Opportunities to Learn from ‘Failure’ with Electronic Commerce: A Case Study of Electronic Banking

Abstract

This study reports on the experience of the First Atlantic Bank of Nigeria as it embarked on the implementation and introduction of Internet and mobile banking services. Based on the concept of a logic of opposition the study conceptualizes the case company's effort with a specific emphasis on the mode and impact of learning that occurred intra- and inter-organizationally. The case considers how being a first mover in a given market can be crucial, not necessarily because of the immediate commercial benefit, but more because of the opportunity for developing customers’ trust in order to ensure the success of future innovations. In addition, the case illustrates the problematic nature of evaluating the success or failure of an innovation. Further, it shows how failure can be an intermediate step to future success, while making the point, counter-intuitively perhaps, that blindly listening to customers may prove to be a barrier to successful innovations. Thus, firms might capitalize from what might initially be perceived as failure, in particular through transforming an opposing force into a promoting one.