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

Summary/Abstract: Purpose: The objective of this article is to examine the impact of e-commerce and m-commerce on broadlyperceived 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, activeinternet users from both periods. The differences between the results were analyzed using the distanceindices: city distance and Euclidean distance. The data from March 2020 (before the pandemic) andfrom 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 growingnumber of goods and services purchased abroad. There occur much smaller differences with regard toinfrastructure 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 pandemicis treated as a factor which supports the development of globalization. The main observed changesduring the COVID-19 pandemic are infrastructure changes (staying at home, remote learning, remotework, etc.) and an extend and standardized approach to e-commerce. The second equally importanteffect is the shift from desktop computers to mobile devices.Research limitations/implications: The limitation resulted from the research sample obtained in theacademic environment. Students are a group supporting the globalization processes, where e-businesssolutions are widely used, but their purchases of products/services, including foreign goods, are oftenlimited due to lack of funds.Originality/value: The original value of the article is the identification and specification of the mainfactors supporting globalization in Poland during the COVID-19 pandemic from the point of view ofelectronic commerce.

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