IMS5007 Electronic commerce - Semester 2 , 2007

Unit leader :

Julie Fisher

Lecturer(s) :

Caulfield

  • Julie Fisher

Tutors(s) :

Caulfield

  • Dora Constantinidis
  • Ambica Dattakumar

Introduction

Welcome to IMS5007 Electronic Commerce for Semester 2, 2007. This 6 point post graduate unit is offered as part of the Master of Information Management and Systems. It is designed to provide students with an understanding and appreciation of the major issues facing management in implementing electronic commerce.  The unit explores a range of issues relating to electronic commerce and electronically is this. The unit emphasises business and management considerations when dealing with electronic commerce technologies and applications

Unit synopsis

This unit will involve the study of the main theoretical and practical issues of e-commerce, its policies and management, and the particular problems of implementing and managing e-commerce systems.

Through a series of lectures, seminar discussions, case studies and guest speaker presentations the unit will focus on examining some of the ways in which e-commerce technologies are currently being used to improve organisational performance and relationship with customers and clients. The focus will embrace public and not for profit sectors as well as the commercial sector. Topics will include: the changing nature of electronic commerce; the main technologies used for e-commerce, electronic data interchange and electronic payment systems; emerging theories, frameworks and models for understanding e-commerce; organisational and inter-organisational impacts of e-commerce technologies (; formulation of e-commerce strategy and the development of an implementation plan: business and management issues associated with e-commerce, including organisational communication and structure; security; legal/taxation; and ethical/privacy issues.

Learning outcomes

Have knowledge and an understanding of:

C1. The theories and principles of e-commerce

C2. The main technologies which enable and support the practice of e-commerce

C3. The economic and Information Systems theories on which the concepts of e-commerce are based

C4. The meaning and nature of e-commerce and the "new economy" in the private, public and not-for-profit sectors

C5. Changes to the management of business functions and processes as a result of new e-commerce capabilities, particularly those functions/processes related to customer relationships and supply chains

C6. Other corporate and social impacts of e-commerce

C7. Strategies used by organizations to maximise the benefit of new and emerging e-commerce technologies

Attitudes, Values and Beliefs

A1. Recognition of the sometimes conflicting demands of stakeholders involved in the introduction of e-commerce systems and technologies

A2. Recognition of the possibilities of strategic gain from e-commerce systems and technologies and the challenge of maintaining competitive and cooperative relationships concurrently

Practical Skills

P1. Applying economic and e-business theory to the practice of e-commerce

P2. Applying a range of strategy formulation tools and techniques to e-commerce strategy formulation

P3. Selection of appropriate e-commerce strategies for a variety of real-world situations, and delineation of the implementation issues that will need to be addressed by these strategies

Relationships, Communication and TeamWork

R1. Students will have enhanced team work skill.

Workload

Students are expected to spend approximately 12 hours per week throughout the semester on this unit.  For on-campus students, the workload commitments as follows:

  • two-hour lecture and
  • one-hour tutorial (requiring advanced preparation of a least two hours per week)
  • minimum of two to three hours of personal study
  • you will need to allocate up to five hours per week and some weeks for assignment preparation and tutorial work

Unit relationships

Prerequisites

Before attempting this unit you must have satisfactorily completed

24 credit points of IMS9000-level units, or equivalent; or 24 credit points of graduate level units in the Master of Information Management and Systems, Master of Information Management and Systems (Professional), Master of Information Technology or the Master of Business Systems, or equivalent; or an approved undergraduate degree in information systems (IS) or information management (IM) or equivalent.

Relationships

IMS5007 is a core unit of the MIMS and MIMS Pro degrees.

You may not study this unit and IMS3280, SYS3280, SYS3290, SYS4280, SYS4290, BUS5020, GCO2803 in your degree.

Continuous improvement

Monash is committed to ‘Excellence in education' and strives for the highest possible quality in teaching and learning. To monitor how successful we are in providing quality teaching and learning Monash regularly seeks feedback from students, employers and staff. Two of the formal ways that you are invited to provide feedback are through Unit Evaluations and through Monquest Teaching Evaluations.

