Beyond Economy: Impact of National Cultural Values on Nationwide Broadband Difffusion.

Abstract

This study examines how the non-conventional factors of national cultural values and government involvement affect the diffusion of broadband Internet technologies in various nations around the world. An innovative element of the study was the examination of the influence patterns at different stages of diffusion, which was measured by the number of years taken to pass a certain threshold level of diffusion. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted on data from 64 countries that was collected from 1996 to 2006. Prominent national cultural value variables were constructed using survey data from Hofstede and Inglehart’s cross-national surveys. The overall findings of this study indicate that non-conventional factors are significantly correlated with both broadband Internet diffusion level and broadband Internet diffusion speed at each diffusion stage. Furthermore, analysis of broadband Internet diffusion level confirmed that the models explaining nationwide broadband Internet diffusion for developing and developing countries are markedly different. The analysis concludes with implications for further research and public policy in the realm of information and communication technology.