E-business Potential in California’s San Joaquin Valley: an Investigation of Societal Influences

The success of Silicon Valley and the information economy in Ireland suggest that rural regions have the potential for e-business development. However, the successes of these two cases were not the result of technology alone. In this study, the researchers explored societal issues in the form of relevant policies and regional culture in San Joaquin Valley to investigate their influence on e-business development. Through in-depth interviews with business development organizations and the local population in the San Joaquin Valley, the researchers concluded that the existing policies, coupled with the climate of public opinion and regional culture constitute complex factors that inhibit e-business development.