One of the key formal ways students have to provide feedback is through Unit Evaluation Surveys. It is Monash policy for every unit offered to be evaluated each year. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the surveys as they are an important avenue for students to "have their say". The feedback is anonymous and provides the Faculty with evidence of aspects that students are satisfied and areas for improvement.

Student Evaluations

The Faculty of IT administers the Unit Evaluation surveys online through the my.monash portal, although for some smaller classes there may be alternative evaluations conducted in class.

If you wish to view how previous students rated this unit, please go to http://www.monash.edu.au/unit-evaluation-reports/

Over the past few years the Faculty of Information Technology has made a number of improvements to its courses as a result of unit evaluation feedback. Some of these include systematic analysis and planning of unit improvements, and consistent assignment return guidelines.

Monquest Teaching Evaluation surveys may be used by some of your academic staff this semester. They are administered by the Centre for Higher Education Quality (CHEQ) and may be completed in class with a facilitator or on-line through the my.monash portal. The data provided to lecturers is completely anonymous. Monquest surveys provide academic staff with evidence of the effectiveness of their teaching and identify areas for improvement. Individual Monquest reports are confidential, however, you can see the summary results of Monquest evaluations for 2006 at http://www.adm.monash.edu.au/cheq/evaluations/monquest/profiles/index.html

Unit staff - contact details

Unit leader

Associate Professor Julie Fisher
Associate Professor
Phone +61 3 990 32621
Fax +61 3 99031077

Contact hours : Monday 5-7pm

Lecturer(s) :

Associate Professor Julie Fisher
Associate Professor
Phone +61 3 990 32621
Fax +61 3 99031077

Tutor(s) :

Miss Ambica Dattakumar
Dr Dora Constantinidis

Teaching and learning method

The teaching and learning to this unit will primarily occur during lectures and tutorials.  Students will be expected to have completed the pre-reading which will be made available on the library website. Students will be expected to contribute to discussions during lectures and tutorials. Case study material will be an important component of the study.  It is also expected that students will learn from the inputs of others.

Communication, participation and feedback

Monash aims to provide a learning environment in which students receive a range of ongoing feedback throughout their studies. You will receive feedback on your work and progress in this unit. This may take the form of group feedback, individual feedback, peer feedback, self-comparison, verbal and written feedback, discussions (on line and in class) as well as more formal feedback related to assignment marks and grades. You are encouraged to draw on a variety of feedback to enhance your learning.

It is essential that you take action immediately if you realise that you have a problem that is affecting your study. Semesters are short, so we can help you best if you let us know as soon as problems arise. Regardless of whether the problem is related directly to your progress in the unit, if it is likely to interfere with your progress you should discuss it with your lecturer or a Community Service counsellor as soon as possible.

Unit Schedule

Week Topic Key dates
1 Introduction to IMS5007 and Overview of E-Commerce No tutorial in week 1
2 E-commerce Business ModelsĀ Formation of groups. Rep/pres topics assigned
3 E-commerce business strategy  
4 E-commerce applications and infrastructure  
5 Value creation, marketing, sales and promotion Critical Essay due for submission
6 Business approaches to e-commerce and website management  
7 Electronic payment systems  
8 E-commerce implementation  
9 Other technologies - no formal lecture, online hosted discussion Online discussion, no lecture
10 E-Commerce Security Assignment presentations start
Mid semester break
11 Mobile commerce  
12 Legal and ethical issues in e-business Major Report due for submission
13 Revision  

Unit Resources

Prescribed text(s) and readings

Jelassi, T. and Enders, A. (2005). Strategies for e-business: Creating value through electronic and mobile commerce. Prentice Hall, Edinburgh, UK. ISBN no 0273688405Text books are available from the Monash University Book Shops. Availability from other suppliers cannot be assured. The Bookshop orders texts in specifically for this unit. You are advised to purchase your text book early.

Recommended text(s) and readings

McKay, J. & Marshall, P. (2004). Strategic Management of E-Commerce. Wiley.

