Diffusion of mobile phones in Portugal: unexpected success?

This paper begins with a somewhat paradoxical situation: Portugal is one of the less innovative countries within the European Union by most innovation indicators but, simultaneously, it is a leading country in the diffusion of mobile phones. The remarkable evolution of the mobile telecommunications sector over the last 15 years turns the issue a little more intriguing. This paper addresses the diffusion of mobile phones in Portugal and focuses particularly on the take-off stage, which signalled a sudden change in the pattern of diffusion. The introduction of an innovation – prepaid cards – explains most of the change in the diffusion curve occurred around 1996 and the subsequent increase in the penetration rate. Prior known research has not considered pre-paid cards an important determinant of mobile phone diffusion, but pre-paid services had an enormous impact on the rate of adoption of mobile phones in many countries and it is the major take-off determinant of mobile phone diffusion in Portugal. The time lag between the launching of this innovation in Portugal and its adoption by other EU countries explains why Portugal not just caught up with the EU average mobile phone penetration rate around 1996, but moved ahead of it from then on

Is There a Global Digital Divide for Digital Wireless Phone Technologies?

This research examines digital wireless phone adoption among nations and regions that will help to provide a picture of the current global digital divide. The data are drawn from 43 countries. We present a new theoretical perspective for IS research: a regional contagion theory of technology diffusion. We examine the efficacy of the new theory using empirical regularities analysis, and a vector autoregression and variance decomposition approach to establish information about the strength of the regional contagion links between countries in digital wireless phone diffusion. We found that faster growth of digital wireless phones occurs when a country has: a more well-developed telecommunications infrastructure, more competition in the wireless market, lower wireless network access costs, and fewer wireless technology standards. We also obtained a reading on cross-national influence of wireless diffusion. The countries we studied fell into three regional contagion groups: high, medium and low. The Asia Pacific countries revealed a pattern of homogeneously high regional contagion links, while Western European countries were divided across the three groups. Our findings are supported by a descriptive analysis of diffusion patterns and mini-case assessments

Technology adoption and the role of government: examining the national information and communication technology policies in developing countries

With this dissertation, I seek to provide an in-depth understanding of the role developing country governments can play in accelerating ICT adoption. By analyzing the institutional, technology, and market factors, this study seeks to provide a solid foundation for examining the design and implementation of successful ICT strategies. This research uses a combination of empirical and case study evidence to highlight the key challenges of reforming ICT policies and institutions within developing countries. Further, this study clarifies the role of national governments in sponsoring and promoting ICT access and usage. Currently, there is a growing disparity between those developing countries that have successfully integrated ICTs into their economies and those that have not. Many developing countries have created national ICT policies and institutions to bolster technological deployment with the goal of supporting productivity gains and new business development. However, for many countries, these initiatives have not translated to higher levels of ICT adoption or improved economic development. This has left developing country governments with a great deal of uncertainty over what policies to implement and which initiatives to fund. The case study analysis within this study has identified several key barriers to accelerating ICT adoption within developing countries. These barriers include a lack of affordable services, low levels of local expertise, and poor infrastructure, which combine to prevent latecomer countries from developing self-sustaining demand within the sector. This study’s results suggest that the critical determinant for overcoming these barriers is a high level of government involvement after ICT market privatization. Those developing countries with accelerated growth in their ICT sectors tend to have institutions capable of adapting their policies and institutions to the rapid pace technological and market evolution. This is also confirmed by my empirical research, which showed a positive and significant relationship between ICT institutions and levels of ICT adoption, while controlling for economic and social factors. In contrast, those developing country governments without an active role in regulating ICT competition or supporting ICT adoption and innovation have been unable to sustain rapid growth of their sector

Disrupting aviation: an exploratory study of the opportunities and risks of tablet computers in commercial flight operations

Commercial flight operational safety has dramatically improved in the last 30 years because of enhanced crew coordination, communication, leadership and team development. Technology insertion into cockpit operations, however, has been shown to create crew distractions, resulting in flight safety risks, limited use given policy limitations and difficulty in establishing standard operating procedures. With the recent introduction of tablet computers into the flight cockpit as a substitute for paper-based manuals and navigation charts, the risk of human error may be increased. Though portable electronics, known as electronic flight bags, have been present of the flight deck for a decade, introduction of tablet computers as their replacements offers unique challenges, given the ability to communicate and share information outside established aviation channels. This research explored the opportunities that this technology insertion offers to commercial aviation in areas such as knowledge sharing and operational performance improvement. The results indicate that the opportunities were not realized with the initial implementation because the pilots did not accept the technology due to inadequate training coupled with restrictive policies concerning use

