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Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Economic and Business Aspects of Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2023) | Viewed by 13975

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Shiu-Li Huang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Business Administration, National Taipei University, New Taipei City 237303, Taiwan
Interests: electronic commerce; information management; online marketing; sharing economy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We cordially invite you to contribute a paper to be included in the Special Issue “Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research” of the journal Sustainability.

E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods or services via the Internet. As e-commerce has continued to grow, many environmental and social concerns have arisen. For instance, e-commerce packaging uses materials that are harmful to the environment and contributes huge amounts of waste; the logistics (e.g., the last-mile delivery) generates air and noise pollution; online data transmission and storage pose new challenges for privacy protection and security; and the combination of new business models and an unclear legal environment can result in labor rights violations. Besides having to ensure economic performance, e-commerce managers must take into account the natural environment and society, and must know how to implement sustainable practices. Moreover, marketers must know how to leverage online channels to communicate with and provide value to consumers in order to achieve long-term wellbeing for all while balancing short-term profit maximization. Marketers can influence consumers and can help manage brands and product offerings in a more sustainable manner. The aim of this Special Issue of the journal is to provide researchers with a platform on which to discuss sustainability issues in the context of e-commerce and online marketing in order to help e-commerce managers and marketers work in a sustainable manner.

For this Special Issue, we welcome the submission of original research articles and reviews. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Sustainable marketplaces;
  • Sustainable packaging;
  • Sustainable supply chains and logistics;
  • Sustainable shopping: helping customers shop sustainably;
  • The impact of sustainability efforts on firm performance;
  • The impact of sustainability efforts on consumer attitudes and behaviors;
  • Incorporating sustainability into e-commerce/online marketing;
  • The environmental and societal impacts of e-commerce/online marketing;
  • Sustainable practices adopted by e-commerce companies;
  • Sustainable consumer behavior;
  • Solutions that can reduce over-consumption;
  • Sustainable business models;
  • The sharing economy;
  • Platform cooperatives.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Logistics.   

Prof. Dr. Shiu-Li Huang
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • sustainable e-commerce
  • sustainable online marketing
  • sustainable marketplaces
  • sustainable packaging
  • sustainable supply chains and logistics
  • sustainable business models
  • sustainable shopping
  • sustainable consumer behavior

