Understanding digital divide: An empirical test of digital access model for international comparisons

Abstract

The global networked society brings advantages to many. It allows people to interact and connect as well as work and collaborate with others. It facilitates the exploration of opportunities that are otherwise difficult, if not impossible, without the presence of the Internet. While many benefit from the digital age, some are at a disadvantage, thus creating the problem of digital divide. Digital divide between countries is a critical phenomenon separating the countries that "have`` (mostly developed countries) from the countries that ``have`` not (mostly developing countries). It places developing countries in a disadvantage position economically, politically, and socially that in turns affects the life and social well-being of the citizens. Current understanding of digital divide is limited by usage of secondary data which prompts scholars to call for more theoretical-based empirical research. Another salient issue in digital divide is gender inequality. Many information development studies contend that the gap between males and females in terms of using, adopting, and utilizing IT affect their lives in some ways. Therefore, digital divide or digital inequality issues have critical effect on digital inclusion of a society, a nation, and individuals’ well-being. Since the key to reduce digital divide is to increase people’s access to ICT, this dissertation examines individuals’ intention to participate in online activities. The first essay empirically tested the effect of country development index and gender differences on digital divide. It explored internal and external components of digital access. Survey data from Cambodia, Iran, and South Korea showed that country development index has significant effect on external digital access while gender differences significantly impacted internal digital access. The second essay developed and empirically tested a 3-tier ICT access model to determine the effect of ICT development on intention to participate in onli...