英语翻译
EmergenceofElectronicSingle-SourceSalesChannels
Theemergenceofelectronicsingle-sourcesaleschannelscanpresentlybeobservedwithinindustryandiswelldescribedinthepopularbusinesspressandtradejournals.Little,however,isbeingreportedwithregardtothelargerpictureofthedevelopments,i.e.,theoverallexpansionofelectronicmarkets.Wewouldliketoofferseveralexplanations:
1.Impactofinterorganizationalvaluechains.Firmsreadilyenvisionopportunitiesinelectronicinterorganizationalvaluechainsforimprovingtheirrespectivecompetitiveness.Thustheychoosehierarchicalarrangementsratherthanlowercostmarkettransactionswithlesscontrolofthefactorsnotedabove.Inanefforttointegratesupplychainselectronically,buyer-supplierlinkssuchaselectronicdataintegrationtransactionsproduceinventoryandcoordinationsavingsforlargepurchasersandthesuppliers,inturn,areforcedtoaccommodate.Well-knownexamplesdepictingthisdevelopmentcanbefoundwithWal-Mart'ssupplychain,aswellasintherelationshipwithautomanufacturersandtheirsuppliers.Single-sourcesaleschannelsfortravelagenciessuchasRosenbluthTravelhaveexpandedtheirbusinessthroughagencypartnershipsincountrieswheretheyshareacommonprocessanddatabasefortrackingcustomersaroundtheworld.InthisfashionRosenbluthcanprovidethemwiththelowestpricesandemergencyservices(Milleretal.,1993).Thistravelagencythenisanexampleofthelastevolutionarystagepredictedforelectronicsingle-sourcesaleschannels,ashareddatabasebetweenpartners.
2.Fearofprofitmargindeterioration.Firmscanbeexpectedtobeverycautiousaboutgivinguptheirsingle-sourcesaleschannelprofitmargins,atleastuntilavirtualmarkethasclearlybeencreatedwithenoughparticipantstoforcetheirentry.Thisisespeciallythecasewhenanoligopolyofrelativelylargefirmscontrolsamarketinwhicheachwouldrisksizablemarketshareandprofitmargininanelectronicmarket.Inthecaseofelectronicmarketsfortravelreservationsystems,thereisevidencethattheprofitsofformersaleschannels(theairlines)aredrasticallyreduced,whiletheprofitsofthemarketmaker(e.g.,SAB