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 1095 KiB  
Article
Digital Inclusivity: Advancing Accessible Tourism via Sustainable E-Commerce and Marketing Strategies
by Giannis Theofanous, Alkis Thrassou and Naziyet Uzunboylu
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1680; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041680 - 19 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1235
Abstract
In the fast-paced digital economy, stakeholders across regions, industries and organisational typologies are recognising the growing significance of adopting customer-centric digital strategies. Inexorably, this necessitates the comprehension of consumer behaviours across a diverse customer spectrum, including individuals with disabilities (PwD). In this context, [...] Read more.
In the fast-paced digital economy, stakeholders across regions, industries and organisational typologies are recognising the growing significance of adopting customer-centric digital strategies. Inexorably, this necessitates the comprehension of consumer behaviours across a diverse customer spectrum, including individuals with disabilities (PwD). In this context, the present expert-driven conceptual research examines tourism digital sustainability and inclusion and elucidates the role of tourism e-commerce platforms in promoting a barrier-free digital environment for PwD and creating a more inclusive and sustainable online marketing landscape. The findings highlight the need for ongoing evaluation and improvement of the user experience to achieve satisfaction, loyalty and stakeholder engagement, as well as the factors in need of consideration towards a barrier-free and sustainable e-commerce environment. Further research could explore the assessment of the framework presented here in a practical context towards implementation to uncover its strengths and limitations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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25 pages, 4669 KiB  
Article
Digital and Sustainable (Twin) Transformations: A Case of SMEs in the European Union
by Aurelija Burinskienė and Jolanta Nalivaikė
Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1533; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041533 - 11 Feb 2024
Viewed by 1062
Abstract
In the European Digital Decade 2030 Policy Program, the following guidelines for European digital transformation are named, which means that more than 90% of small- and medium-sized companies reach at least a basic level of digital intensity. In addition to that, the European [...] Read more.
In the European Digital Decade 2030 Policy Program, the following guidelines for European digital transformation are named, which means that more than 90% of small- and medium-sized companies reach at least a basic level of digital intensity. In addition to that, the European Commission pays a lot of attention to implementing the “Green Deal” in order to achieve less environmental impact. ICT SMEs already play a key role in Europe’s green and digital transformation, creating technologies that promote sustainability and strengthen Europe’s position. The limited and fragmented application of today’s digital and sustainable technologies in SMEs is observed at the EU level. The bibliometric literature analytical results show that the number of papers on the digital direction is five times higher than on the sustainable direction topic. The paper seeks to identify directions that could help SMEs to speed up this twin transformation in each EU country. The authors proposed a two-stage methodology, which is used for researching twin transformations in SMEs. According to the methodology, first, the authors analysed the indicators of EU-27 SMEs, representing their activity towards the twin transformation, comparing them among other size classes. The results show that the SME’s numbers in the 16 indicators area are worse than the numbers characterizing EU-27 enterprises, having more than ten employees. In addition, a multi-criteria decision making-based assessment framework was constructed to show the progress towards the twin transition. The provided research shows which areas require more attention from SMEs and policy makers responding to the twin transformation objectives. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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14 pages, 1692 KiB  
Article
Multidimensional Evaluation of Consumers’ Shopping Risks under Live-Streaming Commerce
by Hongbo Li, Zhenzhen Wang, Zhijie Yuan and Xin Yan
Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14060; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914060 - 22 Sep 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1333
Abstract
As a new e-commerce model, live-streaming commerce enhances consumers’ shopping experiences by providing deeply involved online interaction. However, in live-streaming commerce, consumers are also faced with many shopping risks, such as fake products, poor after-sales service, etc. Therefore, we propose an analysis framework [...] Read more.
As a new e-commerce model, live-streaming commerce enhances consumers’ shopping experiences by providing deeply involved online interaction. However, in live-streaming commerce, consumers are also faced with many shopping risks, such as fake products, poor after-sales service, etc. Therefore, we propose an analysis framework to evaluate consumers’ shopping risks on live-streaming commerce platforms. In our framework, we first construct a multidimensional consumer shopping risk evaluation index system by considering different stakeholders involved in live-streaming commerce. Then, we assess consumer shopping risks based on an intuitionistic fuzzy analytic hierarchy process and cloud model. Our framework is applied to evaluate consumers’ shopping risks on four typical live streaming commerce platforms in China, i.e., Taobao, Douyin, Kuaishou, and JD.com. Our research results provide decision support for different parties involved in live-streaming commerce and thus promote the sustainable development of the live-streaming commerce industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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21 pages, 3274 KiB  
Article
To Green or Not to Green: The E-Commerce-Delivery Question
by Rafael Villa, Marta Serrano, Tomás García and Gema González
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12161; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612161 - 09 Aug 2023
Viewed by 2100
Abstract
In an era in which e-commerce has become an integral facet of our lives, the delivery process has evolved into a vital part of online shopping. As the sole tangible interaction in an otherwise digital undertaking, it forms a decisive aspect of consumers’ [...] Read more.
