Information And Communication Technology Industry Research Articles

Growing Technological Relatedness to the ICT Industry and Its Impacts

In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, industries across various sectors are increasingly leveraging information and communication technologies (ICT) to drive innovation and gain a competitive edge. Our study reveals that, as industries become more closely connected to the ICT sector, they experience a significant shift in their innovation processes and outcomes. By analyzing 1.3 million U.S. patents granted between 1981 and 2010, we demonstrate that industries with stronger ties to the ICT sector (i.e., higher “ICT-closeness”) exhibit a greater proportion of ICT technologies in their patent portfolios and enhanced complementarity between ICT and non-ICT patents. Furthermore, ICT-Closeness results in greater innovation efficiency (the number of patents per R&D capital), recombinant creation (the creation of new technological combinations), recombinant reuse (the refinement and reuse of known technological combinations), and the creation of new business models. These findings have important implications for practitioners. Specifically, our research highlights the importance of strategically integrating ICT into their technological innovations. Managers should actively seek opportunities to collaborate with and learn from the ICT sector to enhance their innovative capabilities, create new products, services, and business methods, and ultimately gain a competitive advantage. However, they must also be prepared for the heightened competition that comes with increased ICT-closeness, as it can lead to winner-take-all dynamics and market turbulence.

Consumer Behaviour on AI Applications for Services: Measuring the Impact of Value-Based Adoption Model on Luxurious AI Resorts’ Applications

Abstract Focussing on consumer behaviour analysis derived from the changes in Information and Communications Technology (ICT), the purpose of this study is to analyse the primary content factors that influence consumers’ attitudes and behavioural intentions in the hospitality industry. The present study is the first to investigate how benefits (happiness and perceived immersion) and sacrifices (trust and changes in habits) can predict consumers’ attitudes of acceptance and willingness to pay for artificially intelligent (AI) luxurious resort applications (apps). The researchers employed structural equation modelling to analyse the relationship between technology adoption and specific factors that influence customers’ perceived value in the hospitality industry. The research aims to expand on the theory of the Value Adoption Model (VAM). Based on the findings, AI-powered apps for high-end resorts have a tendency to boost tourists’ confidence and willingness to use and pay for these apps, as well as increase their perceived value. Happiness has an impact on behavioural intentions, while perceived immersion and changes in habits influence the outcomes related to intentions to ultimately accept and purchase them. The findings can benefit both ICT and the hospitality industry. Managers in the ICT industry should collaborate with researchers in service management who are exploring the challenges of technology adoption. Managerial implications and recommendations for future research are extensively provided.

Cloud-Based Accounting Information Systems and Financial Reporting Quality of Listed Information and Communication Technology Firms in Nigeria

The confluence of cloud-based Accounting Information Systems (AIS) adoption and financial reporting quality within Nigeria's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is explored in this study. Given the dynamic landscape of the ICT industry characterized by technological advancements, evolving market dynamics, and regulatory shifts, ICT firms are increasingly turning to cloud-based AIS to streamline their accounting processes and adapt to changing business requirements. The population of the study consists of all eight (8) Information and Communication Technology (ICT) enterprises that are listed on the Nigerian Exchange Group as of 31st December 2022. As a result, this study delves into the impact of Cloud-Based AIS adoption on the Financial Reporting Quality of Listed ICT Firms in Nigeria over a decade-long period from 2013 to 2022. Utilizing a Panel Regression Technique (Random Effect Model), the study identifies a significant overall effect of Cloud-Based AIS on the Financial Reporting Quality of Listed ICT Firms in Nigeria. Moreover, it highlights the significant influence of Cloud Security Investment on financial reporting quality among ICT firms in Nigeria, while Cloud Expenditure Growth is found to have no statistically significant effect. The study emphasizes the need for strategic resource allocation and exploration of cost optimization opportunities, given that cloud expenditure growth may not directly impact financial reporting quality. However, the study recommends for prioritizing cloud security investments to safeguard financial data integrity, mitigate cybersecurity risks, and enhance trust in financial reporting practices, thereby bolstering investor confidence.

