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B2Be-marketplace:ane-marketingframeworkforB2BcommercePurpose–Thepurposeofthispaperistoprovideaclearunderstandingoftheperformanceofbusiness-to-business(B2B)e-marketplaceinconductinge-marketingintheglobalbusinessenvironment.TheproposedframeworkisintendedtobeusedasaguideforB2Bfirmsespeciallysmallandmediumsizedenterprises(SMEs)whowishtoadoptaproactiveapproachintheuseofinformationandcommunicationtechnologyforbusinessefficiencyandcompetitiveadvantage,andthosewhowishtoexploretheinternettechnologiesformarketingactivities.Design/methodology/approach–LiteraturefromtheB2Be-marketplacesandoperationsofe-marketingfieldswereanalysed,andthefindingsweresynthesisedtodevelopapreliminaryconceptualmodelofe-marketing.TheconceptualmodelwastestedempiricallythroughanonlinesurveyfromvariousindustriesinChina,Malaysia,andSingapore.Findings–Withsignificantonlineandofflinepublicationsfrombothacademiaandindustry,thereisagrowingawarenessofthecontributionofthee-marketingintheglobalenvironment.Thisnewmarketingparadigmisreportedtoreshapethebusinessrelationshipsbetweenbothconsumermarketersandconsumers,improvingbusinessprocessesandenhancingthebusinessexposureinthenewmarkets.Researchlimitations/implications–Themajorlimitationofthispaperisassociatedwiththesampleselection.Althoughtheliteraturefindingswereinternational,theempiricalstudywasrestrictedtoChina,Malaysia,andSingapore.Therefore,thegeneralizabilityoftheresultsmaynotbeapplicableforothercountries.Furthermore,themajorityoftherespondentsparticipatedwereSMEs.Hence,theapplicabilityoffindingstolarge-scaleorganisationsmaybelimited.Practicalimplications–TheframeworkallowsB2Bfirmstocapitaliseandunderstandthee-marketingopportunitiesprovidedbyB2Be-marketplace.TheframeworkalsooffersguidancetomarketingmanagersamostappropriateapproachtoadoptB2Be-marketplacetoperformtheire-marketingactivities.Originality/value–Basedontheneedforaframeworkfore-marketing,thisstudyissignificanceto:SMEs,marketers,informationtechnologypractitioners,andallotherstakeholdersthatadoptedtheinternetandotherelectronicmeansformarketingpurposes.BackgroundThedevelopmentoftheinternetandtheworldwideweb()inthe1990sasatoolfortheglobalsharingofinformationhasopenedupnewopportunitiesinmarketingpractices.“Therapidgrowthofinternetusershasmadetheinternetanincreasinglyimportantandattractiveplatformforbusinesstransactions”AccordingtotheInternetWorldStats(2007),byMarch2008,theinternetuserpopulationreached1.40billionsworldwide,anincreaseof290percentintheperiodfrom2000to2008(Figure1).Manyacademicsandpractitionershaveemphasizedthattheinternetisamajorplatformfore-marketingtodealwithmarketingmixes,whichincludeglobalaccessibility(Laudon,2002),convenienceinupdating(SandeepandSingh,2005),real-timeinformationservices(Harridge-March,2004),interactivecommunicationsfeatures(Chaffey,2004),anduniquecustomisationandpersonalisedcapabilities(TeoandTan,2002).Additionally,e-marketingalsoreferstotheuseofelectronicmethodsormediatobuilduponandmaintaincustomerrelationshipthroughelectronicplatforms(e.g.business-to-business(B2B)e-marketplaces)thatfacilitatestheexchangeofideas,products,andservicestosatisfybothbuyersandsellers.StraussandFrost(2001)supporttheabovestatementandsuggestedthat,sales,publicrelations,directmarketing,andadvertisingaremarketingcommunicationthatcomprisesthecrucialcomponentsofe-marketingstrategy.B2Be-marketplace,asoneofthemajortradingplatformsbroughtbytheinternettechnologyhasmadeasignificantcontributiontothee-marketers.Thelargerorganisationsaretakingadvantagesfromthevastarrayofsuppliers/buyersviatheB2Be-marketplace(StockdaleandStanding,2004).However,smallandmediumsizedenterprises(SMEs)arealsoeagertocompeteintheelectronicenvironmentremainconcernsashowtheirbusinessescangainbenefitsfromB2Be-marketplace.Withsignificantonlineandofflinepublicationsfrombothacademiaandindustrythereisagrowingawarenessofthecontributionofthee-marketingintheglobalenvironment.Nonetheless,thereislimitationonhowtoexploretheopportunitiesforSMEsinbenefitingfromtheemergente-marketingpractices,derivefromtheB2Be-marketplace.Reviewofe-marketingperformancesinB2Be-marketplaceTheinternetisthefoundationforB2Bcommercethatprovidesthetechnologyandplatformtoenablethisbusinessrelationshipsworkeffectively.B2Btransactionsoverpublicandprivatesectorsusestheinternetasadeliveryvehiclefortransactionsincluding;financialtransfer,on-lineexchanges,auctions,deliveryofproducts,andservices(O’ReilyandFinnegan,2007).ManypractitionersarepredictingB2BcommerceisexpectedtohaveamassivegrowthandmajorityoftheorganisationswillhavetogiveconsiderationtoinvolvewithB2Bcommerce.ReferringtoFigure5,B2Bconsistsofthreemainelementsandthee-marketplaceperformsthemaintaskssuchassourcing,automatedpurchasing,processingtofacilitatethesellersandbuyerstodobusinesstransactions.LaudonandLaudon(2000)statedthatB2Be-marketplacereferstotheexchangeofinformation,products,services,andpaymentviatheinternetbetweenbuyersandsellers.B2Be-marketplacesaretypicallydefinedasinter-organisationalISthroughwhichmultiplebuyersandsellersinteractelectronicallytoi