New technologies adoption and diffusion patterns in developing countries. An empirical study for the period 2000-2011.

Lechman, Ewa (2013): New technologies adoption and diffusion patterns in developing countries. An empirical study for the period 2000-2011.

Abstract

In recent years, enormous changes are noted worldwide when broad adoption of new Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). These unique technologies – often perceived as economic development incentives – have a great ability to spread at high pace and low cost in world countries, bringing to people opportunities to contribute to economic development and growth. New Technologies play a special role in developing countries, where their in-country adoption lies in the centre of development strategies. ICTs are treated as tools which bring to people access to information, education and knowledge, offering unlimited possibilities for wealth-creation. The paper, purely empirical in nature, reports on the pace of adoption of new Information and Communication Technologies in developing countries, and – additionally – investigates country-specific ICTs diffusion patterns. We expect to uncover the S-shape curve in the diffusion process in most of developing countries, as well as in the whole country sample. For the analysis purposes we apply all counties, which – according to the World Bank nomenclature – are classified as low-income and lower-middle-income economies. Our sample covers 46 countries (upper-middle-income and high-income economies are excluded from the study purposely), which are classified as developing economies. The time framework is set for the period of 2000-2011. All data necessary for the analysis are derived from World Telecommunication/ICT Indicators Database 2012 (16th edition).

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Information and Communication Technologies, adoption patterns, technology diffusion, S-shaped curve, developing countries.
• Subjects: O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O1 - Economic Development > O11 - Macroeconomic Analyses of Economic Development; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O3 - Innovation ; Research and Development ; Technological Change ; Intellectual Property Rights; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O5 - Economywide Country Studies

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