Course Outline

Programe BS Accounting & Finance

Semester 4th
Course Title ELECTRONIC COMMERCE
Course Code ECM 253
Credit 45 (3 hour per week)
Hours

Course Description
This course explores how the Internet has revolutionized the buying and selling of goods and services in the
marketplace. Topics include: Internet business models, electronic commerce infrastructure, designing on-line
storefronts, payment acceptance and security issues, and the legal and ethical challenges of electronic commerce.
Students will also gain hands-on experience in creating a web site using an HTML authoring tool.
Course Objectives:
 Explore, examine, and apply eCommerce concepts and principles by reading the modules, by answering
the self-tests, exercises, and assignments, and by participating in the online discussions.
 Decide what level of eCommerce activity to pursue, and provide appropriate supporting evidence.
 Determine the means, methods and strategies appropriate for establishing an eCommerce business.
 Decide whether to in-source or outsource your project design, development, installation, and/or
operation, based on an increased understanding of eCommerce set-up requirements.
 Write a comprehensive ecommerce Business Plan focused either on adding eCommerce to your existing
business or on implementing a new eCommerce business.
 Receive feedback from the facilitator and from experts on the quality of your Business Plan.
Learning Outcomes
As a result of completing this program, students should be able to

 demonstrate a grasp of theory, technically based skills and ethical perspectives relevant to core business
areas, including marketing, statistics, financial accounting, management accounting, finance, economics,
information systems, strategic management, organizational behaviour, and commercial law.
 demonstrate an understanding of how e-commerce systems and models affect strategic management,
marketing, and financial and other management information systems, organizational design, and supply
chain management considerations.
 demonstrate an appropriate knowledge base to help organizations integrate online business processes
and practices.

Course Contents
Lecture Topics Book
1 The Revolution is Just Beginning. 1
1. Opening Case: Amazon.com, Before and After.
2. E-commerce: The Revolution Is Just Beginning.
2 3. Opening Case: Amazon.com, Before and After. 1
4. E-commerce: The Revolution Is Just Beginning.
3 5. E-commerce I and II. 1
6. Understanding E-commerce: Organizing Themes.
4 7. Case Study: Napster Rocked. But Was it Legal? 1
5 E-commerce Business Models and Concepts. 1
1. Opening Case: Kozmo Finally Crashes.
6 2. E-commerce Business Models. 1
3. Major Business-to-Consumer (B2C) Business Models.
4. Major Business-to-Business (B2B) Business Models.
5. Business Models in Emerging E-commerce Areas.
7 6. How the Internet and the Web Change 1
7. Business: Basic Business Concepts.
Case Study: Priceline.com-Can this Business Model Be Saved?
8 The Internet and World Wide Web: E-Commerce Infrastructure. 1
1. Opening Case: Akamai Technologies: Speeding Internet Performance with
Math.
The Internet: Technology Background.
9 2. The Internet Today. 1
3. Internet II: The Future Infrastructure.
4. The World Wide Web.
10 5. The Internet and the Web: Features. 1
6. Case Study: Into Networks.
11 Building an E-commerce Web Site. 1
1. Opening Case: Loudcloud: What is 100% Uptime Worth?
2. Building an E-commerce Web Site: A Systematic Approach.
3. Choosing Server Software.
12 4. Choosing the Hardware for an E-commerce Site. 1
5. Other E-commerce Site Tools.
13 6. Case Study: REI: A Homegrown Success Story 1
14 Security and Encryption. 1
1. Opening Case: The Merchant Pays.
2. The E-commerce Security Environment.
3. Security Threats in the E-commerce Environment.
4. Technology Solutions.
15 5. Policies, Procedures, and Laws. 1

