diplomski rad (stručni)
The Application of E-commerce in Europe: Empirical Research on the Customer’s Adaptation to Online Shopping in the Croatian Market
Sažetak
E-commerce can be easily defined as a set of activities which include buying and selling products and services on the Internet. This term further elaborates on the different practices of doing online business and present major business models as a standard for connecting buyers and sellers. As the term became essential practice for opening the doors of doing business on a global scale, a lot of companies changed their business models in order to adapt and benefit from its advantages. However, a lot of countries and businesses are still having a hard time making a transition due to disadvantages like reliability, security, and country development stage.
As globalization opens different possibilities in doing business between countries and the creation of multinational corporations, sellers and buyers are more than ever free to take advantage of online market exponential growth. Moreover, cultural differences are the factor that may either contribute or deter from the international sales deals; especially in diverse market as Europe. It is up for buyers and sellers to figure out the best possible business practices for each individual country and culture.
This thesis paper will deal with comparison of e-commerce practices in different regions and countries in order to understand consumer behavior and attitudes toward buying products and services online. Accordingly, a survey will be conducted in the Croatian market analyzing different factors of engaging in e-commerce activities in terms of attitude toward customer behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control.
Ključne riječi
e-commerce, e-business, online shopping, internet, consumer behavior, Croatia, the theory of planned behavior, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control