The Info Revolution

1
The Info Revolution Developing Countries

• Intro to Wilsons Strategic Restructuring
  Framework

2

• Textbooks
• (GC, GCTST)
• vs.
• Scholarly monographs
• (IRDC)

3
Limitations of Current Research on Technology
Diffusion

• Most analyses are based only on economic factors
• Few view ICTs as deeply embedded in social
  structures, institutions, practices
• Few view ICTs as outcomes of particular
  historical trajectories
• Few analyze institutional political influences
  on ICTs
• Few balance structural factors individual
  agency/strategy

4
Wilsons overarching aims

• To provide a clear, consistent analysis of the
  major trends and transformations of the
  information revolution, while rooting these
  explanations in national and societal structures
  and dynamics. (p. xi)
• To better explain differences in technology
  diffusion across developing countries with
  similar economic structures (p. xiii)

5
Four basic purposes of IRDC

• To critique the technology first information
  revolution analysis
• To describe developing countries position in the
  emerging global information society
• To analyze real-world policy challenges facing
  govt officials in developing countries
• To provide an alternative analytic framework for
  describing and understanding the info revolution

6
Wilsons background (qualifications)

• Positions in
• Private firms
• Intl ICT trade groups
• Govt entities
• Intergovernmental organizations
• NGOs

7
Wilsons approach

• Introduce a new model that integrates several
  factors related to technology diffusion (TD) in
  developing countries
• Comparatively analyze TD in three countries using
  the model (Brazil, Ghana, China)
• To test the model and illustrate its utility
• To understand TD in these 3 countries
• Evaluate the affordances of the model
• Explain TD in developing countries
  differently/better than other analysts

8
Wilsons Concepts Definitions

• ICT
• Information Revolution

9
Importance of the IRDC for core zone countries

• Why should we care?
• Economic/commercial consequences
• Effects on global politics and security
• Social changes

10
Strategic Restructuring Model

• Questions _at_ technology diffusion involve multiple
  factors
• What is the main cause of global diffusion
  patterns economic structure, govt policies, or
  tech?
• What mechanisms allow these technologies to
  diffuse?
• Do diffusion dynamics portend greater equality or
  inequality?
• Why do countries with similar structural and
  economic features have divergent patterns of ICT
  distribution? (p. 37)

11
Strategic Restructuring Model

• Dependent variable technology diffusion
• Independent variables
• Structures (social, political, economic)
• Institutions (persistent patterns of roles and
  incentives)
• Politics (esp. elite individuals strategic
  behaviors)
• Govt. Policies (a mix of 4 policy balances
  priv-pub initiative, competition-monopoly,
  foreign-domestic, centralized-decentralized)