6. Case Study: Verisign-The Web's Security Blanket.

6 E-Commerce Payment Systems. 1
1. Opening Case: PayPal: The Money's in the E-mail.
2. Payment Systems.
Credit Card E-commerce Transactions.
17 3. E-commerce Digital Payment Systems in the B2C Arena. 1
4. B2B Payment Systems.
18 5. Case Study: CheckFree-On Top of Electronic Billing, for Now. 1
19 E-commerce Marketing Concepts. 1
1. Opening Case: MyPoints.com: Loyalty and Brands.
2. Consumers Online: The Internet Audience and Consumer Behavior.
20 3. Basic Marketing Concepts. 1
4. Internet Marketing Technologies.
5. B2C and B2B E-commerce Marketing and Branding Strategies.
21 6. Online Marketing Research: Knowing Your Customer. 1
7. Case Study: America Online.
22 E-commerce Marketing Communications. 1
1. Opening Case: NextCard-Effective Impressions.
2. Online Consumer Marketing Communications.
23 3. Understanding the Costs and Benefits of Online Marketing 1
Communications.
4. The Website as a Marketing Communications Tool.
24 5. Case Study: Ad Bombs, Ambush Marketing, and Other Invasive Marketing. 1
25 Social, Legal and Ethical Issues in E-commerce. 1
1. Opening Case: Hacker to the Slammer-Piracy and Free Speech.
2. Understanding Ethical, Social, and Political Issues in E-commerce.

26 3. Privacy and Information Rights. 1

4. Intellectual Property Rights.
5. Governance.
27 6. Public Safety and Welfare. 1
7. Case Study: There's a Hailstorm in Your Future.
28 Retailing on the Web. 1
1. Opening Case: Wal-Mart Moves Online.
2. The Retail Sector.
29 1. Analyzing the Viability of Online Firms. 1
2. E-commerce in Action: A Look at Four E-tailing Business Models.
30 3. Some Common Themes in E-commerce II Online Retailing. 1
4. Case Study: L.L.Bean-Webward Bound.
31 Online Service Industries. 1
1. Opening Case: One by Net, Two by Land-Netbank Expands.
2. The Service Sector: Offline and Online.
32 3. Online Financial Services. 1
4. Online Travel Services.
33 5. Career Services. 1
6. Case Study: Why WebVan Failed (and Britain's Tesco Succeeded).
34 B2B E-commerce Supply Chain Management and Collaborative Commerce. 1
1. Opening Case: Covisint LLC-The Mother of all Net Marketplaces.
2. B2B E-commerce and Supply Chain Management.
35 3. Net Marketplaces. 1
4. Private Industrial Networks.
5. Case Study: Siemens Clicks with Click2procure.
 36 EDI, Electronic Commerce and the Internet 2
1. Traditional EDI System
2. Financial EDI
37 3. EDI Systems and the Internet 2
4. Effect of EDI-Internet Applications on the Accounting Profession.
38 Auctions, Portals and Communities. 1
1. Opening Case: Sam's Club: From Big Box to Big Auction.
2. Auctions.
39 3. E-commerce Portals. 1
4. Online E-commerce Communities.
5. Case Study: iVillage Struggles to Find Its Marketspace.
40 Online Content Providers: Digital Media. 1
1. Online Content.
2. The Online Publishing Industry: Newspapers, Books, and Magazines.
41 3. The Online Entertainment Industry. 1
4. Case Study: Oligopoly: The Future of the Digital Content Industry?
42 Risk of Insecure Systems 2
1. Internet-Associated Risks
2. Intranet-Associated Risks
43 3. Risk Associated with Business Transaction Data 2
4. Archival, Master file and Reference Data
44-45 Risk Management 2
1. Control Weakness versus Control Risk
2. Risk Management Paradigm
3. Disaster Recovery Plan
Recommended Text:

1. Kenneth C. Laudon, Carol GuercioTraver (latest edition), E-Commerce: Business Technology, Society, Pearson
Education
2. Marilyn Greenstein, Miklos Vasarhelyi (2nd Edition), Electronic Commerce: Security, Risk Management, and
Control

Teaching Methods/Class Activities

Students should actively engage in the learning process and in putting concepts learnt into practice through
action learning, lectures, and readings learning modes:

A. LecturesClass sessions will involve lectures, video shows, case studies, assignments, quizzes, discussions
and debates, and presentations of related topics and current issues related to course contents.
B. ReadingsThis is the responsibility of all students. Students should read the relevant chapters of the
textbook, materials, and information on indicated websites before class. They should be prepared to raise
questions and arguments in class on related topics in the class schedule.

STUDENT EVALUATIONS & GRADES

TheBreak up of marks and final grade is based Final Grade Grade Mark
upon:
Mid-Term Exam 30% A+ 90-100
Final Exam 50% A 80-89
Sessionals 20% B+ 75-79
Total 100% B 70-74
B 65-69
C+ 60-64
C 50-59
F Below 50