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on Information and Communication Technologies |
| By: | Farmer, J. Doyne; Barbrook-Johnson, Peter; Tankwa, Brendon; Vazquez Bassat, Lucas (University of Oxford Department of Economics) |
| Abstract: | Understanding national-level technology adoption is critical for addressing economic, societal, and environmental challenges. This study analyzes 27 technology datasets with good temporal and regional coverage to understand national-level technology diffusion, and identifies the logistic S-curve as a robust, parsimonious model for capturing adoption patterns. We show that technology adoption speeds have increased over time, especially in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). While early-adopting countries (leaders) often have slower diffusion, later adopters (followers) benefit from imitation and de-risking, supporting a national-level "fast-follower" hypothesis. Structural factors also shape these outcomes: adoption speed grows with GDP growth but falls with population size; technology leadership is influenced by GDP per capita, government effectiveness, distance to a technology's inventor, and population size. Our findings reinforce established theories while providing new insights into cross-country variation, shifting adoption sequences, and increasingly rigid country rankings, particularly in ICT. This evidence helps policymakers and researchers better understand technology diffusion and can inform strategies that guide technological progress. |
| Keywords: | S-curves, National-level data, Technological progress, Technology leadership, Drivers of technology |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amz:wpaper:2025-01 |
| By: | Matteucci, Nicola (Marche Polytechnic University); Picchio, Matteo (Marche Polytechnic University); Santolini, Raffaella (Marche Polytechnic University); Yebetchou Tchounkeu, Rostand Arland (University of Eastern Piedmont) |
| Abstract: | The growing ageing of the population in developed economies has necessitated the progressive use of advanced information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the home care of elderly individuals. The effect of these technologies on elderly health outcomes remains an open issue. In this study, we analyze the impact of telecare on the mortality rate of elderly people in Italy using data at the municipal level and a doubly robust difference-in-differences design. Our results show that telecare services significantly reduced the mortality rate of the elderly aged 65 and over by 1.7 individuals per 1, 000 inhabitants. This effect was sizeable, since it was a 4% decrease in the elderly mortality rate relatively to the average elderly mortality rate in the treated municipalities. The reduction in the elderly mortality rate was greater in municipalities with a large proportion of childless elderly people, suggesting that telecare may be particularly useful for the elderly who find it more difficult to rely on strong family ties. Moreover, it was stronger in small municipalities, indicating that telecare may be more effective where there is a greater need to compensate for a lower level of traditional social and health care services. |
| Keywords: | telecare, elderly, health, mortality rate, municipalities |
| JEL: | I10 I18 |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17827 |
| By: | KAREKURVE-RAMACHANDRA, VARUN (Stanford University); Milliff, Aidan; Stommes, Drew |
| Abstract: | Separatist conflicts pose enduring and acute challenges to state consolidation. Can democratically-elected legislators from nationally-dominant parties reduce violence in such conflicts? Existing theory remains unclear. Legislators from national parties might lack credibility among separatist insurgent sympathizers, limiting their ability to mitigate insurgent violence in their constituencies. Their symbolic affiliation with ``outsiders'' could also incite more violence. Alternatively, representatives from parties with a pan-national presence may benefit from superior influence over the security bureaucracy, rendering them more effective against insurgents than legislators from other parties. We test these competing explanations using a regression discontinuity design and granular conflict data from a decades-long separatist insurgency in Punjab, India. The findings suggest that legislators from the nationally-dominant party durably reduced insurgent violence within their constituencies. Mechanism analyses indicate that these reductions occurred through relatively stronger influence over security forces and in constituencies with above-average access to information and communication technology enabling selective counterinsurgency operations. |
| Date: | 2025–03–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:wu7b5_v1 |
| By: | Audi, Marc; Ahmad, Khalil; Poulin, Marc; Ali, Amjad |
