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on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Efobi, Uchenna; Tanankem, Belmondo; Asongu, Simplice |
| Abstract: | This study investigates how technological advancement improves gender identity by means of female economic participation in a panel 48 African countries for the period 1990-2014. Two indicators are used to measure female economic participation, namely, the: female labour force participation and employment rates. Technological advancement is measured with three main indicators, notably: internet penetration, mobile phone penetration and fixed broad band subscriptions. The empirical evidence is based on Ordinary Least Squares, Fixed Effects and System Generalized Method of Moments regressions. The findings show that improvement in technology increases female economic participation with the following consistent order of increasing magnitude: mobile phone penetration; internet penetration and fixed broad band subscriptions. The findings are robust to the control for: countries’ levels in economic development; the use of contemporary technology advancement indicators; internal conflicts and political stability; the level of social globalization and the use of alternative instruments. Policy implications are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Technology; Inclusive development; Africa |
| JEL: | G20 I10 I32 O40 O55 |
| Date: | 2016–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:77306&r=ict |
| By: | Asongu, Simplice; Nwachukwu, Jacinta |
| Abstract: | Despite the evolving literature on the development benefits of mobile phones, we still know very little about factors that influence their adoption. Using twenty five policy variables, we investigate determinants of mobile phone penetration in 49 Sub-Saharan African countries with data for the period 2000-2012. The empirical evidence is based on contemporary and non-contemporary OLS, Fixed effects, System GMM and Quantile regression techniques. The determinants are classified into six policy categories. They are: (i) macroeconomic, (ii) business/bank, (iii) market-related, (iv) knowledge economy, (v) external flows and (vi) human development. Results are presented in terms of threshold and non-threshold effects. The former has three main implications. First, there are increasing positive benefits in regulation quality, human development, foreign investment, education, urban population density and internet penetration. Second, there is evidence of decreasing positive effects from patent applications. Third, increasing negative impacts are established for foreign aid and return on equity. Non-threshold tendencies are discussed. Policy implications are also covered with emphasis on policy syndromes to enhance more targeted implications for worst performing nations. |
| Keywords: | Panel data; Mobile phones; Development; Africa |
| JEL: | C23 L96 O11 O33 O55 |
| Date: | 2016–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:77308&r=ict |
| By: | Berliant, Marcus |
| Abstract: | We examine the fine microstructure of commuting in a game-theoretic setting with a continuum of commuters. Commuters' home and work locations can be heterogeneous. A commuter transport network is exogenous. Traffic speed is determined by link capacity and by local congestion at a time and place along a link, where local congestion at a time and place is endogenous. The model can be reinterpreted to apply to congestion on the internet. We find sufficient conditions for existence of equilibrium, that multiple equilibria are ubiquitous, and that the welfare properties of morning and evening commute equilibria differ. |
| Keywords: | Commuting; Congestion externality; Efficient Nash equilibrium |
| JEL: | L86 R41 |
| Date: | 2017–03–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:77378&r=ict |
| By: | BEN KHALIFA, Adel |
| Abstract: | This paper defends the idea that the transition of countries, particularly developing countries, to the knowledge economy depends on the ability of their territories (sub-national levels) to diffuse and appropriate the new ICT paradigm. This paper proposes a framework for modeling the process of diffusion and appropriation of ICTs and suggests an ideal-type model of territory that supports the diffusion and appropriation of ICTs. This model of '' Appropriating Territory '' questioned the resources and the possible actions that will develop any territory to enter the knowledge economy based on ICT. While ICT offer potentials for all spaces, the ways and effectiveness with which territory exploit these potentials vary from one territory to another. We distinguish between ‘‘Appropriating Territories’’ and connected to the archipelago economy (architecture of the knowledge economy) and other non Appropriating and thus disconnected and marginalized. |
| Keywords: | Knowledge economy, ICT paradigm, Appropriating Territory |
| JEL: | O33 R11 R12 R58 |
| Date: | 2017–03–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:77535&r=ict |