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E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume)

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 27978

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Fazal Ijaz

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Department of Intelligent Mechatronics Engineering, Sejong University, Seoul 05006, Republic of Korea
Interests: data science; machine learning; data structures and algorithms; systems engineering; neural networks; data mining; project management; tensor flow; predictive modelling; artificial intelligence; hadoop; apache spark; software development; empirical researchbig data
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Further to the success of the Special Issue of Sustainability on “E-Commerce and Sustainability”, we are delighted to open a new Special Issue entitled “E-Commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume).”

E-commerce continues to grow globally with every passing year, so examining how sustainable it is as a practice and as a new form of doing business is becoming increasingly important. Economic growth is inextricably linked to sustainability, as is economic efficiency, and the only way to make sure that e-businesses are sustainable and contribute to the development of a sustainable society is by ensuring that their economic growth practices serve to protect and restore the environment and the ecosystems around us. Several aspects are involved in this that must be examined.

The main objective of this Special Issue is to explore the emerging technologies and trends for e-commerce and support e-businesses’ sustainable growth This Special Issue aims to discuss the link between sustainability and e-business from theoretical, methodological, and disciplinary perspectives. We believe that the selected topic will bring together researchers from diverse fields and specializations, such as retail, business, marketing, economy, information technology, services, sustainability, supply chain, logistics, management, and mathematics. We invite you to contribute to this issue by submitting comprehensive reviews, short communications, case studies, or research articles. Papers selected for this Special Issue will be subject to a rigorous peer-review procedure, with the aim of the rapid and wide dissemination of research results, developments, and applications.

A list of some potentially interesting topics for this session is provided below:

E-commerce;
Innovative business models;
Novel business models and automations in the digital economy;
Social impact and interactions in digital economy;
Environmental impact and interactions in digital economy;
Sustainable supply chain;
Smart logistics;
Artificial intelligence in e-commerce and supply chains;
Modeling and simulation of business processes;
Sustainable e-business;
Sustainable business practices;
Sustainable e-business model;
E-business modeling;
Green marketing;
Sustainable strategy;
Incorporating business ethics into strategy;
Sustainable business awards;
The social dimension of sustainability in retail marketing;
Sustainability communication in retail marketing;
In-store and web communication for sustainability.

Dr. Muhammad Fazal Ijaz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

sustainability
sustainable marketing
digital economy
supply chain
sustainable e-business

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 706 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effects of Experienced Utility and PEEIM on the Purchase Intention of Cross-Border E-Commerce

by Huan-Ming Chuang and Chen-Chia Chuang

Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15666; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su152115666 - 06 Nov 2023

Viewed by 996

Abstract

Due to the rapid development of the internet, cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) is gaining popularity. With CBEC, consumers from different countries can overcome the limits of languages and currencies to buy desired products directly. However, compared to domestic e-commerce, CBEC confronts significant challenges, such as risky distribution channels, dependency on third-party logistics, customs clearance, etc. Therefore, multi-faceted efforts are needed to promote CBEC. Traditional studies probe CBEC through a logistics and operational perspective; this study bridges a research gap by stressing a human–computer interaction perspective. Under the premise that technical infrastructure keeps improving, consumers’ expectations of switching to CBEC has been an essential issue. Specifically, this study develops a theoretical model that emphasizes website cues as experienced utility and the perceived effectiveness of e-commerce institutional mechanisms (PEEIM) as decision utility to investigate their effects on the purchase intention of CBEC. This study applied Smart PLS 3.0 to verify the research model with 300 valid responses from online questionnaires. Research findings confirmed the proposed model. Practical strategies for promoting CEBC were suggested accordingly. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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19 pages, 5315 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Regulation of Algorithmic Price Discrimination Behaviour of E-Commerce Platform Based on Tripartite Evolutionary Game

by Jianjun Li, Xiaodi Xu and Yu Yang

Sustainability 2023, 15(10), 8294; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15108294 - 19 May 2023

