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文献信息：文献标题：E-BusinessintheAgriculturalInputIndustries（电子商务对农业投入产业的影响）国外作者：JayT.Akridge文献出处：《ReviewofAgriculturalEconomics》,2003,25(1):3-13字数统计：英文1764单词，10292字符；中文2952汉字外文文献：E-BusinessintheAgriculturalInputIndustriesAvarietyoffactorsarecreatingpressureforincreaseduseofinformationtechnologiesande-businessconceptsintheagriculturalinputindustries.Understandingwhereinformationtechnologyande-businessconceptswilladdvaluetothedistributionchannelsforagriculturalinputsrequiresanunderstandingoftheneedsofthetwoprimaryagentsinthechannel:agriculturalproducersandmanufacturers.Inthispaper,aframeworkforunderstandingthechangesinformationtechnologyande-businessmaybringtothedistributionchannelisdeveloped.Inaddition,someoftheattitudesofmanagerstowarde-businessandtheimpactsofinformationtechnologiesfortheagriculturalinputsindustriesareconsidered.Thefocusofthispaperistheimpactofe-businessontheagriculturalinputindustries.Threeobjectivesarepursued.First,thekeydriverssettingthestagefore-businessinagriculturalinputmarketsarehighlighted.Thereareimportantchangestakingplaceinthesemarketsthatmakethemreceptivetodevelopmentsine-businessande-commerce.Second,thispaperpresentsaframeworkforunderstandinghowthechangestakingplaceintheinputsectorasaresultofinformationtechnologywillimpactthedistributionofagriculturalinputs.Finally,someimplicationsofexpandinguseofinformationtechnologiesande-businessconceptsfortheagriculturalinputdistributionchannelsaredeveloped.ForcesofChangeinAgriculturalInputMarketsThereareseveralforcesbringingaboutchangeintheagriculturalinputmarkets.Becausethecustomerbaseofagriculturalinputmarketsisveryfragmented,increasinglythereisawiderangeofagriculturalproducerrequirementswithrespecttoproducts,services,andinformationacrossthedifferentinputmarkets.Theserequirementsarerelatedtothesizeofthefarmoperation,theintensityofuseofmanagementtoolsandprocesses,andthevaluestructureofindividualfarmoperators.Thisfragmentationhasforcedinputsupplierstoconsiderabroadrangeofalternativesfordistributingproductstoproducers,andhasledtoprovidingtailoredvaluebundlesindividualizedsetsofproducts,services,andinformationtofittheneedsofindividualproducersorsegmentsofproducers.Escalatingcustomerexpectationshaveincreasedperformancestandardsthatinputsuppliershavetomeet.Partoftheincreaseinexpectationsisrelatedtothesizeoffarmingoperations?largerfarmingoperationstypicallydemandhigherlevelsofperformance.Themoreintenseuseofmanagementtoolsandprocessesbyfarmbusinessmanagersplaysanimportantroleinhigherperformancestandards.Manyproducersfaceintenseprofitpressureinthemarketplace,forcingthemtoreconsiderandreevaluateeverypartoftheirbusinessoperation,includingthevaluebundlesthatinputsuppliersprovide.Thedemandforconvenienceinthesupplier?producerrelationshipisanexampleofincreasingperformancestandards.In1998,theCenterforFoodandAgriculturalBusinessatPurdueUniversityconductedasurveyof1,700commercialfarmoperators.Thesurveyaskedfarmerstoevaluatetheiruseoftimespentonpurchasingfarminputs.Theresultssuggestthatpurchasingfarminginputsisbecomingmoretime-consuming,particularlyforfarmoperatorswithmorethan$500,000inannualgrossfarmincome.Fromtheinputsupplier’sperspective,therefore,thereisarealopportunitytobringfarmersbusinesssolutionsthathelpsimplifytheirexternalbusinessrelationships.Thegoalwouldbetoreducefarmers’timecommittedtoinputpurchasingactivitieswhilemeetinganescalatingstandardofperformance.Thedevelopmentandintroductionofnewinformationmanagementtechnologiesisanotherforcechanginginputindustries.Informationtechnologies,suchastheInternet,haveexpandedmanagers’capabilitiesandarefundamentallychangingmanagementpractices,takingproducts,services,and,mostimportantly,informationdirectlytoproducers.Newwaysofacquiringdataarereadilyavailable.Newwaysofcommunicatingwithsuppliersandotherproducersofferthepotentialtochangeexistingmarketrelationshipsandcreatenewones.Thefinalfactordrivingchangeinagriculturalinputmarketsconsideredhereistheintensecompetitiverivalrythatexistsinthesemarkets.Inputsuppliersareengagedinabattleformarketshareingenerallyslow-growingmarkets.Competitionwithotherfirmsforthevolumelargerproducers’offerhasforcedindustryfirmstoreevaluateallphasesoftheirbusinessstrategyinordertomaintainmarketshare.Inaddition,pressureforacceptableratesofreturnfrominvestorshaspromptedmostagriculturalsupplierstolookforwaystobemoreefficientandmoreeffective.Allthesefactorshavecontributedtotheinterestinnewdistributionoptions.AModelofDistributionDecisionsHowcane-businessconceptsandinformationtechnologyaffectthefutureconfigurationofthedistributionchannelsforagriculturalinputs?Andhowcanproducts,services,andinformationflowthroughthesenewand/ormodifiedchannels?Toanswerthesequestions,itisimportanttounderstandthefundamentaleconomicsofthechannel.Theimpactofgettingcaughtupintheeuphoriathatcharacterizede-businessforseveralyearshasbecomepainfullyapparent.Thereisatendencytoframetheinputmarketplacethroughthelensofhighlyvisiblee-businesses,suchasAmazon.Whilee-retailisabusinessmodelthatmayfindaplaceintheagriculturalinputmarkets,