Examine the strategic and ethical implications of ecommerce in an organization of your choice.

E-commerce refers to the exchange of products and services over computer networks, electronic platforms, and the internet. This analysis looks at how 3M conducts business-to-business and consumer-to-consumer transactions through e-commerce done wisely and morally. A global leader in innovation with headquarters in the USA, 3M is well-known for its iconic sticky notes. 3M is a diversified manufacturer of goods across many industries, producing everything from abrasives to aerospace and aircraft maintenance products. It generates approximately $30 billion in annual global sales and employs 88,000 people across more than 65 nations.

In business, "strategy" refers to the choices an organisation has made in pursuit of its corporate goals. Inge Thulin, the CEO of 3M, was influenced by the potential of e-commerce to increase the company's relevance to customers and establish a presence in the market. 3M invested $20 million to reorganise its information systems in order to implement e-commerce. The ability for 3M to support users from all of its strategic business units, partners, and clients as well as integrate data from hundreds of systems globally is one advantage of this strategic investment.

Through its extensive network of e-commerce websites, 3M can now better connect with wholesalers, distributors, agents, retailers, and individual customers thanks to the new platform. However, e-commerce has drawbacks, including high setup costs and ongoing maintenance costs due to the rapid advancement of technology. E-commerce has strategic implications for external stakeholders, including 3M's commercial clients, in terms of better stock management and order personalization. The ability for corporate clients to track their stock orders would allow them to In 2006, 3M was looking into more affordable and automated ways for its salespeople to take orders and send real-time reporting to the company's headquarters. With the help of Microsoft Gold Certified Partner and e-commerce software company Ignify, 3M quickly launched a B2B online ordering portal. The Ignify e-commerce portal from 3M pushes data to sales representatives so they can access almost real-time stock levels. This helps 3M because the shipment time is shortened, which boosts customer satisfaction and lowers overhead expenses. E-commerce enables internal stakeholders, such as 3M's staff members who work in sales, to break free from a rigid hierarchical reporting structure. Instead, in order to provide superior customer service, staff can start using cross-functional remote teams. Teams made up of personnel from the R&D, marketing, sales, and production departments concentrate on new product and market opportunities. The goal of 3M's corporate Six Sigma strategy is to introduce almost no defects by the end of the current year. Customers benefit from 3M's high-quality products as a result. The fact that 3M depends on a third party to maintain and update its database and e-commerce systems, however, raises questions about security and privacy. This brings up the ethical question. Business ethics are the moral standards and guidelines that guide employees' conduct. 3M adheres to all relevant privacy and data protection laws with its Global Internet Privacy Policy. The advantages of acting ethically include gaining the trust of the brand's customers. Problems with business partners and other external stakeholders who provide 3M with their personal information are also possible.

As a result, internal stakeholders at 3M are compelled to be transparent about the company's information practises, making information available to interested parties and enhancing information flow to the general public, according to Kimberly Foster Price, Senior Vice President of Corporate Communications. For instance, the corporate website of 3M published such policies. Julie Bushman, Senior Vice President of IT, is also accountable for ensuring the security of sensitive client data. To send private data over the internet, 3M employs Secure Socket Layer technology.

As part of its business strategy, 3M pays close attention to promoting its company and brand through e-commerce while also acting morally.

Despite some difficulties with maintaining internet security and the costs associated with routine network upgrades, 3M anticipates that its online sales will continue to grow, particularly as an increasing number of both corporate clients and consumers now place the majority of their orders online.

Students must demonstrate a thorough understanding of the ideas and material that are pertinent to the title question, according to the examiners. The terms "strategy" and "ethics" were defined in this essay, and terms like "e-commerce," "B2B," "internal stakeholders," and "stock control" were used appropriately. This is one of this essay's strong points.

This essay's use of concrete examples that were connected to 3M was another strength. Not only was there good application, but the essay's use of examples was also backed up by persuasive arguments.

By clearly identifying which particular stakeholders (from both the individual and group perspectives) were being discussed, this candidate assisted the examiner. The CEO was mentioned, albeit briefly, as a stakeholder, and the impact on a group of stakeholders, such as customers, could have been further developed by the candidate as a basis for a fair assessment.