Examination Of Infomediary Roles In B2C E-Commerce

Author: 

Prashant C. Palvia
Fergle D’Aubeterre

Abstract: 

This article provides a parsimonious research model that assists in the study of infomediary roles in B2C E-Commerce, their level of integration and sophistication, and their impact on infomediary performance and customers’ satisfaction. After an extensive literature review, discovery, facilitation, and support roles were identified as the main roles that infomediaries perform in the B2C e-commerce arena. Based on a sample of 150 infomediaries from three industries namely automobile, retail, and travel, four hypotheses related to the research model were tested. Results suggest that infomediaries with high integration and sophistication level are found in the retail industry. In addition, not all infomediary roles exhibit the same level of integration and sophistication across the three selected industries.

Key Word: 

Published Date: 

November, 2007

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