A study by two University of Notre Dame professors on how MP3 technology affected the response of the recording industry to e-commerce was recognized as the best theme related paper at the 22nd annual International Conference on Information Systems held Dec. 16-19 in New Orleans.p. Robert F. Easley and John G. Michel, both assistant professors of management, used the confrontation between record companies and the MP3-based distribution of music on the Internet to examine the broader relationship between open standards technology and the strategic response of industry leaders in the rapidly emerging electronic marketplace of digital information goods.p. Titled “Open Standards, Information Systems Strategy, and Adoption of Innovative Technology: The Case of the Recording Industry and the MP3 Standard,” the study found that the “open standard MP3 and the piracy that it enables have pushed record labels toward development of e-commerce, as indicated by early adoption of Web sites, and toward experimentation with e-distribution of music.”p. Easley and Michel go on to say that the “rise of open standards that has accompanied much of the growth of the Internet poses fundamentally different strategic challenges” for companies.p. A member of the Mendoza College of Business faculty since 1994, Easley researches a full range of issues in electronic commerce, including Internet auctions. He earned his doctorate in decision and information systems from Indiana University.p. Michel joined the Notre Dame faculty in 1993 and studies, among other topics, competitive strategy, strategic human resource management, and top management teams. He earned his doctoral degree from Columbia University.p. The annual International Conference on Information Systems is the world’s most prestigious gathering of academics and research-oriented practitioners in the field. It is organized by the Association for Information Systems.
TopicID: 2652