THE ROLE OF ELECTRONIC INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM IN THE COMPETITIVENESS OF E-RETAILERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Clearance Certificate No | 2018FBREC537 Ethical Considerations The ethical issues in this study centered on data collection. Data was collected through interviews conducted with the consent of the selected organisation. The study agreed not to breach in any way the privacy and confidentiality policies of the selected e-retailer, nor reveal sensitive information to its competitors. The study also protected the anonymity of the respondents. The transcribed interviews were reviewed by the respondents to ensure their accuracy. This process helped to achieve the verification and validity of the results of the study. The study presented the statements collected during the interviews ‘as is’ and in no way changed to suit the study or affect the results. A consent letter was obtained from the Operations Manager to conduct the interviews, and ethical clearance was obtained from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology before data collection started. Additionally, all interviewees who agreed to participate in the data collection process were informed of all ethical considerations before the interview went ahead. Interviewees were told that the interviews would be recorded. Interviewee personal or confidential data was not collected as it was not required. The identity of the selected e-retailer was hidden to avoid private information from being divulged. The reliability of this study is demonstrated by its use of a range of appropriately referenced sources and by the transparent analysis process. Summary The study adopted a qualitative research approach and used an interpretive exploratory case study design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to gather relevant data to meet the research objectives. Permission to conduct the research was obtained from the selected e-retailer, and due consideration was given to issues of confidentiality, validity, and reliability. The research questions were developed and subdivided into four research sub-questions in order to address the following main question: How can EICS improve the competitiveness of e-retailers in South Africa?