An assessment of the carbon emissions of China's ICT system from the demand and supply perspectives

Previous research has predominantly examined China's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry's carbon emissions through the lens of technological progress, overlooking impacts from both demand and supply perspectives. We employ a subsystem input-output model to analyze the total emissions of China's ICT industry from 2002 to 2020, decomposing them into direct, intra-sectoral, feedback, and spillover components from both perspectives. Our findings reveal that between 2002 and 2020, demand-driven emissions increased by 205.1 %, while supply-driven emissions surged by 496.4 %. From both demand and supply perspectives, the spillover component emerged as the dominant contributor from 2002 to 2020, particularly in 2020, accounting for more than 99 % of the total emissions. From a demand-driven perspective, we identify ICT manufacturing as the primary emissions source, contributing to over 66 % of the total emissions during the period and triggering significant spillover emissions in the power and heavy manufacturing sectors. Conversely, the supply-driven approach highlights ICT services as the major emitter, accounting for over 70 % of the total emissions between 2002 and 2020, with notable spillover effects observed in the transport sector. We highlight the significance of shaping consumption behaviors related to ICT manufacturing products and improving emissions efficiency in electricity and heavy manufacturing, both crucial intermediate inputs in ICT production, from a demand perspective. From a supply perspective, promoting the adoption of clean technologies among downstream users of ICT services could aid China's emissions mitigation efforts in the digital era.

Emerging ICT clusters in the Western Balkans: A convergence model based on financial statement analysis

The Western Balkans is experiencing an ongoing inflow of foreign direct investments (FDI) in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry as several European enterprises have already established their presence in the region. These inflows have generated large-scale ICT investments in the region, creating new knowledge-based clusters and technology spillovers in regional economies. On the basis of financial statement indicators collected for 327 European and regional ICT enterprises and on panel data estimation, this paper tries to estimate technology transfer in the Western Balkan region. Specifically, the proposed model examines cluster spillover effects in improving the absorptive capacity of the Western Balkan region in creating a pool of specialized local suppliers and a talented regional labor force. Model estimation results indicate that limited spillover effects have occurred from the newly created clusters of European ICT enterprises in the regional economy of the Western Balkan region. Spillovers related to improved technical capabilities, increased labor productivity, higher resource efficiency, and flexible operational structures require further stimulation to speed up convergence and integration of the local ICT industry in the corresponding European value chain. Finally, this paper concludes that competitive advantages such as a cheap labor force are no longer feasible for sustainable development. To narrow down the existing know-how gap, particular efforts are required regarding policies focused on educating human capital and transforming regional enterprises to successfully compete in the European market.

Research on the evolution and determinants of knowledge transfer network in patent-intensive industries

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the structural characteristics, spatial evolution paths and internal driving mechanisms of the knowledge transfer (KT) network in China’s patent-intensive industries (PIIs). The authors' goal is to provide valuable insights to inform policy-making that fosters the development of relevant industries. The authors also aim to offer a fresh perspective for future spatiotemporal studies on industrial KT and innovation networks.Design/methodology/approachIn this study, the authors analyze the patent transfer (PT) data of listed companies in China’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry, spanning from 2010 to 2021. The authors use social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure (QAP) method to explore the problem of China’s PIIs KT from the perspectives of technical characteristics evolution, network and spatial evolution and internal driving mechanisms.FindingsThe results indicate that the knowledge fields involved in the PT of China’s ICT industry primarily focus on digital information transmission technology. From 2010 to 2021, the scale of the ICT industry’s KT network expanded rapidly. However, the polarization of industrial knowledge distribution is becoming more serious. QAP regression analysis shows that economic proximity and geographical proximity do not affect KT activities. The similarity of knowledge application capacity, innovation capacity and technology demand categories in various regions has a certain degree of impact on KT in the ICT industry.Originality/valueThe current research on PIIs mainly focuses on measuring economic contributions and innovation efficiency, but less on KT in PIIs. This study explores KT in PIIs from the perspectives of technological characteristics, network and spatial evolution. The authors propose a theoretical framework to understand the internal driving mechanisms of industrial KT networks.