In an era in which e-commerce has become an integral facet of our lives, the delivery process has evolved into a vital part of online shopping. As the sole tangible interaction in an otherwise digital undertaking, it forms a decisive aspect of consumers’ e-commerce experience. In the face of the ever-growing prevalence of e-commerce, the ecological footprint left by delivery practices has emerged as a pressing concern. This focus is attributed not only to the environmental externalities resulting from e-commerce delivery but also due to the system’s inherent inefficiencies. As the primary beneficiaries of e-commerce, consumers form a pivotal force in driving sustainable delivery initiatives. This study embarks on an exploration of consumers’ attitudes toward environmentally friendly e-commerce-delivery practices. We aim to investigate whether consumers are willing to bear additional costs for assured green deliveries and identify which sustainable practices they perceive as most effective. A survey was conducted among e-commerce users to show their readiness to incur higher costs for green delivery and accept delayed deliveries if they supported sustainability. However, our findings reveal a conflicting scenario. While consumers display a readiness to opt for green deliveries, the price and speed of delivery emerged as more critical considerations. This study also uncovers significant discrepancies in attitudes towards green delivery based on demographic factors, such as gender and generation. Utilizing multivariate logistic regression, the study outlines the main factors that predict a willingness to pay for guaranteed green delivery. This study’s findings stress the need to balance the drive for speed and cost-effectiveness in e-commerce delivery with the urgency to adopt sustainable practices. It underscores the necessity for e-commerce platforms and logistics partners to take the lead in crafting and implementing innovative green delivery solutions while educating and incentivizing consumers to choose sustainable delivery options. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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21 pages, 792 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting the Implementation of Online Food Delivery and Its Impact on Restaurant Performance during the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Shiu-Li Huang and Huei-Ru Siao
Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12147; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612147 - 08 Aug 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3556
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants implemented online food delivery (OFD) platforms to serve customers. However, it remains unclear how restaurant managers decide to implement OFD and whether or not the implementation can improve performance. We view OFD implementation as a form of [...] Read more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many restaurants implemented online food delivery (OFD) platforms to serve customers. However, it remains unclear how restaurant managers decide to implement OFD and whether or not the implementation can improve performance. We view OFD implementation as a form of service innovation. This study investigates and explains the reasons why restaurants implemented an OFD platform during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the impact of that implementation on restaurant performance, based on service innovation theory. An internet survey was conducted to collect data from restaurant owners or managers to test the proposed research model. The results show that the perceived benefit of increasing the firm’s reach is the key driver of OFD implementation, and the implementation has a positive impact on both financial and non-financial performance. A follow-up interview was also conducted to obtain the opinions of industry experts, who explained the phenomena. The research findings can advance our understanding of how restaurant managers decide to innovate by implementing OFD services and help them better understand whether and how the implementation of this service can actually improve performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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23 pages, 1270 KiB  
Article
A Multi-Criteria Decision-Making Framework for Sustainable Supplier Selection in the Circular Economy and Industry 4.0 Era
by Ziyuan Xie, Guixian Tian and Yongchao Tao
Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16809; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416809 - 14 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2790
Abstract
Supplier selection is a difficult and important issue in sustainable supply chain management. This research proposes a managerial framework based on Industry 4.0, a plan for evaluating and choosing sustainable suppliers to implement circular economy practices. Green supplier selection (GSS), the circular economy, [...] Read more.
Supplier selection is a difficult and important issue in sustainable supply chain management. This research proposes a managerial framework based on Industry 4.0, a plan for evaluating and choosing sustainable suppliers to implement circular economy practices. Green supplier selection (GSS), the circular economy, and Industry 4.0 have become hot topics in recent operations management discussions. Three main categories (e.g., economic, environmental, and social) and 16 subcategories related to supplier selection decisions were identified using a hybrid approach combining literature reviews and industry expert opinions. In the fuzzy environment of Pythagorean, this paper proposes comprehensive techniques for the selection of green suppliers based on entropy, stepwise weighted assessment ratio analysis (SWARA), and complex proportional assessment (COPRAS) methods. To calculate the standard weight, this technique first merges the objective weight found by the entropy method and the subjective weight found by the SWARA method. The findings show that access to finance and financial availability for implementing Industry 4.0 within the circular economy (ECO5) and R&D in environmental issues using Industry 4.0 technologies (ENV7), Information technology (IT) facilities (ECO6), and Product cost/price (ECO1) showed highest ranking among sub-criteria. Moreover, Supplier 5 was listed as the best sustainable supplier when they started making such a decision. The results of the proposed method help decision-makers make effective and efficient sustainable supplier selection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable E-commerce and Online Marketing Research)
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