Editorial
e-commerce
E-commerce
comes in from the cold
Something seems to be happening to the reputation of e-commerce. All talk of it appeared
to have been banned following the collapse of the dotcom boom, but, just recently, it looks
like employers are starting to speak its name again. david Williams investigates.
omething seems to be happening to more demand for help with e-related projects,” job titles. For MBAs wanting to move into an
S
the reputation of e-commerce. All says Carol Rue, director of personal and career entrepreneurial organization, such as a fresh web
talk of it appeared to have been development at Warwick Business School, consultancy, this might be a great opportunity.
banned following the collapse of the “for example, in building e-procurement At the corporate level, there’s less change going
dotcom boom, but, just recently, it systems or developing strategies for liaising on. E-commerce skills and knowledge have
looks like employers are starting to speak its name with suppliers. And it is not just project work, become yet another vital requirement in any
again. David Williams investigates. we are also seeing outsourcing and partnering senior marketing position.”
You might not have heard much about organizations offering career positions.” “I think that the term e-commerce is quite
e-commerce over the last few years. There must “There’s something of a split in the market loose,” argues Chris Higgins, senior associate
have been plenty of people working in the field between the small and large companies,” director in the MBA career management team
as it has obviously been growing from strength to comments Monica Piercy, head of careers at Wharton, University of Pennsylvania, “and
strength; it was just when recruiters responded to service at Imperial College, Tanaka Business perhaps even old-fashioned in that it is
the annual QS Top MBA Recruitment and Salary School, London. “At the SME level there associated with selling goods online in the style
survey they weren’t ticking the box to say that they appears to be a greater appetite for e-commerce of Amazon or Walmart. It may be that the
had any vacancies in the area. meaning of the term is being
But this has changed in the stretched to include the
last year or so. The 2008 survey internet or software services
shows that 13% of responding companies, such as the likes of
employers are now offering Google, who have certainly
opportunities to MBAs in this been hiring MBAs recently.”
field. This takes e-commerce
higher than every other function New dotcom boom
except consultancy and finance, So what is going on? It is
even taking it up to levels which unlikely that large proportions
haven’t been seen since the height of MBA graduates are suddenly
of the dotcom boom in 1999. being taken in to e-commerce.
Yet speak to careers specialists If this were happening, more
at top international schools and top business schools would
the picture is more mixed. Some h a v e s e e n t h e s a m e
schools such as Audencia Ecole phenomenon, and Wharton
de Management, Nantes, Cass for example is only reporting
Business School, London, and that three or four per cent of its
London Business School report graduates from the last two
that they have seen no change in years have gone to work in
demand from e-commerce, while internet services. Instead, it
others have detected a definite may be that e-commerce is
increase in interest. simply losing its negative
“We are certainly seeing association with the dotcom
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MBA_SPR09_pp_001-051.indd 21 17/2/09 15:47:54
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