The Case of South Korea and Thailand

In this paper, the authors examine if a difference exists in adopting or diffusing information and communication technology (ICT) between developing and newly developed countries. To analyze the problem, the authors use the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) suggested by Venkatesh et al. (2003), which consists of effort expectancy, performance expectancy, and social influence. The authors also use innovation diffusion functions, made up of introduction, growth, maturity, and decline phases. The authors researched how these factors affect the adoption in the three phases. The authors surveyed cellular phone adopters in Thailand and South Korea for 15 years from 1989 to 2003. Thailand and South Korea each represent developing and newly developed countries, respectively. For the data analysis, survival analysis is used, because it can explain the characteristics of the potential adopters or non-adopters. They found that the ICT diffusion patterns, as well as the ICT diffusion factors, of the two countries are different. Therefore, the results of the authors’ research can be used to build a strategy to reduce the digital divide gaps among countries.