Inter-industry and intra-industry switching as sources of productivity growth: structural change of Finland’s ICT industries

Structural change is an important driver of productivity growth at the aggregate level. While previous productivity decompositions account for the contributions of market entry and exit, they overlook continuing firms that switch from one industry to another. We develop an improved productivity decomposition that accounts for both intra-industry and inter-industry switching, is applicable to both static and inter-temporal settings, and ensures consistent aggregation of firm-level productivity to the industry level. The proposed decomposition is applied to Finland’s information and communication technology (ICT) industry in the first two decades of the 21st century. This industry experienced major structural changes due to the rapid downfall of Nokia, the world’s largest mobile phone manufacturer at the beginning of our study period. Our results reveal that the sharp decline of labor productivity was associated with structural changes, whereas the surviving firms that continued in the same industry managed to improve their productivity. Our results indicate that industry switching can dampen or enhance the productivity impacts of structural change, especially during times of crisis and recession.

How does Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry agglomeration affect carbon emission efficiency? Evidence from China.

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry takes on critical significance in promoting economic development and reducing carbon emissions. From the agglomeration perspective, how the ICT industry agglomeration affects carbon emission efficiency (CEE) in 30 provinces in China from 2006 to 2020 is innovatively investigated. We measured CEE using a dynamic directional distance function-based DEA model. Then, based on the research hypotheses, the specific impact and transmission mechanism of ICT industrial agglomeration on CEE are revealed using a spatial Dubin model and a threshold panel model. The results show that: (1) the ICT industry agglomeration exerts a remarkable inverted "U-shaped" effect on CEE. This non-linear effect is significant in the eastern and central regions, but not in the western region. (2) ICT industry agglomeration can affect CEE in neighboring regions. The spatial spillover effect shows an inverted "U-shaped" in the central region, positive in the western region, and insignificant in the eastern region. (3) when green technology innovation exceeds the threshold value (4.948), ICT industry agglomeration positively affects CEE, and when energy structure exceeds the threshold value (0.389), their marginal effects are significantly negative. The threshold effect also shows regional heterogeneity. This research proposes policy recommendations focusing on accelerating the ICT industry transformation, leveraging the spillover and technological advantages of agglomeration, and enhancing regional cooperation.

The Internationalization Process of Tunisian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Africa

In this paper, the author analyzes the role of several determinants in the internationalization process of Tunisian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Africa and their consequent performance. A quantitative study was carried out on 46 companies operating in information and communication technologies (ICTs). SPSS and Smart PLS were used to analyze the obtained data. The results demonstrate the importance of the total mediating role of international entrepreneurial orientation (IEO) in the relationship between competitiveness and international performance. However, networking generates a direct effect on international performance. Tunisian SMEs in the ICT industry are called upon to review their African-market methods of management and inspection to guarantee optimal use of resources and avoid the loss of business opportunities. Besides, according to this research, the weight of Tunisian SMEs’ competitive advantage allows them to adopt entrepreneurial behavior characterized by innovation, proactivity and risk-taking in Africa. This pushes them to adopt a permanent design and adaptation of valuable methods of value creation, innovation, and localization of opportunities. This entrepreneurial behavior also compels companies to better structure their management, develop skills of intuition and anticipation in the market, take risks as well as initiatives and consequently achieve greater performance and sustainability.

Exploring the Challenges Facing the ICT Industry Innovation Processes in Tanzania

One strategic area in research and development is to promote innovation for economic development and technology transfer. In a knowledge-based economy, innovation is omnipresent, and its significance is never disputed. Tanzania is aware that information and communication technology (ICT) is the major enabler of socio-economic growth; hence, it needs more ICT innovations, which has shown a slow growth due to many challenges. ICT innovation has significantly impacted private sectors compared to public sectors. The main challenge is mainly in public sectors and individuals. The study explores ICT innovation challenges towards effective participation in innovation actors. The methodology includes a systematic literature review and the primary data collected from the case study area on Tanzania's public and private sectors. The study revealed that though funding and capital to Innovation factors are the major challenges, more challenges have been explored. The study comes up with best practices to persuade ICT innovation participation from the grassroots to the university.

