How does adoption behavior towards ICT policies affect digital divides? Evidence from Chinese prefecture-level cities

IF 10.1 1区社会学 Q1 SOCIAL ISSUES

Technology in Society Pub Date : 2024-12-24 DOI:10.1016/j.techsoc.2024.102803

Liuhong Wang , Zhichao Ba , Yuefen Wang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Much has been investigated about antecedents of regional digital divides, while few have examined the impact of differential adoption behaviors toward informational and communications technology (ICT) policies. Utilizing a policy citation-based approach, this study quantifies the adoption behaviors of prefectural governments for ICT policies and further explores their effects on prefectural three-order digital divides: ICT access, ICT use, and ICT outcome. The moderating role of provincial governments' ICT policy adoption behaviors is also evaluated. By uncovering numerous implicit policy citation links in China's large-scale ICT policies, we calculate the speed, intensity, and content innovation of ICT policies adopted by prefecture- and province-level governments and inspect their spatial structures and locational dynamics. Further, the influence of these adoption behaviors' spatial-temporal heterogeneity on digital divides is examined based on non-spatial and spatial models. Our study demonstrates that digital divides and ICT policy adoption exhibit significant spatial-temporal disparities across prefectures in China, with this non-equilibrium continuing to expand over time. Prefectural cities with high ICT policy adoption speed, adoption intensity, and moderate content innovation can markedly reduce their three-order digital divides and promote digital development, which is moderated by province-level ICT policy adoption behaviors. Our research offers in-depth insight into spillovers of differentiated policy adoption behaviors and highlights several broad implications for policy innovation and generalization.

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来源期刊

Technology in Society Multiple-

CiteScore

17.90

自引率

14.10%

发文量

316

审稿时长

60 days

期刊介绍： Technology in Society is a global journal dedicated to fostering discourse at the crossroads of technological change and the social, economic, business, and philosophical transformation of our world. The journal aims to provide scholarly contributions that empower decision-makers to thoughtfully and intentionally navigate the decisions shaping this dynamic landscape. A common thread across these fields is the role of technology in society, influencing economic, political, and cultural dynamics. Scholarly work in Technology in Society delves into the social forces shaping technological decisions and the societal choices regarding technology use. This encompasses scholarly and theoretical approaches (history and philosophy of science and technology, technology forecasting, economic growth, and policy, ethics), applied approaches (business innovation, technology management, legal and engineering), and developmental perspectives (technology transfer, technology assessment, and economic development). Detailed information about the journal's aims and scope on specific topics can be found in Technology in Society Briefings, accessible via our Special Issues and Article Collections.