Viewed by 1561

Abstract

With the development of the digital economy, the algorithms and big data technologies of e-commerce platforms have gradually turned into double-edged swords. While realising personalised recommendations, they also provide information technology support for the use of algorithmic prices to discriminate and extract residual value from consumers. Consumers frequently use Black Cat and third-party media to complain, resulting in a significant negative impact. Therefore, in order to regulate algorithmic price discrimination, using e-commerce platforms, local governments and consumers act as game subjects, taking an evolutionary game approach. We analyse the impact of different situations and factors on the system’s evolutionary stability strategy and conduct its verification via simulation experiments. This study shows that several measures, such as increasing cooperation with the media; establishing clear regulatory rules to reduce the extent of algorithmic price discrimination and the grey revenue of e-commerce platforms; establishing a long-term mechanism for consumer feedback; improving rewards and punishments to increase the probability of successful regulation and penalties by local governments; sharing information to reduce the cost of consumer regulation; and setting reasonable bonus thresholds based on government revenue and consumer regulation costs, can effectively regulate algorithmic price discrimination and promote the sustainable development of e-commerce platforms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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22 pages, 2156 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Understanding Customer Preferences of Delivery Services for Online Grocery Retailing in South Korea

by Yoon-Joo Park

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 4650; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15054650 - 06 Mar 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2788

Abstract

With the rapid growth of online grocery shopping in South Korea, e-grocery retailers have faced intense competition. Consequently, they attempt to differentiate themselves by offering diversified delivery services, such as providing early morning delivery services or eco-friendly packaging. The purpose of this paper is to analyze consumer preferences with regards to delivery services with different delivery times and packaging types targeting South Korea’s online grocery markets. Specifically, six delivery types consisting of combinations of two delivery time options (dawn, daytime) and three packaging types (paper box, market cooler bag, personal icebox) are examined. A survey was conducted in July 2020 with 218 consumers who regularly buy fresh food online. The collected data were analyzed by means of a conjoint analysis and ANOVA. The present study finds that customers most strongly prefer dawn delivery using a personal icebox, followed by dawn delivery using a market cooler bag, with daytime delivery using a paper box being the least preferable. Furthermore, consumers value the packaging type more than the delivery time when selecting a delivery service. Lastly, the preferences of consumers regarding delivery service types differ according to their characteristics. This study is expected to contribute to the establishment of a delivery strategy for online grocery companies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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20 pages, 326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Transparent Reporting on Financial Assets as a Determinant of a Company’s Value—A Stakeholder’s Perspective during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic and beyond

by Beata Dratwińska-Kania, Aleksandra Ferens and Piotr Kania

Sustainability 2023, 15(3), 2065; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15032065 - 21 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1120

Abstract

Background: Socio-economic changes prompt companies to disclose their sustainable development activities in the reporting, showing that they balance three capitals—economic, environmental, and social. On the other hand, while formulating strategies and goals, they consider the company’s widely understood environment, where its stakeholders are essential. As a result, the transparency and usefulness of the reported information are limited. Methods: The study employed financial statements’ content analysis and a statistical method (rank Spearman correlation, Shapiro–Wilk test). The percentage of change in critical areas for reporting transparency on financial assets was analyzed, before and during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Results: The research indicated that the identified critical reporting areas concerning financial assets showed a greater value change during the pandemic. Correlations between the accounting value of the company and the same critical reporting areas were significant. Conclusion: It has been shown that larger companies can use more accounting policy instruments; therefore, the reporting transparency on financial assets is potentially lower for these companies. The transparency of the surveyed corporate reports during the pandemic was lower. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

18 pages, 642 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Return Policy of Competitive Retailers’ Pre-Sale Products Based on Strategic Consumer Behavior

by Dan Wu and Xinxin Lu

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1341; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su15021341 - 10 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1162

