THE THEORETICAL BASIS FOR THE RESEARCH OF "E-BUSINESS" CONCEPT

Modern business evolves under the powerful influence of information technologies, which in the most developed organizations are embedded in almost every business process. The functions of marketing, financial management, resource management, communication with suppliers and customers along the entire added value chain are to some extent supported by the Internet and by related software. Due to the development of technologies, new business models and even whole industries have been formed recently, created by the opportunities provided by e-business. Given the significant number of both positive and risk factors which this phenomenon brings to the world economy, it is extremely important to understand the essence of it. Currently, achievements in the study of e-business and its functioning are mostly practical, and research takes place primarily in the business environment. There are no economic theories at the moment which consider its genesis and activity, so the analysis of the theoretical and methodological basis of this concept is of particular priority. The aim of this article is to identify the essence of the e-business concept, its place in the economic system, as well as to determine the extent to which its processes could be integrated into the existing economic theoretical basis.