E-Business

Objectives

• Learn how the Internet has transformed the company, the business and understand the challenges of electronic commerce.
• Explore how web marketing fits into a general business strategy and discuss the technologies, opportunities, and plans for online marketing.
• Learn to use available marketing tools to acquire and retain customers.

Learning outcomes

• RA1. Be able to handle complex situations or those that require the development of new solutions both in the academic, or professional field within their field of study.
• RA2. Show adequate technological skills to achieve required work.
• RA3. Have a range of knowledge that allows you to develop your work in a humanistic and technological way.
• RA4. Acquire the technical knowledge to evaluate and generate results from your activity.
• RA5. Fully understand oral and written messages of different types expressed in their own languages and in English.
• RA6. Adequately use oral language (verbal and non-verbal) in personal and professional interaction in Catalan, Spanish and English.
• RA7. Be able to generate global strategies and apply them to local markets, achieving the generation of global marketing concepts.

Competencies

General skills

• Be a skilful innovator and entrepreneur.
• Be able to communicate orally and in the languages of the community.
• Be able to use English effectively for academic and professional purposes.
• Be environmentally and socially aware at work.
• Be skilled at adapting to new situations.
• Have an ethical commitment at work, with respect for democratic principles and values.

Specific skills

• Be able to apply market research theory and instruments to implement business strategies.
• Be able to critically evaluate business situations, and manage an organisation effectively and efficiently.
• Be able to define and implement strategies and business models with intensive ICT use, and in particular the internet, social networks and e-business systems.
• Be able to devise and implement business initiatives in global markets.

Content

1. Introduction to the course
2. eBusiness and eCommerce - Origin and basic concepts
3. Databases
4. The digitalisation, uses and areas of electronic commerce
5. Management of digital platforms
6. Crowds and communities
7. Customer loyalty, social purchase, coupons and channel creation
8. Typology of business activity and specific legislation
9. The digital decentralisation revolution: Blockchain
10. Cloud Computing & Big Data
11. Artificial Intelligence & Data Sciences
12. Digital tools for managing a business & Databases

Evaluation

The evaluation of the subject aims to measure the degree of global learning achieved by the student. Specifically, the assessment consists of:

• 15%: Active participation 
• 20%: Tasks 
• 30%: Exam 
• 25%: Final project 
• 10%: Project presentation 

Methodology

The method of study of the subject requires the student to attend class consistently, where the general framework and the essential aspects of each subject are taught to the whole class and in small groups. In the class sessions the teacher explains the theoretical knowledge of each of the different topics, during these sessions the teacher creates a set of questions associated to the theory to check students' knowledge. In the sessions of directed work, a company or organisation is analysed in order to complement and reinforce the knowledge of the session. The student selects one of these organisations with the help of the teacher, to analyse, apply the theory learnt and present their conclusions to the class.

The subject, in spite of having a crucial theoretical part in order for the basic concepts to be acquired correctly, is mainly a very practical subject that is taught face-to-face.

In the study plan of the subject the student can find the specific activities of each week detailing what is done in the class sessions, the hours of directed work and personal self-study.

Bibliography

Bibliography

• Meier, A., Stormer, H. (2009). eBusiness and eCommerce. Springer.

Reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.