Differences in carbon emissions between the digital economy sectors in China and the USA.

In an era of rapid development of digital technologies and dramatic global climate change, digital economy is crucial to achieving the 'carbon peak' and 'carbon neutral' goals. However, less research has been done in the area of indirect carbon emissions in the digital economy sector. Therefore, this study uses an input-output model to calculate the embodied carbon emissions of the ICT (information and communication technology) industry in China and the USA in 2005, 2010 and 2016 from the production and consumption sides. Moreover, a comparative analysis is conducted in terms of the driving factors of carbon emissions and the relationship between emissions and economic benefits in the two countries. The results reveal that emissions are larger on the production side in the USA and on the consumption side in China. For both countries, electricity is the largest upstream sector in terms of emissions. ICT in the USA causes sectoral emissions mainly in manufacturing and services. While China mainly causes sectoral emissions in manufacturing. The US ICT sector is more economically efficient for the same emissions. Regarding drivers, the primary driver of the fall in emissions is a reduction in emission intensity. The increase in emissions driven by final demand is greater in China than in the USA. Finally, the results of the two countries are extended to other developed countries and emerging economies, providing recommendations for reducing carbon emissions in the ICT sector.

Comparative Cross-Market Research of ICT Industry Impact on World Goods Markets: a Quantitative Research

The rapid advancement of information and communications technology (ICT) has had a transformative impact on global markets. This article presents a comparative cross-market research study aimed at understanding the influence of the ICT industry on global goods markets, encompassing both advanced and developing economies.

What limits the innovation efficiency in China's ICT industry? A two-stage dynamic network slacks-based measure approach

ABSTRACT Based on the innovation value chain theory, the innovation process of the information and communication technology (ICT) firms is not only decomposed into R&D and commercialisation activities, but also its dynamic characteristics should be included in the evaluation system. To seek the underlying reasons for the inefficiency, a two-stage dynamic network DEA model within the SBM structure has been applied to assess the innovation efficiency along with the R&D capability and commercialisation performance. The results show that the innovation efficiency of the Chinese ICT industry shows a continuous decline due to the constraints of firms’ R&D capabilities. Similarly, the heterogeneity exists within the ICT industry; The four sub-industries has its own strengths, but they also exhibit high market efficiency and low R&D efficiency. Private companies show a higher level of R&D and commercialisation than SOEs in both stages.

Supporting ICT employment opportunities for women in Egypt

Supporting ICT employment opportunities for women in Egypt Ragui Assaad and Irene Selwaness examine the increase of women in ICT jobs in Egypt, as well as gender disparities and the efforts to promote ICT employment growth. With the increasing withdrawal of the public sector as a major employer in Egypt, the Egyptian labour market has become increasingly inhospitable for women. Female employment rates declined steadily from 19.5% in 2009 to 13.7% in 2021. Women’s employment has been falling in absolute terms at a rate of 1.1% per year from 2009 to 2021, while the female working-age population has been increasing at 2.5% annually. Information and communication technology (ICT) jobs are a major bright spot in this bleak landscape. According to a recent report on Egypt’s ICT jobs, ICT employment for women has been growing much faster than in other segments of the economy and much faster than for men (Selwaness, Assaad and El Sayed, 2023). The report defines ICT jobs as all jobs in ICT industries and jobs in ICT occupations in non-ICT sectors.

Does digitalization enhance fossil fuels resources efficiency?