Abstract

Because of incomplete information on pre-sold products, consumers face uncertainty about the value of what they have purchased, which leads to a mismatch between supply and demand and a large number of returns. By developing appropriate return policies and effectively managing and handling consumer returns, retailers can not only reduce waste but also ensure better resource utilization, which is essential for sustainable development. In this paper, we analyze the full-refund and full-and-freight-refund policies of retailers and develop a game model based on binary competition for selecting the optimal return policy for the pre-sold products of two retailers. The study shows that when both retailers have low capacity, there is no pre-sale stage. However, when their combined capacity is high and exceeds the demand of non-strategic consumers, equilibrium depends on their combined capacity and the proportion of strategic consumers who choose to keep the pre-purchased product under both return policies. When the number of strategic consumers who retain pre-order products is low under the full-refund policy and both retailers have moderate capacity, equilibrium is achieved when an asymmetric return policy is followed rather than a symmetric return policy. Specifically, when the percentage of strategic consumers who keep their reserved products under the product return strategy is small and the capacity of the two retailers is moderate, the maximum benefit is achieved if one of the retailers adopts the policy of a full refund and the other adopts the policy of a full-and-freight refund. Otherwise, when one retailer adopts the policy of a full refund or a full-and-freight refund, its competitor should adopt the same strategy to gain maximum revenue. The research on retailers’ pre-sale and return strategies in this paper helps to optimize the operational strategies and operational processes of e-retailers, further improve the management and decision making of their joint pre-sale and return strategies, and help optimize retailers’ profits. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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23 pages, 1814 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Time-Limited Promotion on E-Consumers’ Public Self-Consciousness and Purchase Behavior

by Rob Kim Marjerison, Jiamin Hu and Hantao Wang

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 16087; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142316087 - 01 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4394

Abstract

This paper explores the relationship between consumers’ public self-consciousness, purchase behavior, post-purchase regret, and time-limited promotions in e-commerce. Time-limited flash sales have become a common promotion strategy in e-commerce, particularly in China, the largest e-commerce market. Firstly, the effect of public self-consciousness on consumers’ impulsive purchase tendency and post-purchase regret is examined. Secondly, this paper extends the scope of previous studies and investigates how time pressure affects the relationships between self-consciousness, impulsive buying tendency, and post-purchase regret. Data were gathered via an anonymous online survey of 580 online shoppers and subjected to empirical analysis including validity testing and ANOVA. The results provide both practical and theoretical contributions to existing models and offer empirical evidence showing the positive relationships between public self-consciousness and impulse buying, between public self-consciousness and post-purchase regret, and between impulse buying and post-purchase regret. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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34 pages, 6846 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Complex Network-Based Evolutionary Game for Knowledge Transfer of Social E-Commerce Platform Enterprise’s Operation Team under Strategy Imitation Preferences

by Shumei Wang and Yaoqun Xu

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15383; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142215383 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 1967

Abstract

Social e-commerce is an emerging e-commerce mode in response to the upgrading of consumption, which has become an important engine for the development of the digital economy. Knowledge transfer and sharing play vital roles in improving the competitiveness and the sustainability of social e-commerce platform enterprises. However, academic research on knowledge transfer for the social e-commerce platform enterprise’s operation team remains deficient. To help social e-commerce platform enterprises to improve performance and better seek survival and sustainable development, this paper constructs a knowledge transfer model for the social e-commerce platform enterprise’s operation team, in the self-centered sustainable ecological business mode, from the relationship between intra-organizational operation knowledge transfer and cross-organizational knowledge sharing for value co-creation, and explores knowledge transfer behaviors from the perspective of complex network-based evolutionary game under strategy imitation preferences. Simulation results indicate that relationships among knowledge transfer cost, knowledge synergy benefit, cross-organizational value co-creation benefit rate, and reward and punishment, along with strategy imitation preferences, significantly impact knowledge transfer behaviors of the social e-commerce platform enterprise’s operation team. When all the members of the social e-commerce platform enterprise’s operation team prefer to imitate the knowledge transfer strategies of the operation members with smaller knowledge transfer costs, the operation team is more likely to show a high proportion adopting the transfer strategy, requiring low knowledge synergy coefficient, reward, punishment, and cross-organizational value co-creation benefit rate to achieve stable and sustainable knowledge transfer. Conversely, the operation team is more likely to show a low proportion adopting the transfer strategy, requiring high knowledge synergy coefficient, reward, punishment, and cross-organizational value co-creation benefit rate to achieve stable and sustainable knowledge transfer. This study has significance as a guide for social e-commerce platform enterprises in deploying the self-centered sustainable ecological business mode. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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16 pages, 574 KiB

