PhD Literature Review Abstract


Frank Hogan

This paper discusses the results of the e-business literature review taxonomy 
set out as part of the requirement for the first year PhD. The paper includes a 
review on current material and a variety of references on topics including 
everything from A-Z under the e-business umbrella. This paper also provides 
an overall view of the e-business developments from a small to medium sized 
enterprise perspective. 

The second part of the review focuses on the e-business transformation and 
the e-transformation process. The sequence of e-transformation includes 
various models as well as the tools to apply these models in aiding the SMEs 
while IT enabling their organizations. These models are highlighted with 
various supporting tools including CBEADS.

CBEADS is an industry (Component Based E Application Deployment Shell) 
authored by a development team at the University of Western Sydney (School 
of Computing & IT).  
CBEADS is a technology and a discipline for effective e-business 
transformation as well as the name of the group of specialist and individuals 
participating in this initiative. CBEADS is designed to eliminate present SME 
software shortcomings by facilitating new application development for 
organizations in their e transformations. This software will be used in a case 
study with an SME as part of the PhD research. 

Consequently, the literature review would than prepare a complete picture of 
e-business in an attempt to research, target, and explore a new vein of 
technology to be identified for the PhD thesis. Once identified this research 
will focus on theoretical and an empirical inquiry of the topic chosen.

In addition, more specifically the PhD research would then involve the 
analysis derived from the empirical results, the comparison with other studies 
and the re-examination of initial theoretical bases and assumptions. This 
would be concluded with a synthesis of the theoretical, technological and 
methodological contribution formulating the thesis.