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The Emergence of Business-to-Consumer E-Commerce

New Niche Formation, Creative Destruction, and Contingency Perspectives

North Dakota State University, Fargo

Muhammad Islam

North Dakota State University, Fargo

Nongkran Lertpittayapoom

Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand

This study examines the emergence of business-to-consumer (B2C) e-commerce from new niche formation, creative destruction, and contingency perspectives. Based on multiretail-sector data, this study supports the contingency perspective. The findings suggest that in digitally related sectors, B2C e-commerce has emerged through a creative destruction process whereby B2C e-commerce expands at the expense of traditional retailing; thus, addressing the e-commerce trend becomes traditional firms’ strategic imperative. Conversely, in digitally unrelated sectors, B2C e-commerce has emerged through a new niche formation process whereby B2C e-commerce coexists with traditional retailing; thus, embracing the e-commerce trend becomes the traditional firms’ strategic choice.

Key Words: E-commerce • organization form • new niche formation • creative destruction • contingency theory

This version was published on November 1, 2009

Journal of Leadership & Organizational Studies, Vol. 16, No. 2, 131-140 (2009)
DOI: 10.1177/1548051809338054


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