The rapid growth of electronic commerce, along with changes in information, computing, and communications, is having a profound effect on the United States economy. President Clinton recently directed the National Economic Council, in consultation with executive branch agencies, to analyze the economic implications of the Internet and electronic commerce domestically and internationally, and to consider new types of data collection and research that could be undertaken by public and private organizations.This book contains work presented at a conference held by executive branch agencies in May 1999 at the Department of Commerce. The goals of the conference were to assess current research on the digital economy, to engage the private sector in developing the research that informs investment and policy decisions, and to promote better understanding of the growth and socioeconomic implications of information technology and electronic commerce. Aspects of the digital economy addressed include macroeconomic assessment, organizational change, small business, access, market structure and competition, and employment and the workforce.
Author(s): Erik Brynjolfsson, Brian Kahin
Edition: First Edition
Year: 2000
Language: English
Pages: 408
Contents......Page 6
Introduction......Page 8
The Macroeconomic Perspective......Page 18
Introduction......Page 20
Data Needs for the Information Economy......Page 22
How well are we Measuring the Digital Economy?......Page 26
What can the Census Bureau and Other Statistical Agencies Do to Improve our Understanding of the Digital Economy?......Page 32
Discussion and Conclusions......Page 37
References......Page 39
GDP and the Digital Economy: Keeping up with the Changes......Page 41
What is Measured Well?......Page 42
Agenda for Improvements and Future Research......Page 46
Notes......Page 52
References......Page 53
1 The Computer Revolution and the Productivity Paradox......Page 56
2 Measurement Problems......Page 65
3 Conceptual Challenges: What are we Supposed to be Measuring?......Page 72
4 Troubles with Computers: Effects of General-Purpose Machines on Task Productivity......Page 75
5 The Regime Transition Hypothesis: Dark Journey toward a Brighter Future?......Page 82
6 Historical Perspectives on the Growth of Measured Productivity in the Digital Economy......Page 89
Notes......Page 92
References......Page 97
Market Structure, Competition, and the Role of Small Business......Page 104
1 Introduction......Page 106
2 Characterizing Competition in Electronic Markets......Page 107
3 Sources of Price Dispersion in Electronic Markets......Page 114
4 Developments to Watch......Page 126
5 Conclusions......Page 132
Appendix: Annotated Bibliography of Selected Electronic Commerce Research Papers......Page 133
Notes......Page 139
Bibliography......Page 140
Marketing......Page 144
Interconnection......Page 150
Price Competition......Page 152
Bibliography......Page 156
1 Introduction......Page 158
2 Questions about the Structure of Electronic Commerce......Page 159
3 The Internet Access Business after Commercialization: An Interpretation......Page 168
4 The Research Agenda for Electronic Commerce......Page 178
5 Conclusion......Page 184
Notes......Page 185
References......Page 187
Introduction......Page 192
The New Opportunities for Small Companies......Page 194
The New Challenges for Small Companies......Page 195
A New Framework for Small Digital Companies......Page 197
Public Policy Issues and Future Research......Page 204
Small Business, Innovation, and Public Policy in the Information Technology Industry......Page 208
1 Small Business and Innovation......Page 209
2 Venture Capital and Innovation......Page 210
3 Innovation, Small Business, and Public Policy......Page 214
Notes......Page 219
References......Page 220
Employment, Workforce, and Access......Page 222
Technological Change, Computerization, and the Wage Structure......Page 224
I Recent Changes in the U.S. Wage Structure......Page 227
II The Relative Supply of and Demand for Skills, 1940–1998......Page 232
III Technological Change, Computerization, and the Demand for Skills......Page 238
IV Conclusions and Research Directions......Page 244
Notes......Page 246
References......Page 247
Introduction......Page 252
Developing a Research Agenda......Page 257
References......Page 264
2 Information Gaps......Page 268
3 The Importance of Access......Page 271
4 Access Parameters......Page 272
5 Understanding the Demand for Information Services......Page 274
6 Technological Trends......Page 277
7 Policies and Strategies for Increasing Access......Page 278
8 Topics for Research......Page 285
Appendix: Technologies and Services for Extending Access......Page 290
Notes......Page 294
References......Page 296
Organizational Change......Page 300
1 The Digital Economy and Organizational Change......Page 302
2 Information Systems as Sociotechnical Networks......Page 306
3 Illustrations from Organizational Informatics Research......Page 308
4 Conclusions......Page 326
References......Page 327
Organizational Change and the Digital Economy: A Computational Organization Science Perspective......Page 332
Computational Organization Science......Page 336
Intelligent Spaces and the Ecology of Networks in a Digital Economy......Page 341
Adaptive Organizations......Page 347
Future Directions......Page 350
References......Page 353
The Truth Is Not Out There: An Enacted View of the “Digital Economy”......Page 359
Thinking about the Digital Economy......Page 360
Implications of Using Technologies in Organizations......Page 365
Organizations and the Digital Economy......Page 372
Suggestions for Future Research......Page 379
Conclusion......Page 382
Contributors......Page 388
A......Page 396
C......Page 397
D......Page 398
E......Page 399
G......Page 400
I......Page 401
J......Page 402
M......Page 403
P......Page 404
R......Page 405
S......Page 406
V......Page 407
Z......Page 408