| Abstract: | Digitalization has become a pivotal force shaping global trade and economic development, particularly across emerging economies. BRICS nations demonstrate diverse trajectories of digital expansion that reflect varying degrees of globalization, technological adoption, and policy frameworks. This study examines how different dimensions of globalization (economic, social, and political), along with internet penetration, R&D investment, GDP growth, and exchange rate movements, collectively influence digitalization in the BRICS economies. Employing panel data from 2000 to 2022, the analysis uses multiple econometric techniques, panel regression (fixed and random effects), robust least squares, fully modified OLS, dynamic OLS, and panel quantile regression, to capture both short-run and long-run dynamics, as well as distribution-specific impacts on ICT goods exports. Economic globalization, R&D expenditure, and GDP growth consistently show positive and significant effects on digitalization, broader internet penetration is especially critical at early stages. Social and political globalization produce nuanced outcomes depending on institutional and cultural contexts, while currency depreciation exerts a generally negative impact by making technology imports more expensive. The results underscore that BRICS policymakers should stabilize macroeconomic conditions, invest in R&D, expand internet access, and strategically engage with global markets to foster inclusive digital growth. Tailored governance measures and targeted capacity-building efforts are also vital for translating globalization benefits into sustainable digital transformation across these emerging economies. |
| Keywords: | Globalization, Digitalization, Internet Penetration, R&D |
| JEL: | O3 O4 |
| Date: | 2025 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:124396 |
| By: | Tan , Yeng-May (Xiamen University Malaysia); Amorós , José Ernesto (EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey); Autio , Erkko (Imperial College London); Fu , Kun (Loughborough University); Park, Donghyun (Asian Development Bank) |
| Abstract: | This study explores the relationship between digitalization and entrepreneurial innovation across developing economies. We assess whether higher levels of digital technology development within a country enhance the innovation potential of its entrepreneurial ventures and how this impact varies between Asia and other regions. Using data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (2013–2022) and the Global Innovation Index along with its subindexes, we examine 11 developing economies in Asia and 57 developing economies in other regions. We find that digital technology development generally boosts entrepreneurial innovation. However, our results reveal a significant regional variation. The impact on product innovation is significantly stronger in developing economies outside Asia. This suggests that while digitalization supports innovation generally, its effects may be more transformative in regions outside Asia. These findings offer valuable insights for policymakers seeking to leverage digitalization to drive innovation and economic growth. |
| Keywords: | digitalization; digital technologies; entrepreneurial innovation; ICT development; developing Asia; developing economies |
| JEL: | L26 O31 O33 O57 |
| Date: | 2025–04–28 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ris:adbewp:0776 |
| By: | Hötte, Kerstin; Koutroumpis, Pantelis; Theodorakopoulos, Angelos |
| Abstract: | Do automation-induced changes in labor and capital income undermine pub- lic revenues? Decomposing taxes by source (labor, capital, sales), we analyze the impact of automation on tax revenues and the structure of taxation in 19 EU countries during 1995-2016. Before 2007 robot diffusion was associated with a decline in total tax revenues and taxes from capital, along with decreasing labor and capital income and output. After 2008, the negative effects diminish. ICTs show a weak negative but persistent effect on total tax revenues and taxes on goods for the full period, and an increase in capital income. Overall, the impact of automation on production and taxation varies over time. Whether automation erodes taxation depends on the technology and stage of diffusion. Concerns about public budgets are myopic when focusing on the short-run and ignoring relevant technological trends. |
| Keywords: | Technological Change, ICT, Robots, Fiscal Revenues, Labor |
| JEL: | H2 O3 |
| Date: | 2023–05 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:amz:wpaper:2023-10 |
| By: | Fusillo Fabrizio; Manera Maria; Orsatti Gianluca; Quatraro Francesco; Rentocchini Francesco (European Commission - JRC) |
| Abstract: | Reducing uncertainty around critical raw materials (CRM) supply is a policy priority for the EU in view of their role for advanced carbon neutral and digital technologies. A new, AI based indicator is introduced to measure the exposure of inventive activities to critical raw materials, outperforming existing approaches by identifying CRM relevance even when not immediately evident. High exposure sectors, such as aerospace & defence and ICT services, intensify inventive efforts in response to CRM supply risk, indicating strategic shifts towards substitution and diversification. European regions differ significantly in CRM exposure: some areas (e.g. parts of France, Germany, Italy, and Scandinavia) show con-siderable hidden CRM based inventive activity. Firms in CRM exposed sectors adapt by both increasing their inventive efforts and seeking alternative inventive routes, suggesting that innovation can mitigate supply risk vulnerabilities. |
| Date: | 2025–03 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ipt:iptwpa:jrc141261 |
| By: | Mua, Kelly Kingsley; Kouam Tamto, Henri |
