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Chapter 1 Introduction to e-business and e-commerce 41

Table 1.5 The application of the 7S strategic framework to e-business and e-commerce management

Element of 7S model Relevance to Internet marketing capability Key issues
Strategy The contribution of e-business and • Gaining appropriate budgets and
e-commerce in influencing and supporting demonstrating/delivering value and ROI
organizations’ strategy (return on investment) from budgets. Annual
planning approach
• Techniques for using e-commerce to impact
organization strategy
• Techniques for aligning e-commerce
strategy with organizational and marketing
strategy
Structure The modification of organizational structure • Integration of e-commerce/IT team with
to support e-business other management, marketing (corporate
communications, brand marketing, direct
marketing) and operations staff
• Use of cross-functional teams and steering
groups
• Insourcing vs outsourcing
Systems The development of specific processes, • Managing/sharing customer and supply
procedures or information systems to chain information
support e-business • Integration of the web into marketing
campaign planning
• Managing content quality for different
audiences
• Unified reporting of e-commerce
effectiveness
• In-house vs external best-of-breed vs
external integrated technology solutions
Staff The breakdown of staff in terms of their • Insourcing vs outsourcing
background, age and sex and characteristics • Achieving senior management
such as IT vs marketing, use of contractors/ buy-in/involvement with digital marketing
consultants • Staff recruitment and retention
• Virtual working
• Staff development and training
Style Includes both the way in which key managers • Relates to role of the e-business team in

behave in achieving the organization’s goals influencing strategy – is it dynamic and
and the cultural style of the organization as influential or conservative and looking for
a whole a voice?
Skills Distinctive capabilities of key staff, but can • Staff skills in specific areas: supplier
be interpreted as specific skill-sets of team selection, project management, content
members management, specific e-marketing
approaches (search engine marketing,
affiliate marketing, e-mail marketing, online
advertising) and supply chain management
Superordinate goals The guiding concepts of the organization • Improving the perception of the importance
which are also part of shared values and and effectiveness of the digital marketing
culture. The internal and external perception team amongst senior managers and staff it
of these goals may vary works with (marketing generalists and IT)