Turban, E., King, D., Lee, J.K., and Viehland, D. (2003). Electronic Commerce: A Managerial Perspective (3rd ed.). Prentice Hall, New Jersey, ISBN no 0130094935.

Required software and/or hardware

No specific software requirements except for wordprocessing, presentation software and internet-based software to access the library resources

Equipment and consumables required or provided

Students may use the facilities available in the computing labs. Information about computer use for students is available from the ITS Student Resource Guide in the Monash University Handbook.

Study resources

Study resources we will provide for your study are:

The unit website, the library's collection and online databases

Library access

The Monash University Library site contains details about borrowing rights and catalogue searching. To learn more about the library and the various resources available, please go to http://www.lib.monash.edu.au.  Be sure to obtain a copy of the Library Guide, and if necessary, the instructions for remote access from the library website.

Monash University Studies Online (MUSO)

All unit and lecture materials are available through the MUSO (Monash University Studies Online) site. You can access this site by going to:

  1. a) https://muso.monash.edu.au or
  2. b) via the portal (http://my.monash.edu.au).

Click on the Study and enrolment tab, then the MUSO hyperlink.

In order for your MUSO unit(s) to function correctly, your computer needs to be correctly configured.

For example :

  • MUSO supported browser
  • Supported Java runtime environment

For more information, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/downloadables-student.html

You can contact the MUSO Support by: Phone: (+61 3) 9903 1268

For further contact information including operational hours, please visit

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/students/contact.html

Further information can be obtained from the MUSO support site:

http://www.monash.edu.au/muso/support/index.html

Assessment

Unit assessment policy

The unit is assessed with five non-exam assessment tasks and a three hour closed book examination. To pass the unit you must:

  • attempt all non-exam assessments and the examination
  • achieve no less that 40% of the possible marks in the exam
  • achieve no less than 40% of the possible marks for the non-exam assessments components combined
  • achieve no less than 50% of the possible combined marks

The maximum mark possible if all requirements are not met is 44 N.

Assignment tasks

  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Assignment 1 Critical Essay
    Description :
    Students will critically discuss e-commerce maturity models
    Weighting :
    15%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Students are to demonstrate they understand how to read and critically evaluate a paper.
    Due date :
    Week 5
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Assignment 2 E-Commerce management
    Description :

    This is a group assignment and will require students putting into practice theories covered during lectures

    Weighting :
    20%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Due date :
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Presentation
    Description :
    Students will present the outcome of their assignment to their tutorial group
    Weighting :
    5%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Due date :
    Beginning week 10
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Discussion Participation
    Description :
    Students are expected to attend and participate in tutorials which will be case based
    Weighting :
    10%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Due date :
    On going
  • Assignment Task
    Title :
    Hosted online discussion
    Description :
    Students will in pairs select one of a list of technologies and host a discussion about the use and implications of the technology for business. Students will be expected to participate in discussions hosted by other groups
    Weighting :
    10%
    Criteria for assessment :
    Online discussion is well researched and in sufficient depth to be meaningful
    Due date :
    Week 9

Examinations

  • Examination
    Weighting :
    40%
    Length :
    3 hours
    Type ( open/closed book ) :
    closed book

Assignment submission

Assignments will be submitted by paper submission to your tutor. On-campus Students Submit the assignment directly to their tutor during their tutorial of the submission week, with the appropriate cover sheet correctly filled out.

Assignment coversheets

Assignment cover sheets must be attached to all submissions. They are available in the unit's MUSO site.

University and Faculty policy on assessment

Due dates and extensions

The due dates for the submission of assignments are given in the previous section. Please make every effort to submit work by the due dates. It is your responsibility to structure your study program around assignment deadlines, family, work and other commitments. Factors such as normal work pressures, vacations, etc. are seldom regarded as appropriate reasons for granting extensions. Students are advised to NOT assume that granting of an extension is a matter of course.

Late assignment

Late assignments submitted without an approved extension may be accepted (up to one week late) at the discretion of your lecturer, but will be penalised at the rate of 10% of total assignment marks per day (including weekends). Example:
  • Total marks available for the assignment = 100 marks
  • Marks received for the assignment = 70 marks
  • Marks deducted for 2 days late submission (20% of 100) = 20 marks
  • Final mark received for assignment = 50 marks

Return dates

Students can expect assignments to be returned within two weeks of the submission date or after receipt, whichever is later.

