactions and web-based services in
developing countries.
The obstacles facing developing country entrepreneurs, whether in penetrating world
markets or in expanding and diversifying sales in their domestic markets, include limited
information about market opportunities, limited access to financing, and limited capacity
to satisfy the quality, cost and logistical requirements of overseas customers. How can the
Internet and e-commerce be used to lower if not remove these barriers?
One of the key barriers identified here is the limited trust potential customers may have in
on-line developing country enterprises. The paper also points to some of the initiatives,
private and public, aimed at strengthening trust. Above all, it demonstrates the need for
sector-by-sector research on the scope for small entrepreneurs in poor countries to tap
into this new reservoir of technologies for their own benefit and that of their communities.
This paper, on which the authors based their article in the Financial Times on the day
of the Okinawa summit of the G-7, represents an early contribution to a major Development
Centre research project on e-commerce for development, under the heading “Globalising
Technologies and Domestic Entrepreneurship in Developing Countries”.
Jorge Braga de Macedo
President
OECD Development Centre
September 2000
OECD DEVELOPMENT CENTRE
Working Paper No. 164
E-COMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT: PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES
by
Andrea Goldstein and David O’Connor
Preface ECOMMERCE FOR DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS AND POLICY ISSUES - To learn more about this author, visit OECD Development Centre's Website.
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Joe DagerJoe Dager is President of Business901, a progressive coaching company providing no-nonsense direction in areas such as Lean Six Sigma Marketing and organized referral marketing. What others say: In the past 20 years, Joe and I have collaborated on many difficult issues. Joe’s ability to combine his expertise with “out of the box” thinking is unsurpassed. He has always delivered quickly, cost effectively and with ingenuity. A brilliant mind that is always a pleasure to work with.” - James R. If you want to learn more about Business901, start a conversation with us. We can be found @ Web/Blog: Business901.com Web/Blog: FundingYourNonprofit.com LinkedIn Profile Follow me on Twitter - Visit Joe Dager's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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