Page 102 - Culture Technology Communication

National Level Culture and Global Diffusion:
The Case of the Internet

Carleen F. Maitland and Johannes M. Bauer

Introduction
The increasing globalization of the worldwide economy has led to in-
creased emphasis on the international diffusion of technologies. One
the most quickly diffusing technologies in the past decade are those
involved with computing and communication. Interactive networks,
such as the Internet and wireless telephony, in addition to comput-
ing hardware and applications, are being adopted at phenomenally
rapid rates across the globe.
In order to identify the drivers of this rapid adoption a wide body
of research has developed. The theoretical basis of this research and
the range of variables used in these studies require clarification and
extension, respectively. First, from a theoretical perspective a broad
theory that permits a wide range of factors including economic and in-
novation-related features as well as cultural variables is needed. Typ-
ically, Diffusion of Innovation theory is used, however, with little
discussion of the ramifications of using this originally individual-level
theory for studies concerning global diffusion. Second, diffusion stud-
ies do not typically include cultural factors. There is thus a need to
discuss the theoretical fit of cultural factors in global level diffusion
studies as well as empirically testing their significance.
The research presented below examines these theoretical and
empirical issues. Questions addressed include the following.

• Can Diffusion of Innovation theory be applied at the
global level?
• What is the expected theoretical significance of culture on
global diffusion?

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