Open AccessArticle

AI in E-Commerce: Application of the Use and Gratification Model to The Acceptance of Chatbots

by Rob Kim Marjerison, Youran Zhang and Hanyi Zheng

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 14270; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142114270 - 01 Nov 2022

Cited by 18 | Viewed by 8031

Abstract

This study applies and builds on the Use and Gratification (U&G) theory to explore consumer acceptance of applied artificial intelligence (AI) in the form of Chatbots in online shopping in China. Data were gathered via an anonymous online survey from 540 respondents who self-identified as frequent online shoppers and are familiar with Chatbots. The results of the data analysis provide empirical evidence indicating that utilitarian factors such as the “authenticity of conversation” and “convenience”, as well as hedonic factors such as “perceived enjoyment”, result in users having a positive attitude towards Chatbots. However, privacy issues and the immaturity of technology have had a negative impact on acceptance. This paper provides both theoretical and practical insights into Chinese attitudes toward Chatbots and may be of interest to e-commerce researchers, practitioners, and U&G theorists. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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22 pages, 678 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Measurement Model and Empirical Analysis of the Coordinated Development of Rural E-Commerce Logistics and Agricultural Modernization

by Zhiqiang Liu, Shitong Jia, Zixing Wang, Caiyun Guo and Yanqi Niu

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13758; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142113758 - 24 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2292

Abstract

With technological revolutions and new rural revitalization strategies, rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization are becoming the focus of society. The purpose of the current study is to measure the coupling coordination state of regional rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization, to analyze the obstacles to coordinated development, to forecast the trend, and to propose policy suggestions for coordinated development. Based on the theory of system coordinated development, this paper selects representative indicators reflecting regional rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization, and constructs a coordinated development measurement index system. This paper also constructs a coupling coordination-obstacle degree model, adopting Handan City, Hebei Province as an example, using the data obtained from 2010 to 2019 to measure the coordinated development status of rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization; and analyzes the obstacles affecting coordinated development. By introducing the grey prediction GM (1,1) model and by applying it to the research, the results show that the model is feasible, and the coordinated development level of rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization in Handan City presents a fluctuating upward trend. The prediction results show that the coordinated development of rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization will achieve good coordination in 2024, and relevant development suggestions are proposed. The research can provide some decision-making references for establishing the measurement model, an obstacle-factor analysis, and a trend prediction for the coordinated development of regional rural e-commerce logistics and agricultural modernization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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16 pages, 644 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Attachment and Community Identification Affect User Stickiness in Social Commerce: A Consumer Engagement Experience Perspective

by Xian Gao, Choy-Leong Yee and Wei-Chong Choo

Sustainability 2022, 14(20), 13633; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/su142013633 - 21 Oct 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2300

Abstract

Social commerce (s-commerce) is a rapidly developing form of e-commerce powered by social media influencers (SMIs). It can create valuable opportunities for retailers. In light of this growing trend, this study explores the influence of consumers’ engagement experiences (social support and presence) on community identification and consumers’ attachment to SMIs, along with their impact on consumers’ stickiness in the s-commerce context. We explore this through social presence and social support theory. The survey data from 411 s-commerce users via an online questionnaire were analyzed empirically with the PLS-SEM approach. The results indicated that presence and social support have significantly positive impacts on consumers’ attachment to SMIs and community identification, respectively. This increases users’ stickiness in s-commerce. This study enriches our understanding of user stickiness in s-commerce and can assist online vendors in developing marketing strategies and cultivating sustained relationships with their users. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue E-commerce and Sustainability (Second Volume))

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