Chrisanthi Avgerou
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199263424
- eISBN:
- 9780191714252
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263424.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
It is often assumed that the implementation and the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) will or should be the same in all situations with little regard to the particular social ...
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It is often assumed that the implementation and the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) will or should be the same in all situations with little regard to the particular social or cultural context of their use. Drawing on research in different societies (Europe, Latin America, etc.), this book explains the nature of organizational diversity in which ICT innovation takes place, and develops a conceptual approach to account for it. The book draws from institutionalist concepts of organizations, the sociology of technology, current debates on globalization, and critiques of the rationality of modernity. The theoretical perspective is supported empirically by four international case studies. This book shows how the processes of ICT innovation and organizational change reflect local aspirations, concerns, and action, as well as the multiple institutional influences of globalization.Less
It is often assumed that the implementation and the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) will or should be the same in all situations with little regard to the particular social or cultural context of their use. Drawing on research in different societies (Europe, Latin America, etc.), this book explains the nature of organizational diversity in which ICT innovation takes place, and develops a conceptual approach to account for it. The book draws from institutionalist concepts of organizations, the sociology of technology, current debates on globalization, and critiques of the rationality of modernity. The theoretical perspective is supported empirically by four international case studies. This book shows how the processes of ICT innovation and organizational change reflect local aspirations, concerns, and action, as well as the multiple institutional influences of globalization.
Philip N. Howard
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- September 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780199736416
- eISBN:
- 9780199866441
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199736416.003.0003
- Subject:
- Political Science, Comparative Politics, Democratization
This chapter offers a conceptual framework and some useful indicators for studying technology diffusion and political institutions. Topics discussed include the impact of information technology on ...
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This chapter offers a conceptual framework and some useful indicators for studying technology diffusion and political institutions. Topics discussed include the impact of information technology on Islamic political culture, information and community technology (ICT) access in the Muslim communities of the developing world, indexing democracy and ICT diffusion, and the impact of information infrastructure on democracy.Less
This chapter offers a conceptual framework and some useful indicators for studying technology diffusion and political institutions. Topics discussed include the impact of information technology on Islamic political culture, information and community technology (ICT) access in the Muslim communities of the developing world, indexing democracy and ICT diffusion, and the impact of information infrastructure on democracy.
Claudio Ciborra
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199275267
- eISBN:
- 9780191714399
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199275267.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology
This chapter discusses the ‘crisis’ in the information and communication technology (ICT) discipline. It argues that crisis is due to the separation between people and science, and the neglect of ...
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This chapter discusses the ‘crisis’ in the information and communication technology (ICT) discipline. It argues that crisis is due to the separation between people and science, and the neglect of issues such as the subjective origin of science, the foundational role of everyday life in the creation and development of a methodology, and, ultimately, the obliteration of authentic human existence in the management of organizations and technologies.Less
This chapter discusses the ‘crisis’ in the information and communication technology (ICT) discipline. It argues that crisis is due to the separation between people and science, and the neglect of issues such as the subjective origin of science, the foundational role of everyday life in the creation and development of a methodology, and, ultimately, the obliteration of authentic human existence in the management of organizations and technologies.
Claudio Ciborra
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199275267
- eISBN:
- 9780191714399
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199275267.003.0003
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology
This chapter argues that behind the enactment of strategic applications of ICT there are mundane modes of operation, such as bricolage, improvisation, or hacking. The bubbling up of new ideas from ...
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This chapter argues that behind the enactment of strategic applications of ICT there are mundane modes of operation, such as bricolage, improvisation, or hacking. The bubbling up of new ideas from the bottom of the organization can lead to acts of incremental or radical innovation, whereby the existing organizational reality, the environment, and ICT applications are seen anew by the members of the organization. In the latter case, strategic information systems (SISs) are intimately associated with business renewal. SIS applications are those that are developed close to and serve the grass roots of the organization, where its core competencies and skills are daily deployed and perfected thanks to the myriad invisible acts of bricolage and hacking. Managers and specialists need to appreciate local fluctuations in systems practices as the repository of unique innovations, and commit adequate resources and attention to their cultivation, even if, or especially when, they fly in the face of more established, structured approaches.Less
This chapter argues that behind the enactment of strategic applications of ICT there are mundane modes of operation, such as bricolage, improvisation, or hacking. The bubbling up of new ideas from the bottom of the organization can lead to acts of incremental or radical innovation, whereby the existing organizational reality, the environment, and ICT applications are seen anew by the members of the organization. In the latter case, strategic information systems (SISs) are intimately associated with business renewal. SIS applications are those that are developed close to and serve the grass roots of the organization, where its core competencies and skills are daily deployed and perfected thanks to the myriad invisible acts of bricolage and hacking. Managers and specialists need to appreciate local fluctuations in systems practices as the repository of unique innovations, and commit adequate resources and attention to their cultivation, even if, or especially when, they fly in the face of more established, structured approaches.
