Do Emerging Economies Integrate the Internet Better?
4/9/2008 — Emerging economies may have a leg up on developed countries in terms of strategic Internet use. ANN ARBOR, Mich.—Don’t assume that emerging economies lag developed economies on all business fronts, warns Nigel Melville, assistant professor at Michigan’s Ross School of Business. According to his recent study, companies in emerging economies are more advanced in some aspects of Internet use than companies in more developed economies. Melville and colleagues Jonathan Whitaker of the University of Richmond, Robert Plice of San Diego State University and Jason Dedrick of the University of California-Irvine, found that firms in emerging economies report a higher rate of Internet use to integrate processes with business partners. They also report a stronger motivation to use the Internet to achieve revenue growth and operational efficiency. “These findings run counter to conventional wisdom that firms in developed economies will lead their industries in terms of technology-enabled
