دانلود رایگان مقاله انگلیسی تجارت الکترونیکی B2C مرزی عظیم به چین و نقش لجستیک ها: بررسی مطالعاتی - امرالد 2017

Abstract

Purpose – This paper reviews scientific publications in the field of logistics underlying Cross Border E-Commerce (CBEC) to China. A focus on the role played in this complex process by other Countries of the Greater China is carried out. The major aim of the paper is to outline directions for future research to encourage CBEC development. Methodology/Approach – The review is based on 32 papers published from 2002 to 2016 in international peer-reviewed journals and/or proceedings of international conferences, retrieved from bibliographic databases and science search engines. Findings – CBEC to China is gaining increasing interest, as shown by the rising amount of publications from 2013 onwards. Within these contributions however, studies specifically investigating the relation between logistics and e-commerce, commonly acknowledged as critical, seem to lack. Many contributions are descriptive and do not provide specific insights on how to manage the complexities of CBEC logistics in this region. Stemming from the review, a set of possible development areas are identified, including distribution network design, i.e. deciding how to shape the CBEC distribution structure, and logistics outsourcing, i.e. determining whether to manage logistics activities in-house or through third parties. Originality/Value– To the extent of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first one to classify the existing body of knowledge on logistics supporting CBEC. Its main contribution is the critical identification of current research gaps and the proposal of key themes for future research. From a managerial perspective, it helps export and logistics managers identify the key challenges of managing CBEC logistics to Greater China.

Conclusions

Given the rising importance of CBEC for the Chinese market and the relevance of logistics for the successful implementation of an initiative of this kind, the aim of this paper was to identify important areas for future research by relying on a review of the literature about CBEC logistics to China. A specific focus was made on the logistics role played by Taiwan and Hong Kong as parts of Greater China, in this frame. The analysis is based on a set of 32 selected papers published from 2002 to 2016 in peer-reviewed international journals. A minor part of the contributions is constituted by book chapters and international conference papers. Although “only” 32 publications were included in the review, the authors believe that the number of contributions reviewed in this study is adequate given indeed the novelty of the topic and the focus on a circumscribed, despite promising, topic. Moreover, previous contributions addressing very specific research themes considered a similar number of papers (e.g. Cagno et al., 2013, included around 30 papers in their review on the economic evaluation of Occupational Safety and Health, while Perego et al., 2011, examined around 40 in their analysis of ICT for logistics and freight transportation). No previous reviews dealing with the same topic of this study were found in literature, i.e. the combination of logistics, internationalisation and e-commerce in China. Some literature reviews were found addressing the themes of logistics and/or e-logistics in China. Those were included in the review as they revealed precious information about the specific characteristics of the region which should be posed to the attention of foreign decision makers willing to enter the promising Asian e-commerce market through online channels. This review indeed was carried out mainly to the benefit of scholars and practitioners who are interested in analysing the phenomenon from a western perspective.