three design principles for strongestrong-commerce curricular initiatives.docVIP

Three Design Principles for e-Commerce Curricular Initiatives Bradley C. Wheeler, Kelley School of Business, Indiana University, bwheeler@ Abstract University educators, particularly those in schools of business, face a dilemma in adapting their curriculum to e-commerce. Some schools have created new degree programs while others have opted to infuse existing courses with e-Commerce topics. Given the strong demand for e-Commerce education among students and industry, balancing speed with a strong end state plan is necessary for effective curricular change. This essay overviews the main issues in steering these changes. Introduction If you were to tour one of Ford’s manufacturing facilities, it is unlikely that any executive would boast that she has an “electric” factory complete with lights, electric motors, and electric production machines. It is assumed and self-evident that Ford makes use of electricity and would pass without mention. Thus is the dilemma for developing an e-Commerce (or e-Business) curriculum in schools of business. Reasonable minds can agree that the pervasiveness of digital networks and the favorable economics of using them for commerce are unstoppable. As early as 2003 or as late as 2010 they will be metaphorically the “electricity” described in the prior example. The absence of modern degree programs in “Electric Manufacturing” gives us a signal regarding the likely end state of e-business evolution. The objective of this essay is to overview some of the main issues in designing and executing an e-business curricular revision within schools of business. I argue that three principles should guide the infusion of “e” into the business curriculum: 1. Design for the end state 2. Design for speed 3. Design for an evergreen evolution over time While these principles seem rather simple, executing them in the political systems that comprise curricular revision is not. In the sections that follow, I will examine the operationalization of each principle