A strategic architecture and its role in enhancing the performance of commercial web-enabled enterprises

In the economic paradigm of the previous century a well-crafted strategy delivered successfulcompetitive advantage. This research questions whether, with the advent of the internet andits networked economy, this premise remains valid. In the past, technological shocks such asthe telephone, railroads and electricity changed the way markets worked. Noting this, someastute practitioners developed effective patterns of competitive behaviour and achieved resultsof lasting value. The internet has precipitated a similar disturbance and may be consigned to amatching destiny. Today’s internet pioneers are the electronic businesses competing at thefrontiers of strategy by learning, innovating and doing. This study, conducted at the early,emergent phase of the internet, endeavours to determine the strategy characteristics of winningfirms. Once the competitive advantages accruing to online businesses through the deploymentof internet technologies disappear, all business will inevitably find itself in the networkedeconomy - the findings of this work may prove of timeous benefit to such as these.