Electronic security - risk mitigation in financial transactions : public policy issues

This paper builds on a previous series of papers (see Claessens, Glaessner, and Klingebiel, 2001, 2002) that identified electronic security as a key component to the delivery of electronic finance benefits. This paper and its technical annexes (available separately at http://www1.worldbank.org/finance/) identify and discuss seven key pillars necessary to fostering a secure electronic environment. Hence, it is intended for those formulating broad policies in the area of electronic security and those working with financial services providers (for example, executives and management). The detailed annexes of this paper are especially relevant for chief information and security officers responsible for establishing layered security. First, this paper provides definitions of electronic finance and electronic security and explains why these issues deserve attention. Next, it presents a picture of the burgeoning global electronic security industry. Then it develops a risk-management framework for understanding the risks and tradeoffs inherent in the electronic security infrastructure. It also provides examples of tradeoffs that may arise with respect to technological innovation, privacy, quality of service, and security in designing an electronic security policy framework. Finally, it outlines issues in seven interrelated areas that often need attention in building an adequate electronic security infrastructure. These are: 1) The legal framework and enforcement. 2) Electronic security of payment systems. 3) Supervision and prevention challenges. 4) The role of private insurance as an essential monitoring mechanism. 5) Certification, standards, and the role of the public and private sectors. 6) Improving the accuracy of information on electronic security incidents and creating better arrangements for sharing this information. 7) Improving overall education on these issues as a key to enhancing prevention.Knowledge Economy,Labor Policies,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Payment Systems&Infrastructure,Banks&Banking Reform,Education for the Knowledge Economy,Knowledge Economy,Banks&Banking Reform,International Terrorism&Counterterrorism,Governance Indicators

Imagination of Mobile Media Through Advertising: Thematic Analysis of 4G and 5G Ads in China and the US

HonorsUniversity of Michiganhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/162682/1/zfw.pd

Functional analysis of stability and variability in multiple forward somersaulting dives from the 3m springboard

Springboard diving is an evolving sport, with the degree of difficulty increasing for competition success. Understanding the underlying coordination strategies associated with performing complex dives is important to optimise performance. The overall aim of this body of work was to implement modern technology to investigate within-participant variability of springboard divers. Following accuracy testing, IMUs were used to measure multiple forward somersault dives. Discrete angular kinematic analysis demonstrated that divers achieved consistent Total Flight angular displacements by using a feedback control strategy to link and adapt the timing and rate of angular deceleration during the Opening phase. fPCA was employed to more definitively examine structural differences and magnitude of repetitive technical movement characteristics of angular velocity time-series. fPCA demonstrated that lower skill was associated with a random structure of angular velocity performance, larger magnitudes of variability and a larger number of significant correlations between angular velocity and performance kinematics. This was associated with learning to link the multiple phases of dive flight. Divers performing at a higher level of proficiency were more stable in their repeated performances, exhibiting greater aerial awareness and utilising a prospective feedback strategy. This allowed the more experienced divers to functionally adapt and control their angular velocity throughout the entire movement sequence. Within-participant study designs are important to preserve and understand the underlying nature, technique and strategies of individuals. It is recommended that future research should move from between-participant study designs, which produce normative values of performance, to within-participant designs to more proficiently examine individual performance, optimise technique, reduce performance error and improve overall skill

Entry Strategy for Radical Product Innovations: A Conceptual Model and Propositional Inventory

“Takeoff” is a prerequisite for new product success. The central concern of this paper is how firms can reduce “takeoff time” for radical innovations. We propose a set of entry strategies and examine their effectiveness in stimulating initial demand and accelerating time-to-takeoff by considering the moderating impact of technological, competitive and firm-specific factors. The intended contributions are: (1) to enrich the literature on entry strategy by developing a propositional framework from a strategy perspective; (2) to provide managerial guidelines for achieving more rapid takeoff; and (3) to suggest an agenda for research on takeoff strategies