Claudio Ciborra
- Published in print:
- 2004
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199275267
- eISBN:
- 9780191714399
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199275267.003.0005
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology
This chapter does not pursue further the view of technology as being endowed with independent action, or even intentions. Rather, it reflects on the idea that one of the main characteristics of ICT ...
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This chapter does not pursue further the view of technology as being endowed with independent action, or even intentions. Rather, it reflects on the idea that one of the main characteristics of ICT as a modern phenomenon in organizations and society is that it is á la dérive: the information infrastructure might have enhancing effects but it also drifts. Through such reflection, we encounter the phenomenological middle ground where intentions of people and other resources mingle and blur; where learning and recalcitrance, hacking and inertia show up simultaneously. This allows us to ponder the far-reaching and unpredictable trajectories of modern technology in organizations.Less
This chapter does not pursue further the view of technology as being endowed with independent action, or even intentions. Rather, it reflects on the idea that one of the main characteristics of ICT as a modern phenomenon in organizations and society is that it is á la dérive: the information infrastructure might have enhancing effects but it also drifts. Through such reflection, we encounter the phenomenological middle ground where intentions of people and other resources mingle and blur; where learning and recalcitrance, hacking and inertia show up simultaneously. This allows us to ponder the far-reaching and unpredictable trajectories of modern technology in organizations.
Chrisanthi Avgerou
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199263424
- eISBN:
- 9780191714252
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263424.003.0002
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter draws on institutionalist theory, which takes social structures and long-enduring organizing processes to be historically formed and culturally sustained. From this general theoretical ...
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This chapter draws on institutionalist theory, which takes social structures and long-enduring organizing processes to be historically formed and culturally sustained. From this general theoretical perspective, both management and ICT are seen as institutionally constituted. The chapter draws from studies which argued that far from being merely the outcome of rational knowledge, management know-how is the result of specific social processes. Rather than seeing ICT as a set of converging technologies that spread everywhere by virtue of their technical functionality, ICT is discussed as a network of industries, professions, and widely cultivated assumptions about the value of information, computers, and telecommunications in modern society.Less
This chapter draws on institutionalist theory, which takes social structures and long-enduring organizing processes to be historically formed and culturally sustained. From this general theoretical perspective, both management and ICT are seen as institutionally constituted. The chapter draws from studies which argued that far from being merely the outcome of rational knowledge, management know-how is the result of specific social processes. Rather than seeing ICT as a set of converging technologies that spread everywhere by virtue of their technical functionality, ICT is discussed as a network of industries, professions, and widely cultivated assumptions about the value of information, computers, and telecommunications in modern society.
Chrisanthi Avgerou
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780199263424
- eISBN:
- 9780191714252
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199263424.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Organization Studies
This chapter presents the case study of IKA, a social security organization in Greece. IKA is a public sector organization with computer services which run as inefficiently as its bureaucracy. From ...