This paper's primary purpose is to measure globalization's impacts on fossil fuel resource-efficient targets in 39 emerging countries from 2010 to 2020. The pooled Mean Group estimation's results confirmed that the digitalization indicators such as the digital economy index, e-government, and ICT (Information and communication technology) diffusion index increase the efficiency of fossil fuels resources in the short and long term. In addition, with a 1% increase in the share of ICT industries in the studied countries' economies, fossil fuel resources' efficiency will decrease by 0.07% and 0.13% in the short and long term, respectively. Regarding electricity consumption, the coefficients of the variable in the short-term and long-term are negative. In order to use digitalization benefits for fossil fuels efficient target, emerging economies can develop a digital green financing market, promote natural resource governance through e-government, and scale up renewable power generation.

SELECTION OF THE BEST SEM MODEL TO IDENTIFY FACTORS AFFECTING MARKETING PERFORMANCE IN THE ICT INDUSTRY

The digital revolution in society and the advances in marketing practices create tremendous challenges for companies and even more so for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) service providers. They are faced with increasingly complex and rapidly changing market competition, knowing these problems can use SEM to form a research model and find out the relationship between latent variables and their indicators. The purpose of this study is to identify the best structural equation model that can describe Marketing Performance in the ICT Industry in Indonesia. The data used in this study is primary data obtained from the results of distributing offline and online questionnaires to 300 management levels working in the ICT Industry. The methods compared in this study are Covariance Based Structural Equation Modeling and Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling. The results showed that the best model to determine the factors that influence Marketing Performance in the ICT Industry in Indonesia is PLS-SEM with the goodness-of-fit model R2 for the latent variable Marketing Performance is 0.436. This shows that the accuracy of the variables CEM, DBI and DOE together in predicting MP variables is relatively weak. Based on the PLS-SEM model, it is found that Digital Operational Excellence is a mediator that can increase the influence of Customer Experience Management on Marketing Performance. Meanwhile, Digital Business Innovation has no significant effect in increasing the influence of Customer Experience Management on Marketing Performance. The novelty of this research is the development of the best SEM models (CB-SEM and PLS-SEM) in the field of Information and Communication Technology in Indonesia.

Learning impact of recent ICT advances based on virtual reality IoT sensors in a metaverse environment

The use of avatars in the Metaverse and virtual reality technology in education is a rapidly developing field that has the potential to revolutionize the way students learn. In the context of the Indian EdTech market, virtual reality could play a significant role in enhancing the learning experience for students, although more research is needed to explore its full potential.ICT has already made a significant impact on education, with academic programming, technical instruction, and theoretical concepts being taught through digital platforms. Virtual reality has the potential to take this a step further, allowing students to experience immersive and interactive learning environments that simulate real-world scenarios.However, as mentioned in the paragraph, there is still limited research on the use of virtual reality in education, particularly in the Indian context. Further studies are needed to assess the effectiveness of this technology and ensure that it can be integrated effectively into the educational system.Overall, the use of virtual reality in education is an exciting development in the ICT industry and has the potential to make a significant impact on the learning experience for students. Various non-governmental organizations (NGOs) seek to improve women's lives and provide them with self-sufficiency training. The government is likewise concerned about this issue and has established a number of programs to assist women. Information and communication technology (ICT) is significant in this context. ICT has improved the security, knowledge, education, employability, confidence, and popularity of women. The significance of ICT for the empowerment of women is highlighted in this study. To illuminate the various facets of ICT's impact on society, various examples have been addressed. Because of ICT, new generations of women all over the globe have defied all expectations and proven themselves in every aspect of life, even the most complicated and time-consuming realm of enterprise. In this regard, ICT may possibly become a magic wand for improving women's current situations. In this research, the eight factors that influence how ICT affects rural women's empowerment were found.

