Measuring globalization of ICT industries: empirical evidence across six economies of East Asia and over time

Abstract

This paper presents an objective measurement of industry globalization for ICT industries across six economies, China. Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. Previous studies on the measurement of industry globalization had focused on the chemical and manufacturing industries rather than ICT sectors, and aimed at the advanced countries, especially the United States, rather than the developing countries. Since information technology is still one of the emergent ideas that are changing the way business is done, and East Asia is becoming the world's manufacturing center of ICT sectors, this study explores where there is the same ground for industry globalization of ICT sectors across economies of East Asia. Based on the levels of international linkages and the integration of value-added activities within the industry, the result shows that most of East Asia's ICT industries are highly global-oriented, either simple or integrated global, except Japan's communications equipment sector, which is multidomestic transitional