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This chapter presents the case study of IKA, a social security organization in Greece. IKA is a public sector organization with computer services which run as inefficiently as its bureaucracy. From the early 1980s, IKA has conceived several strategies to use ICT for the modernization of the organization, but up until the end of the 1990s none of these had been implemented. To explain why IKA faced such severe difficulties in utilizing ICT, analysis of the case draws from sociological studies of the Greek public sector. These studies suggest that the modernization objectives associated with information systems innovation clashed with the covert mission of public administration in Greece as a political employer. The case study explains the annihilation of the efficiency potential of ICT by organization’s performance as a rational behaviour in terms of its hidden role.Less
This chapter presents the case study of IKA, a social security organization in Greece. IKA is a public sector organization with computer services which run as inefficiently as its bureaucracy. From the early 1980s, IKA has conceived several strategies to use ICT for the modernization of the organization, but up until the end of the 1990s none of these had been implemented. To explain why IKA faced such severe difficulties in utilizing ICT, analysis of the case draws from sociological studies of the Greek public sector. These studies suggest that the modernization objectives associated with information systems innovation clashed with the covert mission of public administration in Greece as a political employer. The case study explains the annihilation of the efficiency potential of ICT by organization’s performance as a rational behaviour in terms of its hidden role.
Paul A. David and Gavin Wright
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780197263471
- eISBN:
- 9780191734786
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- British Academy
- DOI:
- 10.5871/bacad/9780197263471.003.0005
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
This chapter analyses the relationship between the diffusion of general purpose technologies (GPTs) and surges in the growth of productivity. It first explores the dynamics of GPT diffusion by ...
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This chapter analyses the relationship between the diffusion of general purpose technologies (GPTs) and surges in the growth of productivity. It first explores the dynamics of GPT diffusion by considering the generic and differentiating aspects of the US experience with industrial electrification and in comparison with that of the UK and Japan. It then discusses the analogies and contrasts between the historical case of a socio-economic regime transition involving the electric dynamo and the modern experience of the information and communications technology (ICT).Less
This chapter analyses the relationship between the diffusion of general purpose technologies (GPTs) and surges in the growth of productivity. It first explores the dynamics of GPT diffusion by considering the generic and differentiating aspects of the US experience with industrial electrification and in comparison with that of the UK and Japan. It then discusses the analogies and contrasts between the historical case of a socio-economic regime transition involving the electric dynamo and the modern experience of the information and communications technology (ICT).
POH KAM WONG
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199243983
- eISBN:
- 9780191697319
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199243983.003.0010
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Singapore has undergone a great deal of economic growth since it gained political independence in 1959, and this is made evident through their 8.4% per annum real GDP growth, and how the country's ...
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Singapore has undergone a great deal of economic growth since it gained political independence in 1959, and this is made evident through their 8.4% per annum real GDP growth, and how the country's income level successfully went beyond the average level articulated by the OECD. With this growth, the country also improved and expanded their manufacturing endeavours, specifically those that involved the production of ICT goods. This chapter analyzes how the diffusion and adoption of ICT and the expansion in ICT production has brought about significant effects on Singapore's growing economy. This is done through clarifying the contribution of ICT in economic development, going over the trends in ICT production, and examining the contributions to productivity growth and GDP.Less
Singapore has undergone a great deal of economic growth since it gained political independence in 1959, and this is made evident through their 8.4% per annum real GDP growth, and how the country's income level successfully went beyond the average level articulated by the OECD. With this growth, the country also improved and expanded their manufacturing endeavours, specifically those that involved the production of ICT goods. This chapter analyzes how the diffusion and adoption of ICT and the expansion in ICT production has brought about significant effects on Singapore's growing economy. This is done through clarifying the contribution of ICT in economic development, going over the trends in ICT production, and examining the contributions to productivity growth and GDP.
KUK-HWAN JEONG, JEONG HUN OH, and ILSOON SHIN
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780199243983
- eISBN:
- 9780191697319
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199243983.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
In line with how our society is undergoing a transition towards a more information and knowledged-based society, questions have been raised regarding the contributions of investing on information and ...
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In line with how our society is undergoing a transition towards a more information and knowledged-based society, questions have been raised regarding the contributions of investing on information and communication technology (ICT) for the economy. In identifying policy issues that are connected with such questions, it is important first to understand the implications of ICT developments and diffusion, and how these may be experienced differently across several regions and sectors. This chapter attempts to determine appropriate data to conduct an empirical analysis specifically for Korea through examining ICT-related data on the labour force, capital stock, and investments during the period between 1980 and 1995. Here, the chapter makes use of the Korean Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC) and the Korean input/output (IO) table for ICT investment and capital stock data.Less
In line with how our society is undergoing a transition towards a more information and knowledged-based society, questions have been raised regarding the contributions of investing on information and communication technology (ICT) for the economy. In identifying policy issues that are connected with such questions, it is important first to understand the implications of ICT developments and diffusion, and how these may be experienced differently across several regions and sectors. This chapter attempts to determine appropriate data to conduct an empirical analysis specifically for Korea through examining ICT-related data on the labour force, capital stock, and investments during the period between 1980 and 1995. Here, the chapter makes use of the Korean Standard Industrial Classification (KSIC) and the Korean input/output (IO) table for ICT investment and capital stock data.
