nep-ict New Economics Papers
on Information and Communication Technologies
Issue of 2008‒11‒25
seven papers chosen by
Walter Frisch
University Vienna

  1. Time for play – An exploratory analysis of the changing consumption contexts of digital games By Deal, David
  2. ICT in Czech companies: business efficiency potentials to be achieved. By Vymětal, Dominik
  3. Downloading Wisdom from Online Crowds By Saiz, Albert; Simonsohn, Uri
  4. Relational Contracts, Reputation Capital, and Explicit Contracts: Evidence from Information Technology Outsourcing By Lan Shi; Anjana Susarla
  5. "Agglomeration Economies within IT-Producing and IT-Consuming Industries in U.S. Regions" By Simon Condliffe; William Latham; Christian Le Bas; Frédéric Miribel
  6. The Impact of Technological and Non-Technological Innovations on Firm Growth By Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö; Olli Martikainen
  7. Economic Aspects of the Microsoft Case: Networks, Interoperability and Competition By Maria J. Gil-Moltó

  1. By: Deal, David
    Abstract: This study posits that Internet technologies are relaxing the coupling constraints required for the consumption of digital games, resulting in entirely different modes of consumption than has been the norm for the past thirty years. The data collection and analysis found that players of traditional console-based games tend to play for several hours at a time while at a home during evenings and on weekends, the traditional scenario associated with leisure activities. Players of the latest breed of online browser-based digital games, on the other hand, tend to play them for only a few minutes at a time, and at many times throughout the day as a diversionary filler activ-ity between other daily activities. Because they utilize simple and readily available Internet technologies, online browser-based games have facilitated the penetration of digital games into new spaces, including the workplace and school, reflecting a growing trend in modern society.
    Keywords: Digital games; online browser-based games; time use; uses and gratifications
    JEL: D70 Z19 J22 C89
    Date: 2008–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:11655&r=ict
  2. By: Vymětal, Dominik
    Abstract: The paper deals with business potential analysis based on the data published by Czech Statistic Authority (SÚ). It shows that the infrastructure state of the art even in small Czech companies enables to expand ERP and CRM systems, trading over Internet, Supply Chain Management and other new trends. Internet security is here of greatest importance, however it cannot be seen as major obstacle for new trading methods. The greatest challenge identified is the process and workflow optimization. To streamline workflow the document management supporting nearly seamless integration crossover the functional areas is of greatest importance. Moreover, process optimization can run into difficulties due to cross-organization functionalities of new IT architecture concepts like Service Oriented Architecture, WEB2 concepts and other methods and means. In this paper the value flow approach is shortly mentioned as an alternative to process modeling and workflow approach. Value oriented methods can overcome the process oriented approach limitations.
    Keywords: ICT infrastructure; Business processes; Process modeling; Document management; Value chains; Business semantics
    JEL: C69 C51 C88 L86
    Date: 2008–08–22
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:11628&r=ict
  3. By: Saiz, Albert (Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania); Simonsohn, Uri (University of California, San Diego)
    Abstract: The internet and other large textual databases contain billions of documents: is there useful information in the number of documents written about different topics? We propose, based on the premise that the occurrence of a phenomenon increases the likelihood that people write about it, that the relative frequency of documents discussing a phenomenon can be used to proxy for the corresponding occurrence-frequency. After establishing the conditions under which such proxying is likely to be successful, we construct proxies for a number of demographic variables in the US and for corruption across countries and US states and cities, obtaining average correlations with occurrence-frequencies of 0.47 and 0.61 respectively. We also replicate results from two separate published papers establishing the correlates of corruption at both the state and country level. Finally, we construct the first index of corruption in US cities and study its correlates.
    Keywords: proxy variables, document-frequency, textual databases, internet
    JEL: J11 C81 B40
    Date: 2008–10
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp3809&r=ict
  4. By: Lan Shi; Anjana Susarla
    Date: 2008–08
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:udb:wpaper:uwec-2008-16&r=ict
  5. By: Simon Condliffe (Department of Economics,West Chester University of Pennsylvania); William Latham (Department of Economics,University of Delaware); Christian Le Bas (Department of Economics,University of Lyon); Frédéric Miribel
    Abstract: This paper deals with the effects of the geographic concentration of economic activity on productivity through agglomeration economies in the U.S. economy. Our empirical study extends the literature on agglomeration economies in two directions. First we measure and compare the effects on productivity of geographic concentration in either information technology related activity (the IT sector) or in all other economic activities (the non-IT sector). Second we follow Jorgenson’s (2002) reasoning regarding the significance of the differences between IT-producing sectors and IT-using sectors and assess the differential effects of concentration in IT-producing sectors and concentration in IT-using sectors on productivity. We utilize four measures of agglomeration and analyze effects at two levels of geographic disaggregation: U.S. states and U.S. counties. We perform the analysis using a model drawn from the growth accounting literature in which total labor productivity in a region is the dependent variable. It is modeled as a function of the region’s capital-output ratio, the quality of the region’s labor supply as measured by the level of education, and an agglomeration variable measured by concentration in the IT or non-IT sectors or in the IT-producing or IT-using sectors. The cross section estimates for a single year yield mixed results. We find weak evidence in favor of an effect of concentration of IT activity on productivity at the state level. We find stronger effects on productivity at the county level from concentration in IT-producing sectors.
    Keywords: Agglomeration Economies, Information Technology, Productivity
    JEL: R11 O33 D24 D62
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:dlw:wpaper:08-24.&r=ict
  6. By: Jyrki Ali-Yrkkö; Olli Martikainen
    Abstract: ABSTRACT : This study investigates the relationship between innovations and firm growth, based on the data of Finnish firms operating in the software industry. We find that in terms of turnover and employment, firms with only technological innovations do not grow more rapidly than other firms. However, firm growth is positively associated with the combination of technological and non-technological innovations.
    Keywords: innovation, technological, non-technological, R&D, firm, development, employment, growth, Finland
    JEL: O3 O33 L2
    Date: 2008–11–13
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:dpaper:1165&r=ict
  7. By: Maria J. Gil-Moltó
    Abstract: In this paper, we discuss the main economic aspects of the European Microsoft case; in particular, Microsoft’s refusal to supply the necessary information to make the competitors’ work group server systems interoperable with Windows Operating System. The case can be seen as an example of competition between networks. We review the relevant economics literature with the objective of understanding the motivations behind Microsoft’s strategies.
    Keywords: Networks; Complementarities; Foreclosure; Interoperability; Antitrust
    JEL: L4 O3 L1
    Date: 2008–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lec:leecon:08/39&r=ict

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