Developments in information and communication technology are radically changing the ways in which businesses operate and compete in today's global marketplace. This course provides an overview over e-business from a managerial perspective and introduces students to the relevant concepts, models, and strategic issues that are important for businesses that operate in the online environment.

The course includes three interrelated blocks of topics. The first block introduces the electronic marketplace. In particular, it outlines the high relevance and presents fundamental concepts (e.g., business models). The second part addresses digitization, which makes an electronic marketplace possible in the first place. This session addresses the advantages of digitization (e.g., automatic recommendations) and its challenges (e.g., gigantic amounts of data). The unit mainly deals with changes in search costs, marginal costs, and assortments due to digitization. The final block examines how the traditional marketing mix fits into a digital environment. In particular, we will discuss the product, price, promotion, and distribution management in an online marketplace.

The aim of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the impacts that e-business is having on markets, business models, and a firm's marketing activities.

The objectives of the course are:

• To provide you with an understanding of the core concepts, technologies, and business models in the electronic marketplace
• To sensitize you to changes in consumer behavior in the online environment
• To enable you to critically evaluate different ways for firms to adapt their marketing strategies in an increasingly digitized world
• To deepen your knowledge of empirical research methods and train your ability to analyze consumer behavior empirically
• To provide you with the foundations to design an online business and motivate you to think “digitally”
• It encourages debating and accelerates information extraction based on scientific work

Attendance of the weekly session at the indicated times is compulsory. If the situation permits, it will be in the classroom. The students are allowed to miss only one (1) session. Otherwise, teaching will be online via Zoom. In case of technical difficulties, students can make up for a missed lesson by sending proof of the technical issue (e.g. screenshots) and preparing a written elaboration on the material discussed, including an applied example. 

The course is taught using a combination of interactive lectures, class discussions, and case analyses. In addition, it comprises asynchronous materials (e.g., pre-recorded videos) as well as synchronous teaching elements (e.g., web streaming, chats, Q&A sessions). Students are required to familiarize themselves with some content by going through the asynchronous materials on their own. The synchronous teaching elements, such as in-class lectures or live-streaming sessions, provide ample opportunities to ask questions and clarify points that require further discussion.

Grading is based on the following components:

• Theoretical assignments (45%)
• Exams (45%)
• Class participation (individual; quantity & quality of contributions during the sessions) (10%)

In the course of Theoretical assignments, scientific articles have to be read and questions about them have to be answered. In addition, there is one exam that covers all three chapters (The Electronic Market Place, Digitization, Marketing Mix). In addition, 10 percent are assigned based on the cooperation in the course of the lectures. These grading components will be weighted with the respective weights to arrive at the final grade percentage. To successfully pass this course, your weighted final grade needs to exceed 60%.

I am happy to answer your questions, so feel free to send me a short email. I will also try to be available before and after each session or during the breaks of each session.