| Abstract: | Disruptive technologies are revolutionizing end-to-end steps in production in most sectors across the economy. The fourth Industrial Revolution (4ir), such as the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence, will revolutionize traditional value creation models. This paper investigates the nature and impact of 4IR technologies on Cameroon’s manufacturing sector, using survey data from 100 manufacturing companies and business entities. As shown in Figure 2, most respondents (28%) feel that Industry 4.0 will substantially impact their manufacturing and production systems. Twenty-one percent of manufacturers think that the fourth industrial revolution will have an overall impact on their business, while 16% believe that IT systems and networks are the only areas that will benefit from Industry 4.0. Regarding plans, only 10 percent of respondents say they plan to adopt Industry 4.0 in the next twelve months, while 4% say it would take 13 to 24 months to establish the necessary infrastructure. However, 10% of respondents had no plans to apply Industry 4.0, while the rest (34%) wanted to digitalize their enterprises in the next 3-5 years. The findings from this study show that companies that adopt 4IR technologies are agile, competitive, and more productive. Companies in Cameroon’s industrial sector should invest in 4IR technologies, train their employees, and incorporate 4IR technologies into their manufacturing practices. |
| Keywords: | Fourth Industrial Revolution, innovation, firms, 4ir, Industry |
| JEL: | L60 O3 O31 O32 O33 O34 |
| Date: | 2025–02–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:124572 |
| By: | Takeshi Kato; Junichi Miyakoshi; Misa Owa; Ryuji Mine |
| Abstract: | Reducing wealth inequality is a global challenge, and the problems of capitalism stem from the enclosure of the commons and the breakdown of the community. According to previous studies by Polanyi, Karatani, and Graeber, economic modes can be divided into capitalist market economy (enclosure and exchange), power economy (de-enclosure and redistribution), gift economy (obligation to return and reciprocity), and concession economy (de-obligation to return). The concession economy reflects Graeber's baseline communism (from each according to their abilities, to each according to their needs) and Deguchi's We-turn philosophy (the "I" as an individual has a "fundamental incapability" and the subject of physical action, responsibility, and freedom is "We" as a multi-agent system, including the "I"). In this study, we constructed novel network models for these four modes and compared their properties (cluster coefficient, graph density, reciprocity, assortativity, centrality, and Gini coefficient). From the calculation results, it became clear that the market economy leads to inequality; the power economy mitigates inequality but cannot eliminate it; the gift and concession economies lead to a healthy and equal economy; and the concession economy, free from the ties of obligation to return, is possible without guaranteeing reciprocity. We intend to promote the transformation from a capitalist economy to a concession economy through activities that disseminate baseline communism and the We-turn philosophy that promotes concession, that is, developing a cooperative platform to support concession through information technology and empirical research through fieldwork. |
| Date: | 2025–04 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2504.06557 |
| By: | Sandrine Heitz-Spahn (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine); Christian Dianoux (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine); Béatrice Siadou-Martin (MRM - Montpellier Research in Management - UPVD - Université de Perpignan Via Domitia - UM - Université de Montpellier); Jean-Marc Ferrandi (LEMNA - Laboratoire d'économie et de management de Nantes Atlantique - Nantes Univ - IAE Nantes - Nantes Université - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - Nantes - Nantes Université - pôle Sociétés - Nantes Univ - Nantes Université, ONIRIS - École nationale vétérinaire, agroalimentaire et de l'alimentation Nantes-Atlantique); Géraldine Thévenot (CEREFIGE - Centre Européen de Recherche en Economie Financière et Gestion des Entreprises - UL - Université de Lorraine) |
| Abstract: | Several success stories have demonstrated the ability of nudges to steer individual behavior that are good for themselves and/or for the society (Singler, 2015; Ebert and Freibichler, 2017) and have led many public and private organizations to consider them. Research into the implementation of nudges by private commercial organizations remains rare, despite the fact that this communication technique is likely to be an important lever for promoting behaviors that represent individual or collective well-being, such as the consumption of healthy products (e.g. fruit and vegetables) or the reduction of waste, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policy. The fact that nudges act "without the awareness of the individual" (Lin et al., 2017, p. 301), or can be considered "a threat to our moral autonomy" (Villaran, 2017, p. 479), has been the subject of an ethical debate in the academic community over the past decade (Bovens, 2009; Ménard, 2010; Blumenthal-Barby and Burroughs, 2012; Craig et al, 2013; Sunstein, 2015; Schubert, 2016). It is likely, however, that individuals' perception of the ethical dimension of a nudge differs according to the situation in which they find themselves and the nature of the sender, in particular whether or not the latter has a commercial vocation. Since commercial sources tend to be considered less credible than non-commercial ones (eReid, Soley and Vanden Bergh, 1981), we may indeed wonder whether the use of a nudge by a private commercial organization to promote a behavior, a product or a service that is good for the individual and/or the community might not be considered a pseudo-ethical practice that in reality conceals a commercial technique aimed more at profit than at the public good. The aim of this research is therefore to study consumers' perceptions of the ethical nature of nudges implemented by retailers, which are indeed key operators in guiding individuals towards responsible products or behaviors. |
| Date: | 2024–06–25 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-05011531 |