International issues of the design and usage of websites for e-commerce Hotel and airline examples_2008_Journal of Engineering and Technology Management精编.pdfVIP

Available online at J. Eng. Technol. Manage. 25 (2008) 93–111 /locate/jengtecman International issues of the design and usage of websites for e-commerce: Hotel and airline examples Terri R. Lituchy a,*, Roberta Ann Barra b a John Molson School of Business, Concordia University, 1455 de Maisonneuve Boulevard West, Montreal, QC H3G 1M8, Canada b College of Business and Economics, University of Hawai’i at Hilo, United States Available online 14 March 2008 Abstract Technology has globalized businesses. International business is difficult due to differences in languages and cultures. In terms of technology, in some countries, it is difficult to get data; while in others, data is input in different ways. This paper examines how international differences affect website design, implementation and usage. We analyze websites of airlines and hotels. While some websites take into consideration language and culture differences, we find significant room for improvement in both industries. We found support for localization strategy in marketing, communication and transactions. Theoretical and practical implications, including language translators, currency converters and pull-down fields, are discussed. # 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. JEL classification: M10; M15; M16; O14 Keywords: E-commerce; International business; Airline industry; Websites 1. Introduction 1.1. International issues of e-commerce websites Reich (2000) asserted that technology is driving globalization. Andy Grove of Intel predicted that in the next few years all companies will be e-commerce or they won’t be in business anymore (Business Week, 2003). Although some