Richard G. Lipsey
- Published in print:
- 1999
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780198296058
- eISBN:
- 9780191596209
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0198296053.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, International
The view of globalization taken in this chapter is that it is but a subset of the immense number of structural adjustments that the world is undergoing as a result of the evolution of a related group ...
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The view of globalization taken in this chapter is that it is but a subset of the immense number of structural adjustments that the world is undergoing as a result of the evolution of a related group of new technologies usually referred to as information and communications technologies (ICT). Since the ICT revolution is causing many structural adjustments, including globalization, and since the rethinking of the role of governments is to a great extent driven by all of these structural changes, it is often hard to know what is due to globalization and what is due to other aspects of the adjustments wrought by the ICT revolution. So, the scope of this chapter is the nature of the ICT revolution, the deep structural adjustments that it is inducing, including globalization, and the rethinking of the place of the government in the economy—one major driving force of which is globalization. Sect. 2 of the chapter looks at technological and structural change in general and ends with globalization in particular, and Sect. 3 deals with what economists have traditionally regarded as the functions of the nation state. Sect. 4 develops the chapter's main theme,i.e., how technological change and globalization are altering views about the place of government in the economy and, in the process, leading to a new clash of ideologies.Less
The view of globalization taken in this chapter is that it is but a subset of the immense number of structural adjustments that the world is undergoing as a result of the evolution of a related group of new technologies usually referred to as information and communications technologies (ICT). Since the ICT revolution is causing many structural adjustments, including globalization, and since the rethinking of the role of governments is to a great extent driven by all of these structural changes, it is often hard to know what is due to globalization and what is due to other aspects of the adjustments wrought by the ICT revolution. So, the scope of this chapter is the nature of the ICT revolution, the deep structural adjustments that it is inducing, including globalization, and the rethinking of the place of the government in the economy—one major driving force of which is globalization. Sect. 2 of the chapter looks at technological and structural change in general and ends with globalization in particular, and Sect. 3 deals with what economists have traditionally regarded as the functions of the nation state. Sect. 4 develops the chapter's main theme,i.e., how technological change and globalization are altering views about the place of government in the economy and, in the process, leading to a new clash of ideologies.
Chris Freeman and Francisco Louçã
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199251056
- eISBN:
- 9780191596278
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199251053.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Economic History
US technological leadership and domination of the world economy were further enhanced by the extraordinarily rapid rate of technical change and output growth in the semiconductor, computer, and ...
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US technological leadership and domination of the world economy were further enhanced by the extraordinarily rapid rate of technical change and output growth in the semiconductor, computer, and telecommunications industries in which American firms played a leading role and to which American universities made a vital contribution.Whereas some historians have cast doubts on the pervasiveness and the magnitude of the effects of earlier technological revolutions, such as the railways, few doubt the significance of the Information Technology Revolution and some, such as Castells, see it as ushering in a new type of economy and even a new civilization.Just as in the 1920s the Hoover Report had stressed that changes in mass production technology and other business developments had given rise to a new style of management, so many economists and management consultants today stress the ways in which the new ICT infrastructure and especially the Internet are bringing in a new type of firm—the ‘network firm’ organizing both production and distribution in entirely new ways.Great uncertainty still attends more profound social and political changes associated with ICT including the diminished capabilities of national governments to tax and regulate powerful multinational firms and the rise of a new culture of ‘virtual reality’.Less
US technological leadership and domination of the world economy were further enhanced by the extraordinarily rapid rate of technical change and output growth in the semiconductor, computer, and telecommunications industries in which American firms played a leading role and to which American universities made a vital contribution.
