Book
New Economy in Development

ICT Opportunities and Challenges

Within the last three decades, industrialization, and manufacturing in particular, has decreased in importance as the principal driver of economic growth and development in the world economy. The expansion of the service sector in industrialized societies reflects the increasing significance of the 'weightless' economy and information and communication technologies (ICT) in the process of wealth generation. While most developing countries remain outside the orbit of these structural shifts, several developing countries have not only successfully filled the manufacturing niches vacated by the OECD economies but several are also experiencing growth in the ICT-driven service sector. In this collection an international mix of academics and policy-makers address the implications of ICT and the new service-driven economy on developing countries, examining its importance and addressing challenges that confront those that have embraced these approaches. Examining the links between ICT and globalization, this collection reveals how ICT can enhance economic growth, government efficiency, transparency and accountability, but also how the persistence of old economy problems, such as poverty, inequality, illiteracy and infrastructure may mean that investment in ICT is unlikely to have a developmental impact.

Table of contents
  1. Introduction: Charting a New Development Trajectory?
    Anthony P. D’Costa
  2. Theoretical and Conceptual Foundations of Total Factor Productivity Measurement in Services: Looking Back and Ahead
    Birgitte Andersen, Marva Corley
    More Working Paper | The Theoretical, Conceptual and Empirical Impact of the Service Economy
  3. Emergent Regime Formation for the Information Society and the Impact on Africa
    Derrick L. Cogburn
    More Working Paper | Emergent Global Information Infrastructure/Global Information Society
  4. The Internet and Economic Growth in LDCs: A Case of Managing Expectations?
    Charles J. Kenny
    More Working Paper | The Internet and Economic Growth in Least Developed Countries
  5. Can ICT Make a Difference in the Development of Transition Economies?
    Marcin Piatkowski
    More Working Paper | The 'New Economy' and Economic Growth in Transition Economies
  6. ICT Initiatives in India: Lessons for Broad-based Development
    P. D. Kaushik
  7. The Software and Information Services Sector in Argentina: The Pros and Cons of an Inward-Oriented Development Strategy
    Daniel Chudnovsky, Andrés López
    More Working Paper | The Software and Information Services Sector in Argentina
  8. ICT Opportunities and Challenges for Development in the Arab Region
    Samia Satti O. M. Nour
    More Working Paper | ICT Opportunities and Challenges for Development in the Arab World
  9. The Impact of Technology on Competitiveness: A Case Study of Indian Small Automotive Component Unit
    T. A. Bhavani
    More Working Paper | Impact of Technology on the Competitiveness of the Indian Small Manufacturing Sector
  10. How to Solve the 'Hotmail Problem': Global-local Interfaces and Filipino Technopreneurs
    Czarina Saloma-Akpedonu
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Endorsements

'This book is a useful addition to the growing literature that explores what the rise of the 'new economy' means for low-income countries ... a well-produced book that substantially contributes to our understanding of these issues.' - M. Vijayabaskar, Economic and Political Weekly