Antisuit injunctions in SEP disputes and the recent EU's WTO/TRIPS case against China

AbstractThe existence of standard essential patents (SEPs)—and the associated litigation—has potentially disruptive consequences for the manufacture, marketing and distribution of complex products that incorporate many patented standards, for example, information and communication technology (ICT) products such as smartphones that incorporate a camera, video, web browser, wireless communications, text messaging, and so on, as well as an increasing number of ‘connected’ Internet of Things products such as wearable devices and ‘smart home’ devices. Indeed, SEP owners may use the patent enforcement system to prevent implementers of these technologies from bringing to market competing products that use the same standards. As is known, this raises concerns about competition in the market and the need to maintain interoperability to ensure the development of the ICT industry. One of the legal tools which can be used by implementers to (try to) neutralise SEP holders' anticompetitive behaviours is the ‘antisuit injunction’ (ASI). ASIs are not uncommon in common law jurisdictions while they are foreign to civil law countries within the European Union (EU). ASIs are particularly useful to SEP implementers when patent holders disrespect their commitment to license their patents on a FRAND basis. For example, a judge who is in the process of assessing whether the SEP owner complies with FRAND terms may at the same time grant an ASI to stop the patentee taking patent infringement actions in other jurisdictions until the FRAND litigation has been concluded. In February 2022, the EU filed a complaint at the World Trade Organization (WTO), arguing that China's use of ASIs prevents EU‐based companies from properly protecting their SEPs. Indeed, ASIs have recently been granted in several Chinese disputes, including in Huawei v Conversant and Xiaomi v. InterDigital. More specifically, China's Supreme People's Court held that Chinese courts can use ASIs to prevent SEP owners from filing disputes in any foreign courts to enforce their patents; and that anyone who does not comply with the injunction should be fined €130,000 per day. In the WTO case the EU notes that such a case law jeopardises innovation and growth in Europe, ‘effectively depriving European technology companies of the possibility to exercise and enforce the rights that give them a technological edge’. From a legal perspective, according to the EU, China's conduct is in violation of various Trade‐Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provisions, including Article 28 which grants exclusive rights to patent owners. The paper focuses on this EU–China WTO/TRIPS dispute and more generally, on the relevance of ASIs within SEP cases.

The role of natural resources in the management of environmental sustainability: Machine learning approach

This study examines the ability of Asia's natural resources to manage environmental sustainability through digitalization. We analyse 19 Asian nations from 1990 to 2020. In addition to natural resource rents and digitalization, we consider human capital, economic complexity, trade, urbanisation, energy use, renewable energy consumption, academic freedom, and corruption as variables affecting environmental sustainability. To achieve our goal, we use adaptable machine learning algorithms. The sparse algorithm of ANN suggests that when the range is 0.1–9.87, CO2 is decreasing, but when the range is 0–0.1 and above 9.87, the impact on CO2 emission is positive. When ICT is between 0.18 and .32, its impact on CO2 is negative, but above.32, it's positive. The interaction between natural resources and ICT has a positive impact on CO2 in the.05-0.25,0.85-1.45, and 14.7–17.45 ranges, but a negative impact in the.35-0.65 and 5.65–8.45 ranges. Urbanization, energy use, and economic complexity play the biggest roles in Asian CO2 predictions. The findings suggest that governments in Asian countries should prioritize sustainable management of natural resources through the utilization of information and communication technology (ICT) resources. Additionally, the article recommends increasing trade integration and cooperation with other Asian countries in the ICT industry and investing in smart urbanization to improve environmental quality. To address energy sustainability, the research suggests prioritizing energy efficiency and promoting renewable energy sources to achieve the goals of SDG7 and SDG13.

A Delphi Study on Technical and Socio-Economic Perspectives of Nanotechnology and ICT Industries Relations

By using the Delphi technique and a case study on Malaysia’s nanotechnology research and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industries, this paper aims to determine the development and convergence of nanotechnology and ICT innovation systems from the perspective of science-industry relations. A total of 25 experts have provided their opinions and consensus on the present stage and possible future scenarios of nanotech-ICT development from four dimensions: technology landscape, economic viability, governance, and social acceptance. Results from two survey rounds indicate that the Malaysian ICT innovation system is presently economically viable and easily accepted by the market. The best-case scenario can be achieved with the help of nanotechnology. This would also require the implementation of policies and regulations from government. Although industrial and social adoption and the acceptance of nanotechnology are already strong, government is responsible for creating various programs to ensure greater awareness and development of knowledge.