Applying-Stabell-and-Fjeldstad’s-value-configurations-to-E-commerce-A-cross-case-analysis-of-UK-comparison-websites_2009_The-Journal-of-Strategic-Information-Systems.pdf

Journal of Strategic Information Systems 18 (2009) 192–204 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Strategic Information Systems journal homepage: /locate/jsis Applying Stabell and Fjeldstad’s value configurations to E-commerce: A cross-case analysis of UK comparison websites Des Laffey a,*, Anthony Gandy b,1 a Kent Business School, University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7PE, United Kingdom b ifs School of Finance, 8th Floor, Peninsula House, 36 Monument Street, London EC3R 8LJ, United Kingdom a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t Article history: This paper analyses the comparison website sector in the UK using what Stabell and Fjelds- Received 5 March 2009 tad (1998) term the three generic value configurations: the value chain, the value shop and Received in revised form 18 October 2009 value network. Drawing on secondary material and case studies from the United Kingdom, Accepted 18 October 2009 the key finding is that these frameworks all offer partial explanations of value creation in Available online 5 November 2009 comparison websites. An amended version of the value chain termed the click chain, out- lined by Laffey (2009), is most effective in explaining the source of online traffic for com- Keywords: parison websites and in explaining their costs and revenues. This is an important finding as Comparison websites the literature has identified the value chain as being