Whereas some historians have cast doubts on the pervasiveness and the magnitude of the effects of earlier technological revolutions, such as the railways, few doubt the significance of the Information Technology Revolution and some, such as Castells, see it as ushering in a new type of economy and even a new civilization.
Just as in the 1920s the Hoover Report had stressed that changes in mass production technology and other business developments had given rise to a new style of management, so many economists and management consultants today stress the ways in which the new ICT infrastructure and especially the Internet are bringing in a new type of firm—the ‘network firm’ organizing both production and distribution in entirely new ways.
Great uncertainty still attends more profound social and political changes associated with ICT including the diminished capabilities of national governments to tax and regulate powerful multinational firms and the rise of a new culture of ‘virtual reality’.
Jan Fagerberg
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199258178
- eISBN:
- 9780191595868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258171.003.0003
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Europe's performance relative to the USA and countries in Asia is a topic that greatly preoccupies policy makers who are concerned that the European Union (EU) is losing ground compared with other, ...
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Europe's performance relative to the USA and countries in Asia is a topic that greatly preoccupies policy makers who are concerned that the European Union (EU) is losing ground compared with other, more dynamic parts of the world. This chapter points to disconcerting trends in EU performance: productivity growth has slowed down relative to competitors; export competitiveness has deteriorated in all areas except agriculture and raw materials; losses have been manifest in the technologically most sophisticated industries, particularly in ICT (information and communication technology), which requires innovation‐based growth; and a failure to create employment on a scale at all comparable with that of the USA or Japan, with obvious repercussions for unemployment. While until recently there was a tendency towards convergence in productivity and income between European regions, there are now signs of a reversal of this trend. These issues are discussed including the possible role of European economic integration in lack of market competitiveness.Less
Europe's performance relative to the USA and countries in Asia is a topic that greatly preoccupies policy makers who are concerned that the European Union (EU) is losing ground compared with other, more dynamic parts of the world. This chapter points to disconcerting trends in EU performance: productivity growth has slowed down relative to competitors; export competitiveness has deteriorated in all areas except agriculture and raw materials; losses have been manifest in the technologically most sophisticated industries, particularly in ICT (information and communication technology), which requires innovation‐based growth; and a failure to create employment on a scale at all comparable with that of the USA or Japan, with obvious repercussions for unemployment. While until recently there was a tendency towards convergence in productivity and income between European regions, there are now signs of a reversal of this trend. These issues are discussed including the possible role of European economic integration in lack of market competitiveness.
Chris Freeman
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780199258178
- eISBN:
- 9780191595868
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0199258171.003.0009
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
This chapter argues that the phenomenon of international equality and the related problem of inequality within countries may best be understood in the light of a systematic theory of technical change ...
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This chapter argues that the phenomenon of international equality and the related problem of inequality within countries may best be understood in the light of a systematic theory of technical change and long cycles in economic growth. The first section briefly introduces the theme of widening gaps between rich and poor countries, and the next discusses the analogous problem of widening gaps in the distribution of income within countries. The third section links these problems of inequality to long‐term changes in technology and to the problems of ‘catch‐up’ by countries that have fallen behind. The fourth section relates this discussion to contemporary problems of catch‐up in information and communication technology (ICT). The final section presents conclusions and points to some important differences between the international and national dimensions of inequality.Less
This chapter argues that the phenomenon of international equality and the related problem of inequality within countries may best be understood in the light of a systematic theory of technical change and long cycles in economic growth. The first section briefly introduces the theme of widening gaps between rich and poor countries, and the next discusses the analogous problem of widening gaps in the distribution of income within countries. The third section links these problems of inequality to long‐term changes in technology and to the problems of ‘catch‐up’ by countries that have fallen behind. The fourth section relates this discussion to contemporary problems of catch‐up in information and communication technology (ICT). The final section presents conclusions and points to some important differences between the international and national dimensions of inequality.
Robin Mansell (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296553
- eISBN:
- 9780191685231
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296553.001.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Innovation
This book analyses different aspects of life and work within ‘the heart of the ICT Revolution’. The book engages with the disciplines of sociology, political science, media and communication studies, ...
