The Impact of the Pandemic (COVID-19) on Globalization – The Perspective of Electronic Commerce

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this article is to examine the impact of e-commerce and m-commerce on broadly perceived globalization factors before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the opinion of customers. Design/methodology/approach: The CAWI method was used with the participation of individual, active internet users from both periods. The differences between the results were analyzed using the distance indices: city distance and Euclidean distance. The data from March 2020 (before the pandemic) and from December 2020 (during the pandemic) were used as the basis for comparisons. Findings: The findings point to increasing diversification in the product/services range and the growing number of goods and services purchased abroad. There occur much smaller differences with regard to infrastructure factors which have a direct influence on foreign e-commerce. Also, in the respondents’ opinions, greater popularity and more frequent use of international commerce solutions during the pandemic is treated as a factor which supports the development of globalization. The main observed changes during the COVID-19 pandemic are infrastructure changes (staying at home, remote learning, remote work, etc.) and an extend and standardized approach to e-commerce. The second equally important effect is the shift from desktop computers to mobile devices. Research limitations/implications: The limitation resulted from the research sample obtained in the academic environment. Students are a group supporting the globalization processes, where e-business solutions are widely used, but their purchases of products/services, including foreign goods, are often limited due to lack of funds. Originality/value: The original value of the article is the identification and specification of the main factors supporting globalization in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view of electronic commerce.

Keywords

• e-commerce
• globalization process
• e-commerce impact on globalization
• pandemic impact on globalization
• covid-19