Chapter 5: B2B E-Commerce Diffusion: The Efficacy of Institutional Discourse

Kim Virborg Andersen
Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

Helle Zinner Henriksen
Copenhagen Business School, Denmark

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Abstract

The chapter explores the role of institutional discourse on B2B e-commerce diffusion. Using the case of EDI in the Danish business environment, the analysis demonstrates a lack of active industry involvement and severe implications of the absence of large users in the policy forum for the national EDI-strategy. Government branches and business associations formulated by and large the visions and strategies without direct involvement of the successful EDI-players or companies that were the intended adopters. As a possible consequence, the EDI diffusion has evolved by the same companies exchanging still more messages and type of documents whereas the number of new companies adopting EDI has been fairly limited. The policy implications of the Danish EDI-case could be to have a more focused involvement of intended adopters of similar and future technologies that has high policy saliency.