Leveraging e-business process for business value: A layered structure perspective

• E-business processes can be decomposed into technical, relational and business components.
• A three-layer structure is presented to identify the source of e-business value at the process level.
• Data was collected from 196 manufacturing firms in China.
• Both platform capability and relational governance are integrated to develop e-business process capabilities (EBPCs).
• A firm's EBPCs act as the key process enablers in transforming platform capability and relational governance into business value.

Few studies have examined how e-business processes can be leveraged to create business value. By examining the technical, relational and business components of an e-business process, we propose a three-layer structure to identify the source of e-business value in procurement, channel management, and customer service processes. We tested research model using structural equation modeling with data collected from 196 manufacturing firms in China. Our results provide support for the following: (1) platform capability and relational governance integrated to enhance e-business process capabilities (EBPCs) and (2) EBPCs, as process enablers, facilitate digital operations activities across organizational interfaces to improve process performance.