An investigation into differences in the business practices of information industries

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Nezlek, George S. | Hidding, Gezinus J.

Affiliations: Loyola University Chicago, 820 N. Michigan Avenue 25 EP 1415, Chicago, IL 60611, USA, Tel.: +1 312 915 7057; Fax: +1 312 915 6432; E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]

Abstract: Products consisting solely of information (that which is recorded about something) are information products. Organizations or business units that produce and/or sell only information are information-only businesses. Information Industries consist of organizations that produce and/or sell information products. The explosive growth of e-commerce and the Internet serves as notice that the Information Age is rapidly emerging as reality rather than conjecture, but research into the business practices of organizations that make up Information Industries is scant at best. Information Age firms are clearly distinguishable from their predecessors, but appropriate techniques for managing them successfully may not be so obvious. An economic-theory based view of information products provides a logical starting point for the study of the differences in business practices of Information firms. This paper presents an evolving, coherent research agenda for the study of business practices in Information Industries, and summarizes the results of the first stage of the implementation of that agenda.

Keywords: E-commerce, information industries, business practices, strategy theory, information economics

DOI: 10.3233/HSM-2001-20201

Journal: Human Systems Management, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 71-81, 2001