The Digital Divide: Current and Future Research Directions - MISRC ...
The Digital Divide: Current and Future Research Directions - MISRC ...
The Digital Divide: Current and Future Research Directions - MISRC ...
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80,000 companies across 55 industries in the U.S. from 1998 to 2000 to examine whether<br />
company location <strong>and</strong> industry type impact the adoption of advanced Internet<br />
applications by organizations. <strong>The</strong> findings indicate that location does matter,<br />
particularly when explaining the tendency to adopt Internet-based technologies that will<br />
be used within the organization versus those that will promote information transfer across<br />
company boundaries. <strong>The</strong>se results are interpreted using urban leadership theory <strong>and</strong><br />
global village theory. In addition, the analysis shows that whether a firm operates within<br />
an IT-usage-intensive industry versus an IT-producing industry impacts its tendency to<br />
adopt internal <strong>and</strong> external focused Internet applications.<br />
Finally, the three country level studies complement each other nicely in covering<br />
a range of issues relevant to the global diffusion of ICT. Dewan et al. [2005] examine the<br />
extent of the digital divide at the country level from 1985 to 2001 to test the magnitude<br />
<strong>and</strong> changing trends of the divide across three technology eras: mainframe, PC <strong>and</strong> the<br />
Internet. Using data from 22 developed countries <strong>and</strong> 18 developing countries, this<br />
analysis tests a model to examine the impact of several factors on the divide, including<br />
economic, demographic <strong>and</strong> environmental factors. As other studies have shown, this<br />
analysis confirms that national income level is a primary driver of the adoption of IT at<br />
the national level. In addition, further analysis using quantile regression methods shows<br />
that in the more recent Internet era, mainline telephone density <strong>and</strong> economic trade<br />
activity are helping to narrow the divide as less developed countries seek to catch up to<br />
more developed countries.<br />
In a related effort, Crenshaw <strong>and</strong> Robison [2006] use diffusion theory to<br />
empirically examine the drivers of Internet diffusion in 65 developing countries over the<br />
1995 to 2000 time frame. <strong>The</strong> analysis emphasizes the role of similarity to (structural<br />
conduciveness) <strong>and</strong> contact with (globalization) developed countries. <strong>The</strong> results suggest<br />
that teledensity, political openness <strong>and</strong> other structural conduciveness factors, as well as<br />
such globalization factors as aid share <strong>and</strong> tourist share, are significant drivers of the<br />
distribution <strong>and</strong> growth of Internet usage.<br />
Kauffman <strong>and</strong> Techatassanasoontorn [2005b] examine the existence <strong>and</strong> extent of<br />
the digital divide in wireless phone technologies, based on data for three technology<br />
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