Journal of Management
Volume: 30 issue: 5, October 1, 2004, page(s): 569-589

 Eonsoo Kim, Dae-Il Nam, J. L. Stimpert
Eonsoo Kim Department of Management, Korea University, 5-1 Anam-dong Sungbuk-ku, Seoul, 136-701, South Korea ,
Dae-Il Nam LG Economic Research Institute, LG Twin Towers, East Tower 33rd Floor, 20, Yoido-dong Youngdungpo-gu, Seoul, 150-721, South Korea ,
J. L. Stimpert Department of Economics and Business, Colorado College, 14 East Cache La Poudre Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80903, USALStimpert@ColoradoCollege.edu

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jm.2003.12.001

Abstract
Because current management theories evolved in the context of brick-and-mortar firms, this paper examines three key questions raised by the advent of e-business: (1) Will the strategy types found among e-business firms resemble Porter’s (1980) generic strategies? (2) Will we find performance differences among e-business firms pursuing different types of strategies? (3) Will we find differences in the strategy-performance relationships of pure online firms (pure plays) and firms with both online and offline operations (clicks-and-bricks)? We conclude that integrated strategies that combine elements of cost leadership and differentiation will outperform cost leadership or differentiation strategies. We also argue that, regardless of business strategy type, clicks-and-bricks firms that closely integrate their on-and offline operations will enjoy performance advantages over their pure play counterparts.