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This book analyses different aspects of life and work within ‘the heart of the ICT Revolution’. The book engages with the disciplines of sociology, political science, media and communication studies, and management, providing information for business practitioners and policy makers who wish to understand the significance of digital technologies for society, the economy, and social organisation.Less
This book analyses different aspects of life and work within ‘the heart of the ICT Revolution’. The book engages with the disciplines of sociology, political science, media and communication studies, and management, providing information for business practitioners and policy makers who wish to understand the significance of digital technologies for society, the economy, and social organisation.
Peter F. Cowhey and Jonathan D. Aronson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262012850
- eISBN:
- 9780262255066
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262012850.001.0001
- Subject:
- Information Science, Communications
Innovation in information and communication technology (ICT) fuels the growth of the global economy. How ICT markets evolve depends on politics and policy, and since the 1950s, periodic overhauls of ...
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Innovation in information and communication technology (ICT) fuels the growth of the global economy. How ICT markets evolve depends on politics and policy, and since the 1950s, periodic overhauls of ICT policy have transformed competition and innovation. For example, in the 1980s and the 1990s, a revolution in communication policy (the introduction of sweeping competition) also transformed the information market. Today, the diffusion of Internet, wireless, and broadband technology; growing modularity in the design of technologies; distributed computing infrastructures; and rapidly changing business models signal another shift. This pathbreaking examination of ICT from a political economy perspective argues that continued rapid innovation and economic growth require new approaches in global governance which will reconcile diverse interests and enable competition to flourish. The authors (two of whom were architects of international ICT policy reforms in the 1990s) discuss this crucial turning point in both theoretical and practical terms.Less
Innovation in information and communication technology (ICT) fuels the growth of the global economy. How ICT markets evolve depends on politics and policy, and since the 1950s, periodic overhauls of ICT policy have transformed competition and innovation. For example, in the 1980s and the 1990s, a revolution in communication policy (the introduction of sweeping competition) also transformed the information market. Today, the diffusion of Internet, wireless, and broadband technology; growing modularity in the design of technologies; distributed computing infrastructures; and rapidly changing business models signal another shift. This pathbreaking examination of ICT from a political economy perspective argues that continued rapid innovation and economic growth require new approaches in global governance which will reconcile diverse interests and enable competition to flourish. The authors (two of whom were architects of international ICT policy reforms in the 1990s) discuss this crucial turning point in both theoretical and practical terms.
Robin Mansell
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296553
- eISBN:
- 9780191685231
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296553.003.0001
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Innovation
With the advent of new digital information and communication technologies (ICT), new patterns of social and technical interactions can be observed. Such developments in digital tools are found to be ...
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With the advent of new digital information and communication technologies (ICT), new patterns of social and technical interactions can be observed. Such developments in digital tools are found to be associated with improvements in society or in an individual’s interaction within society. This book looks into the notion that such developments can be advantageous for both society and the economy. Also, the book analyses instances wherein controlling the use of these technologies can influence social outcomes regarding the use of other means of communication. This introductory chapter establishes the framework and themes that are used to discuss the two main parts of the book. The first is concerned with how ICTs are used in mediating social and technical relationships, while the second is concerned with individual and collective learning processes that aid in the development of new forms and processes of knowledge exchange.Less
With the advent of new digital information and communication technologies (ICT), new patterns of social and technical interactions can be observed. Such developments in digital tools are found to be associated with improvements in society or in an individual’s interaction within society. This book looks into the notion that such developments can be advantageous for both society and the economy. Also, the book analyses instances wherein controlling the use of these technologies can influence social outcomes regarding the use of other means of communication. This introductory chapter establishes the framework and themes that are used to discuss the two main parts of the book. The first is concerned with how ICTs are used in mediating social and technical relationships, while the second is concerned with individual and collective learning processes that aid in the development of new forms and processes of knowledge exchange.
Andreas Credé
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296553
- eISBN:
- 9780191685231
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296553.003.0007
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Innovation
Although the banking sector is very labour-intensive, banks have invested large amounts on both computer hardware and software. Savings intermediation — the process where individuals entrust their ...
