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Global Heterogeneity in the Emerging M-Commerce Landscape
Jul 25,2007 00:00
by
admin
Global Heterogeneity in the Emerging M-Commerce Landscape
Nikhilesh Dholakia, University of Rhode Island,
USA
Ruby Roy Dholakia, University of Rhode Island,
USA
Mark Lehrer, University of Rhode Island, USA
Nir Kshetri, University of North Carolina at
Greensboro, USA
Copyright © 2004, Idea Group Inc. Copying or
distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of Idea
Group Inc. is prohibited.
Abstract
Mobile phones, mobile Internet access, and
mobile commerce (m-commerce) are growing much faster than their fixed
counterparts. Several characteristics of mobile networks make them more
attractive than fixed networks for less-developed countries and for those
countries that want to "leapfrog" the leading IT nations. To exploit the new
mobile communications infrastructures, companies from developed as well as
developing countries are rapidly integrating m-commerce technology into their
business models. Countries around the world, however, exhibit considerable
heterogeneity in their adoption of mobile phones and m-commerce technology. Examined in this chapter is the current
stage of mobile technology and m-commerce diffusion across the world, and
analyzed are factors influencing the diffusion process. In this chapter, the
ways in which the m-commerce landscape of a nation—defined by the penetration
rate of mobile phones, the specific combinations of different generations of
mobile technology, and the blending of various standards within a given
generation—is shaped by politicoeconomic, sociocultural, and policy-related
factors are reviewed.
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