Strategic E-Commerce Analysis: De Montfort University Expansion

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of De Montfort University's strategy to expand its international distance learning programs. It includes a SWOT analysis identifying the university's strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the e-learning market. The report also applies Porter's Five Forces model to assess the competitive landscape. Furthermore, it sets objectives for the university, defines critical success factors and key performance indicators, and suggests strategies to address cultural and trust issues through website design and online communication tools. The analysis aims to provide actionable recommendations for De Montfort University to enhance its e-commerce presence and attract more international students.

Running head: E COMMERCE SYSTEM
E Commerce System
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

1E COMMERCE SYSTEM
Table of Contents
1.0 Introduction................................................................................................................................2
2.0 Part 1..........................................................................................................................................2
2.1 SWOT Analysis.....................................................................................................................2
2.1.1 Strengths.........................................................................................................................2
2.1.2 Weaknesses.....................................................................................................................3
2.1.3 Opportunities..................................................................................................................3
2.1.4 Threats............................................................................................................................3
2.2 SWOT Diagram.....................................................................................................................4
2.3 Summary of Findings............................................................................................................4
2.4 Recommendation...................................................................................................................5
3.0 Part 2..........................................................................................................................................6
3.1 Porters Competitive Forces Model........................................................................................6
3.2 Set of Objectives....................................................................................................................7
3.3 Identification of Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicator to Measure
Objectives....................................................................................................................................7
4.0 Part 3..........................................................................................................................................8
4.1 Suggestions to Address Culture and Trust Issues and Use of Online Communication.........8
4.1.1 Use of Website to Address Cultural and Trust Issue......................................................8
4.1.2 Use of Online Communication Tools.............................................................................9
5.0 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................9
Reference List................................................................................................................................11

2E COMMERCE SYSTEM
1.0 Introduction
E-Commerce can be defined as any kind of business transaction, which includes sharing
of information through internet (Wang, Wang and Liu 2016). This study is concerned about De
Montfort University, which is willing to increase its distance learning programs in more numbers
of international countries. The study will undertake SWOT analysis and Porter’s Five Force
analysis for assessing the scope of the university to increase its distance learning market in e-
Learning industry. The study will also set some objectives for the university and measure these
objectives with critical success factors and key performance indicators. Furthermore, the study
will suggest the website design of the University for addressing culture and trust issue and online
communication tools for reaching potential target audiences.
2.0 Part 1
2.1 SWOT Analysis
2.1.1 Strengths
De Montfort University has high level of academic reputation to both national as well as
international students. The quality of education and academic reputation of the university will
help it in attracting the international students to adopt their distance learning courses (Chang
2016). Furthermore, the diversity of educational programs offered by the university will
definitely meet the every academic need of the international students (Bystrova et al. 2015).
Apart from that, the university has adopted advanced technology, which will definitely help it in
offering distance learning education to the internationals students.

3E COMMERCE SYSTEM
2.1.2 Weaknesses
De Montfort University is being affected by having limited resources for effective faculty
and staff development. Moreover, the faculties and professors are often incapable of changing
their teaching pattern with the changing dynamics of higher education. Apart from that, the
university is going to face high level of competition in the international distance learning market.
2.1.3 Opportunities
The academic reputation of De Montfort University in the international countries can
help it to gain success in international distance learning education market. Increased inclination
of international students to have distance education will help the university to gather more
numbers of international students for its distance learning model (Dmu.ac.uk 2018).
Furthermore, global technological development can assist the university to provide effective
distance learning education to the international students.
2.1.4 Threats
Economic uncertainty of the developing countries can hamper the financial ability of the
international students to pursue foreign distance learning courses. Apart from that, the negative
perception of the students regarding foreign distance learning mode can hamper the success of
the university in international distance learning market (De-Marcos et al. 2014).

4E COMMERCE SYSTEM
Strength
Academic Reputation
Diverse Academic Course
Advanced Technology
Weakness
Ineffective faculty development
Competitive Pressure
Opportunity
Reputation in Global Market
Inclination towards Distance Learning
Global Technological Development
Threats
Economic Uncertainty
Negative Perception for Foreign Distance Learning Course
HarmfulHelpful
Internal External
2.2 SWOT Diagram
Figure 1: SWOT of De Montfort University
(Source: Arkorful and Abaidoo 2015)
2.3 Summary of Findings
The high level of national and international academic reputation of De Montfort
University can help it in gaining international success in the field of distance learning mode. The
international students can avail high quality of education and diverse educational programs
through the distance learning courses of this university. Hence, the university will be highly
capable of attracting huge numbers of international students to pursue its distance learning
courses. Furthermore, the university is equipped with highly advanced and modern technology,
which can definitely help it in offering effective distance learning courses to the international

5E COMMERCE SYSTEM
students. However, the faculties of the university are often incapable of changing their
educational pattern as per the changing dynamics of educational syllabus. On the other hand, the
university can also face high level of competitive pressure in the international distance learning
market from the reputed university.
The global technological development can help the university to get easy access to the
international students and provide them excellent distance learning programs. Furthermore, the
global academic reputation can help the university to easily capture the international market for
distance learning programs. Over the world, most of the international students are highly inclined
to have a foreign university degree beyond their national university degree. Such tendencies of
the international students can help the university to attract them easily for pursuing distance
learning programs. However, the negative perception of some international students to have
foreign distance learning course can hamper the success of the university in their field of
distance learning programs.
2.4 Recommendation
 De Montfort University should adopt effective training program for developing the
teaching pattern of the faculties as per changing educational pattern
 It should provide diverse and high quality education for gaining competitive advantage
over the rivals
 The university should offer affordable distance learning programs for the students with
economic uncertainty
 It should build proper virtual faculty student relationship for gaining the trust of the
international students over distance learning

