Digital inclusion or exclusion? Exploring the moderating role of governance in digitalization’s impact on income inequality in developing countries

Q1 Economics, Econometrics and Finance
Thi Lam Ho , Le Hong Ngoc , Thu Hoai Ho
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Digitalization plays a critical role in economic development and ensuring social equity. The advancement of digitalization is expected to expand economic opportunities for previously underserved populations, thereby narrowing income disparities. However, it may also exacerbate inequality due to differences in access and skill levels. In this study, we utilize panel data from 45 developing countries over the period 2002–2023, employing the recently developed Method of Moments Quantile Regression (MMQR) by Machado & Santos Silva (2019) to examine the empirical relationship between digitalization and income inequality and to assess the role of governance quality in this relationship. Our findings reveal a strong negative impact of digitalization on income inequality across all specific and composite digitalization measures. Furthermore, we find that the relationship between digitalization and income inequality is contingent on governance quality and the type of digitalization adopted. Based on our research results, several governance implications are proposed to enhance the effectiveness of digitalization in reducing income inequality in developing countries.
数字包容还是排斥?探索治理在数字化对发展中国家收入不平等影响中的调节作用
数字化在经济发展和保障社会公平中发挥着至关重要的作用。数字化的进步有望为以前服务不足的人口扩大经济机会,从而缩小收入差距。然而,由于获取机会和技能水平的差异,它也可能加剧不平等。在本研究中,我们使用了45个发展中国家2002-2023年间的面板数据,采用了由Machado &;Santos Silva(2019)研究了数字化与收入不平等之间的实证关系,并评估了治理质量在这种关系中的作用。我们的研究结果表明,在所有具体和综合数字化措施中,数字化对收入不平等产生了强烈的负面影响。此外,我们发现数字化与收入不平等之间的关系取决于治理质量和所采用的数字化类型。基于我们的研究结果,我们提出了一些治理建议,以提高数字化在减少发展中国家收入不平等方面的有效性。
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来源期刊
Research in Globalization
Research in Globalization Economics, Econometrics and Finance-Economics, Econometrics and Finance (miscellaneous)
CiteScore
8.00
自引率
0.00%
发文量
31
审稿时长
79 days
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