An Empirical Investigation of Demand Integration in E-Business Environments From Chinese Practices

To meet the needs of increasing customization, it is better for organization to shift focus on demand-driven point of view. However the role of e-business in this trend is realized remains unclear. Based on process performance of e-business processes, this paper presents two models: supply driven model and demand driven model. Drawing from a sample in China, this paper provides a comparison analysis of e-business net-value structure to illustrate the role of e-business in improving demand integration. Strong evidence shows that companies with high e- business level are good at demand chain management (DCM) and lean to demand integration. The results of this study will help managers understand the importance of e-business in improving responses to the needs of market and customers.