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Control and Assurance in E-Commerce: Privacy, Integrity and Security at eBay

Author

Listed:
  • Rong-Ruey Duh

    (Department of Accounting)

  • Karim Jamal

    (Department of Accounting & Management Information Systems)

  • Shyam NMI Sunder

    (School of Management)

Abstract

Growth of online auctions and other forms of e-commerce has been hampered by concerns about the privacy, integrity, and security of online transactions. To earn the trust of their participants, new e-commerce organizations, like traditional organizations, have to reach the state of expectations equilibrium or control - a state where the actual behavior of participants corresponds to what others expect them to do. Since e-commerce companies provide electronic platforms where buyers and sellers interact directly with each other (as well as with the platform operator), establishing control in e-commerce enterprises requires broadening of the traditional definition of "internal control" to encompass the activities of "outsiders" such as customers, and suppliers. This paper presents a framework for analyzing the control environment of online auctions and identifies privacy and denial of service attacks as two new classes of risks faced by e-commerce companies. Using the control policies and practices of a leading consumer online auction company (eBay) as an illustrative example, we suggest possible ways of controlling these risks. This analysis identifies the demand for new kinds of assurance services for e-commerce to support privacy, integrity and security of online transactions. E-commerce assurance services available at the end of year 2000 (e.g. WebTrust) fall short of what is needed to establish expectations equilibrium or control in online auction firms. The merits of developing proprietary (e.g., PWC privacy standards) versus industry standards (e.g. WebTrust) for e-commerce assurance services are also discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rong-Ruey Duh & Karim Jamal & Shyam NMI Sunder, 2001. "Control and Assurance in E-Commerce: Privacy, Integrity and Security at eBay," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm170, Yale School of Management.
    • Handle: RePEc:ysm:somwrk:ysm170
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    Cited by:

    1. Sunder, Shyam, 2002. "Regulatory competition among accounting standards within and across international boundaries," Journal of Accounting and Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 219-234.
    2. Shyam Sunder, 2001. "Standards for Corporate Financial Reporting: Regulatory Competition Within and Across International Boundaries," Yale School of Management Working Papers ysm245, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Apr 2002.
    3. Karim Jamal & Michael Maier & Shyam Sunder, 2003. "Privacy in E‐Commerce: Development of Reporting Standards, Disclosure, and Assurance Services in an Unregulated Market," Journal of Accounting Research, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(2), pages 285-309, May.
    4. Lee, Cheng-Wen, 2010. "Influential factors of player’s loyalty toward online games for achieving commercial success," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 81-92.
    5. Shyam Sunder & Michael Maier & Karim Jamal, 2004. "Enforced Standards Versus Evolution by General Acceptance: A Comparative Study of E-Commerce Privacy Disclosure and Practice in the U.S. and the U.K," Yale School of Management Working Papers amz2630, Yale School of Management, revised 01 Nov 2004.
    6. Baron, David P., 2001. "Private Ordering on the Internet: The eBay Community of Traders," Research Papers 1709, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.

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    JEL classification:

    • M49 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - Other
    • M40 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Accounting - - - General

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