The location problem in electronic business: evidence from exploratory research

Information systems open up a broad range of possibilities for new forms of organization and electronic business on a global scale. Traditional organizational boundaries are dissolving and new organizational forms are emerging. Business "any time and any place" often seems to be the logical consequence. The gradual dissolution of temporal and spatial constraints in business processes, however, paradoxically shows a gaining importance of location in many fields. Even in electronic business, the decision of "where?" might be of central importance. The paper discusses the new role of "place" in electronic business. Based on the outcome of organization and location theory, on the one hand, and empirical research in 28 electronic business pilots, on the other hand, the paper will show that location does not by any means lose its importance in electronic business. The role of location, however, has to be redefined in organization as well as location theory.