6E COMMERCE SYSTEM

7E COMMERCE SYSTEM
3.0 Part 2
3.1 Porters Competitive Forces Model
Porter’s Five Force for e-Commerce/E-learning
THREATS OF
NEW
ENTRANTS
 The new-entrants can face extreme challenges in providing
comprehensive e-learning solution in e-learning industry
 The new universities often face huge pressure from the reputed e-
learning providing universities like De Montfort University
 Less threats from new entrants
THREATS OF
SUBSTITUTES
 e-Learning universities face tough competitive pressure from the
substitutes like extended and campus offerings of major universities
 Campus learning cannot compete much with e-learning courses in case
of offering education to international students
 Moderate threats of substitutes
COMPETITIVE
RIVALRY
 Tough competitive pressure from the major domestic e-learning
universities like The University of Edinburgh, Heriot-Watt University
and many more
 High competitive rivalry
BARGAINING
POWER OF
BUYERS
 Huge availability of major global e-learning universities has increased
the option for the student to choose their e-learning universities
 Quality of education of the reputed university like DMU attract the
international students to pursue its distance learning course

8E COMMERCE SYSTEM
 Moderate bargaining power of buyers
BARGAINING
POWER OF
SUPPLIERS
 The suppliers for providing talented professor are hard to find, which
impose high bargaining power
 The suppliers for provide hardware and software technology for e-
learning platform are easy to find
 Moderate bargaining power of suppliers
Table 1: Porter’s Competitive Force for e-Commerce/e-Learning Industry
(Source: Martínez-Caro, Cegarra-Navarro and Cepeda-Carrión 2015)
3.2 Set of Objectives
 To increasing the graduate rate of the university by 25% within 1 year
 To initiate quality enhance plan for providing high quality distance education
 To spend 25% of financial capital in professional development expenditure within 1 year
 To enhance retained enrollment of students by 40% within 2 years
3.3 Identification of Critical Success Factors and Key Performance Indicator to Measure
Objectives
Critical Success
Factor
Explanation Key Performance
Indicator
Explanation Measurement
of Objectives
Graduate Rate Rate of graduation
will measure the
success of University.
Rate of
Graduation
Graduation rate of
DMU has been
increased by 10%
than the previous
year
The objective of
increasing
graduate rate
was being met
partially
Quality Enhancement of Quality 60% of the DMU The objective of

9E COMMERCE SYSTEM
Improvement educational quality
will increase the
student satisfaction.
Enhancement students have been
placed into reputed
corporate
organization
quality
enhancement
plan was being
met effectively
Faculty
Development
The level of faculty
development with
measure the quality
education provided to
the student
Development of
professional
faculty
Last year, DMU has
spent 12.5% of
financial capital to
improve skills of the
faculty
The objective of
spending in
faculty
development
was being met
partially
Retained
Enrollment
Retained enrollment
will prove the ability
of university to
provide effective
education
Increased
Retained
Enrollment
The retained
enrollment of
students has been
increased by 15% in
DMU
The objective of
increasing
retained
enrollment has
started to meet
Table 2: Measurement of Objectives
(Source: Created by Author)
4.0 Part 3
4.1 Suggestions to Address Culture and Trust Issues and Use of Online Communication
4.1.1 Use of Website to Address Cultural and Trust Issue
Cultural context of the international students will differ from the one country to others.
The institutional factors of cultural context highly affect the process of e-Learning process
(Wong and Huang 2015). Moreover, the students from international countries may face issues of

10E COMMERCE SYSTEM
trust in the different cultural dimension of DMU University. Hence, the university should design
its websites based on the cultural context of different countries. There should be a separate
section for the international students in the website of the university, where they can select their
own countries and get customized education based on their cultural context. On the other hand,
the website should have online chat option, where the faculties can directly chat with the
international students for understanding their cultural perspective and gain their trust on e-
Learning education.
4.1.2 Use of Online Communication Tools
Online communication tools can be extremely effective for DMU to reach out mass
section potential international students for attracting them to pursue distance learning courses
(Tarhini, Mohammed and Maqableh 2016). Moreover, the university can use digital media and
social media for reaching out potential target students in international countries (Mohammadyari
and Singh 2015). DMU should use SEO advertisement for increasing the amount of visitors to its
website by having high ranking in search engine. On the other hand, the university should use
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram advertisement for increasing its exposure to the new generation
students in international countries. Furthermore, the university can also use YouTube for posting
attractive videos regarding its learning process for attracting the potential students in
international countries.
5.0 Conclusion
While concluding the student, it can be said that diverse educational programs and
international educational reputation can help De Montfort University to increase its distance
learning market in international countries. However, lack of faculty development can hinder the

11E COMMERCE SYSTEM
ability of the university to provide effective distance education. Hence, the organization should
take the objective of educational development and enhance the graduate rate of the students.