Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is, firstly, an analysis of the behavior of entities operating in the virtual space which has emerged and has been continuously developing around the internet and, secondly, to create a framework of the impact of these entities on an organization, especially in the context of emerging new ethical challenges. The motivation for undertaking this research was a lack of literature on such a holistic approach to this important problem facing contemporary organizations and the systematization of these issues.Design/methodology/approachThe framework proposed in the paper was developed based on analyses of case studies of organizations from various industries which use the internet and the inter‐related mobile infrastructure. To create this framework the stakeholder theory and the cost‐benefit analysis approach were used.FindingsThe basic findings of the paper include a classification of the entities operating in e‐space and a taxonomy of the possible influences they may have on an organization. It is intended that the proposed framework be tested in selected industries.Practical implicationsIt seems that the holistic approach presented in this paper has significant practical implications for the increasing number of organizations utilizing the on‐line environment in their business practices, offering them a far better understanding of the whole complexity of problems and challenges connected with the e‐economy phenomena.Originality/valueThe new and original aspects of the paper are the introduction and defining of the term e‐space; a classification of the elements operating there and the proposal of a taxonomy of the possible types of influence of these entities on an organization.