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Inter- and Intra-firm Diffusion of Technology: the Example of Software, Hardware, and Network Communications Empirical Evidence for Tunisian Manufacturing Firms

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  • Adel Ben Khalifa

    (University of Carthage)

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key drivers of inter- and intra-firm diffusion of technology taking as an example three groups of ICT: Software, Hardware, and Network communications. This is done by estimating an encompassing model of diffusion, proposed by Battisti et al. (2009), integrating rank, stock, order, and epidemics effects, which is extended to include technology-specific obstacles and Government subsidies. Our study is based on a dataset collected through the industrial upgrading survey carried out in Tunisia in 2016. It is a cross-section data from 238 Tunisian manufacturing firms. Econometric results show that the drivers of inter- and intra-firm are not the same in case of all ICT groups. Likewise, the determinants of ICT differ from one technology to another. Finally, ICT specific costs are no longer an obstacle to technology diffusion, yet Government supports are an important factor in explaining ICT diffusion.

Suggested Citation

  • Adel Ben Khalifa, 2022. "Inter- and Intra-firm Diffusion of Technology: the Example of Software, Hardware, and Network Communications Empirical Evidence for Tunisian Manufacturing Firms," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(1), pages 236-263, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:jknowl:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1007_s13132-020-00718-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s13132-020-00718-1
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    ICT diffusion; Inter-firm versus intra-firm diffusion; Software versus Hardware or Network communications;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O18 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development - - - Urban, Rural, Regional, and Transportation Analysis; Housing; Infrastructure
    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • O55 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economywide Country Studies - - - Africa

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