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Although the banking sector is very labour-intensive, banks have invested large amounts on both computer hardware and software. Savings intermediation — the process where individuals entrust their money to banks rather than directly managing their funds — involves complex information exchange. The application of ICTs enables the automation of some aspects of the information exchange process, thus resulting in ‘dis-intermediation’. Because of the rise of new technology, the need for financial intermediaries may eventually be eradicated. Evidence presented in this chapter proposes the selective adoption of ICTs in the banking industry. Rather than information processing, this chapter focuses on the various forms of human communication. The chapter discusses how financial intermediaries enable ‘repersonalization’ of data in the intermediation processes in the banking industry.Less
Although the banking sector is very labour-intensive, banks have invested large amounts on both computer hardware and software. Savings intermediation — the process where individuals entrust their money to banks rather than directly managing their funds — involves complex information exchange. The application of ICTs enables the automation of some aspects of the information exchange process, thus resulting in ‘dis-intermediation’. Because of the rise of new technology, the need for financial intermediaries may eventually be eradicated. Evidence presented in this chapter proposes the selective adoption of ICTs in the banking industry. Rather than information processing, this chapter focuses on the various forms of human communication. The chapter discusses how financial intermediaries enable ‘repersonalization’ of data in the intermediation processes in the banking industry.
Robin Mansell
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198296553
- eISBN:
- 9780191685231
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198296553.003.0012
- Subject:
- Business and Management, Information Technology, Innovation
This concluding chapter points out how the empirical studies presented in this book are all concerned with the sites of interaction between social and technological processes. The focuses of these ...
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This concluding chapter points out how the empirical studies presented in this book are all concerned with the sites of interaction between social and technological processes. The focuses of these studies include how social processes promote the use of ICTs, how social processes influence procedural and institutional governance simultaneously emerging with the growth of Internet use, and how social processes were involved in the early design of various technological systems. By combining the results derived from the previous chapters, this chapter summarizes the important points and plots them in a wider framework to arrive at how a research agenda regarding social and technical mediation could be further developed.Less
This concluding chapter points out how the empirical studies presented in this book are all concerned with the sites of interaction between social and technological processes. The focuses of these studies include how social processes promote the use of ICTs, how social processes influence procedural and institutional governance simultaneously emerging with the growth of Internet use, and how social processes were involved in the early design of various technological systems. By combining the results derived from the previous chapters, this chapter summarizes the important points and plots them in a wider framework to arrive at how a research agenda regarding social and technical mediation could be further developed.
Roger Brownsword
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780199276806
- eISBN:
- 9780191707605
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199276806.003.0005
- Subject:
- Law, Intellectual Property, IT, and Media Law
This chapter examines two important attempts to develop our regulatory intelligence: the 20 basic principles for the guidance of regulators gathered together by Stuart Biegel at the conclusion of ...
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This chapter examines two important attempts to develop our regulatory intelligence: the 20 basic principles for the guidance of regulators gathered together by Stuart Biegel at the conclusion of Beyond Our Control?, and the five starting points for regulators critically examined by Bert-Jaap Koops and his Tilburg co-authors in Starting Points for ICT Regulation. The chapter proceeds as follows. First, the concept of regulatory effectiveness and its relationship with regulatory economy and efficiency are discussed. Secondly, some salient features of our general regulatory intelligence, particularly underlining the risks of regulatory over-reach, of regulatory capture and of regulation having unintended (negative) consequences are considered. Thirdly, Biegel's 20 principles are reconstructed as a general guide to effective regulation. Finally, the chapter considers how the ICT starting points might contribute to our understanding of regulatory effectiveness.Less
This chapter examines two important attempts to develop our regulatory intelligence: the 20 basic principles for the guidance of regulators gathered together by Stuart Biegel at the conclusion of Beyond Our Control?, and the five starting points for regulators critically examined by Bert-Jaap Koops and his Tilburg co-authors in Starting Points for ICT Regulation. The chapter proceeds as follows. First, the concept of regulatory effectiveness and its relationship with regulatory economy and efficiency are discussed. Secondly, some salient features of our general regulatory intelligence, particularly underlining the risks of regulatory over-reach, of regulatory capture and of regulation having unintended (negative) consequences are considered. Thirdly, Biegel's 20 principles are reconstructed as a general guide to effective regulation. Finally, the chapter considers how the ICT starting points might contribute to our understanding of regulatory effectiveness.