Assessment for the unit as a whole is in accordance with the provisions of the Monash University Education Policy at:

http://www.policy.monash.edu/policy-bank/academic/education/assessment/

We will aim to have assignment results made available to you within three weeks after assignment receipt.

Plagiarism, cheating and collusion

Plagiarism and cheating are regarded as very serious offences. In cases where cheating  has been confirmed, students have been severely penalised, from losing all marks for an assignment, to facing disciplinary action at the Faculty level. While we would wish that all our students adhere to sound ethical conduct and honesty, I will ask you to acquaint yourself with Student Rights and Responsibilities (http://www.infotech.monash.edu.au/about/committees-groups/facboard/policies/studrights.html) and the Faculty regulations that apply to students detected cheating as these will be applied in all detected cases.

In this University, cheating means seeking to obtain an unfair advantage in any examination or any other written or practical work to be submitted or completed by a student for assessment. It includes the use, or attempted use, of any means to gain an unfair advantage for any assessable work in the unit, where the means is contrary to the instructions for such work. 

When you submit an individual assessment item, such as a program, a report, an essay, assignment or other piece of work, under your name you are understood to be stating that this is your own work. If a submission is identical with, or similar to, someone else's work, an assumption of cheating may arise. If you are planning on working with another student, it is acceptable to undertake research together, and discuss problems, but it is not acceptable to jointly develop or share solutions unless this is specified by your lecturer. 

Intentionally providing students with your solutions to assignments is classified as "assisting to cheat" and students who do this may be subject to disciplinary action. You should take reasonable care that your solution is not accidentally or deliberately obtained by other students. For example, do not leave copies of your work in progress on the hard drives of shared computers, and do not show your work to other students. If you believe this may have happened, please be sure to contact your lecturer as soon as possible.

Cheating also includes taking into an examination any material contrary to the regulations, including any bilingual dictionary, whether or not with the intention of using it to obtain an advantage.

Plagiarism involves the false representation of another person's ideas, or findings, as your own by either copying material or paraphrasing without citing sources. It is both professional and ethical to reference clearly the ideas and information that you have used from another writer. If the source is not identified, then you have plagiarised work of the other author. Plagiarism is a form of dishonesty that is insulting to the reader and grossly unfair to your student colleagues.

Register of counselling about plagiarism

The university requires faculties to keep a simple and confidential register to record counselling to students about plagiarism (e.g. warnings). The register is accessible to Associate Deans Teaching (or nominees) and, where requested, students concerned have access to their own details in the register. The register is to serve as a record of counselling about the nature of plagiarism, not as a record of allegations; and no provision of appeals in relation to the register is necessary or applicable.

Non-discriminatory language

The Faculty of Information Technology is committed to the use of non-discriminatory language in all forms of communication. Discriminatory language is that which refers in abusive terms to gender, race, age, sexual orientation, citizenship or nationality, ethnic or language background, physical or mental ability, or political or religious views, or which stereotypes groups in an adverse manner. This is not meant to preclude or inhibit legitimate academic debate on any issue; however, the language used in such debate should be non-discriminatory and sensitive to these matters. It is important to avoid the use of discriminatory language in your communications and written work. The most common form of discriminatory language in academic work tends to be in the area of gender inclusiveness. You are, therefore, requested to check for this and to ensure your work and communications are non-discriminatory in all respects.

Students with disabilities

Students with disabilities that may disadvantage them in assessment should seek advice from one of the following before completing assessment tasks and examinations:

Deferred assessment and special consideration

Deferred assessment (not to be confused with an extension for submission of an assignment) may be granted in cases of extenuating personal circumstances such as serious personal illness or bereavement. Special consideration in the awarding of grades is also possible in some circumstances. Information and forms for Special Consideration and deferred assessment applications are available at http://www.monash.edu.au/exams/special-consideration.html. Contact the Faculty's Student Services staff at your campus for further information and advice.