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Mobile money is an innovative concept that has a fundamental impact on how marketing exchanges and transactions are consummated. The concept of exchange and payment is at the core of marketing and the ultimate conclusion of an effective marketing strategy. How consumers pay for goods and services profoundly impacts the frequency and quality of products purchased. Despite its diffusion and adoption, mostly in developing countries, scant research exists regarding the characteristics of adopters of mobile money. Using the most successful implementation of mobile money globally, M-PESA in Kenya, demographic differences between adopters and non-adopters of mobile money are examined. Data is collected from 1,975 respondents covering all eight Kenyan provinces. Significant differences between the two groups exist for the variables of gender, age, income, education and location (rural versus urban).

Little to no research exists to explain the structural components associated with the successful establishment of a knowledge-based economy. Nearly all developed countries are transitioning from service-based to knowledge-based and yet how to do so effectively and efficiently remains a mystery. The purpose of this research is to address this oversight. Based upon a review of the literature, five structural components of knowledge-based economies are identified and described. The five components consist of a foundation of information and communications technology, open innovation, education, knowledge management and creativity. At the macro-level, those seeking to establish a knowledge-based economy, whether local, regional or national, will be best served by following the structural template described. Policies and procedures to foster advances in each of the structural components should be developed strategically.

The global digital divide as a concept is intuitively understood by most academicians, politicians and public policy makers. However, to date little empirical work exists to explain differences in per country access to information and communication technologies (ICTs). The research that does exist places heavy influence on the impact of country wealth, as measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, on the diffusion of ICTs. While GDP per capita certainly influences the diffusion of ICTs within a country, it is not the sole determinant of a country's location versus other countries vis-a-vis the global digital divide. To investigate and map the global digital divide, as it currently exists, the authors utilise model-based cluster analysis to determine cohorts of countries based on three variables: personal computers per 100 population, internet users per 100 population and internet bandwidth per person. The results indicate that the global digital divide consists of four tiers. And although all of the developed countries are included in the first tier, some surprising results are obtained. Implications of the results are discussed and directions for future research are provided.

With technological leadership in most industries still held by firms in developed countries, most firms in developing countries must import technology as part of upgrading their technological capabilities. In China, some firms have achieved significant competitiveness and performance even in global markets, based on rapid technological catch-up, whereas others have failed in the face of even domestic competition. How can such differences in learning performance outcomes be explained? This paper proposes a framework as part of addressing this gap in the literature and also suggests factors that should be of interest to managers, policymakers and scholars concerned with the role of imported technologies on national development.

This paper makes a vital contribution to the fields of sustainability studies, environmental policy-making and green business planning by presenting evidence that contradicts widely accepted conventional wisdom about the relative environmental efficiency of countries as determined by resource usage per capita. Using model-based cluster analysis, this study forms and compares groups of countries that are statistically similar in terms of their global ecological impact per person. The three measures of efficiency – energy consumption per capita, emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) per capita, and per capita paper and paper products consumption – are all related to a country's comparative resource usage efficiency and contribution to climate change, a primary global concern. The authors offer theoretical and practical motivations for using model-based cluster analysis as well as provide interpretation and insight of the resulting clusters.

This study employs a quasi-experimental design to examine the function of dynamic capabilities (early adoption and path-dependent learning experience) in the process of implementing ISO 14001. Approximately 97 pairs of companies (N = 194) were collected from the Standard & Poor's (S&P) database, all of whom had at least one International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) certificate and for whom five years of financial data were available. The initial differences were controlled using Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) to compare ISO companies with their matched comparison companies on the effect of ISO 14001 registration (independent variable) and on financial performance (two dependent variables): Return on Revenue (ROR) and Return on Assets (ROA). The results indicate that ISO 14001 registration has led to a reduced ROR in the two-year period and no change in the third year. ROA was not associated with ISO 14001 registration. Early adoption, the length of ISO registration and the size of the company did not affect the relationship between ISO registration and financial performance. Furthermore, the results illustrate that many companies have not yet gained the capability to ruminate and digest the dynamic nature of ISO 14001. An opportunity exists for future researchers to establish and examine the function of dynamic capabilities and their impact on the quality of ISO implementation.

E-commerce enables marketers by providing them with access to broader markets, enhanced communications and a 24/7 global market place. The benefits to Small- to Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) who establish e-commerce capabilities have received much attention in the literature. Similarly, the need to develop and utilise performance metrics is well documented. What is missing is a practical guide to calculating performance metrics with which to measure e-commerce marketing efforts. To operate without marketing metrics, or measurement tools, invites failure. Simple, actionable, e-commerce metrics are presented for adoption by SMEs who seek to track and improve their internet marketing efforts. The use of these basic metrics easily implemented by using a standard spreadsheet package should provide marketers with enough information to monitor and control their e-commerce marketing implementations.

Nigeria's current status in the world and within the Sub-Saharan region is reviewed in terms of its focus on information technology education, by examining the Higher Education market, private computer industries within Nigeria, and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), a national initiative designed to dramatically improve Nigeria's competitiveness in computer industries. The results of research into the effectiveness of Public-Private Partnerships in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in Nigeria are then discussed. The perceptions of computer industry executives and Higher Education representatives towards greater competitiveness in Nigeria's Information Technology industry are investigated. The authors provide recommendations for how Nigerian Higher Education Institutions and computer-related businesses can develop effective method of advancing ICT Public-Private Partnerships.

Without question, the first decade of the internet as a mass communications platform belonged to the USA. US universities, businesses and users dominated the online landscape to the point that English became the language of choice of the world wide web. However, as internet technology and access diffuses to more countries, will US dominance of the internet continue? The authors argue that one tipping point has already occurred the majority of users on the internet today are non-native English speakers. The next tipping point, not too far away, is when non-native English speakers conduct the majority of e-commerce. The paper discusses internet usage trends, including language, diffusion models and the challenges facing businesses figuring out when and how to effectively compete in the trillion dollar e-commerce marketplace. This paper concludes with research opportunities.

This paper examines the linkage among the industry and policy environment, firm-level resources and capabilities, and the success of learning strategies in China's handset makers. Within a particular context – characterised by a large domestic market, disintegrated technological regime, established foreign irms and supportive government policies – these firms were able to exploit their own specific advantages and were also able to acquire new resources and capabilities, quite rapidly emerging as serious competitors in the domestic market vis-a-vis global incumbents. These latecomers have tightly linked their product innovation efforts to the local market characteristics and have created competitive advantages through their distribution channels. Our findings have strategic implications for new entrants in other industry and national contexts, and also for research on the critical conditions and processes supporting successful technological learning.

The sourcing behaviour of 308 seafood processors (NAICS 3117) located along the eastern seaboard of the USA from Maine to Florida is investigated, and the differences between those using domestic sourcing versus those using international sourcing are investigated. The results indicate significant differences exist in terms of the place where the seafood is purchased, how it is harvested, gross sales, the number of employees, years in business, the type of processed seafood, and the perception of foreign-processed seafood as an industry problem. Processors utilising international sourcing are larger in terms of gross sales and the number of employees compared to processors using domestic sourcing. Conclusions and directions for future research are offered.

Based on Chinese patent data from the period 1985-95, this paper explores regional variation in innovative activity and performance. Preliminary analyses suggest that regional differences in economic activity and innovation inputs - personnel and funding - are closely related to differences in patenting activity. However, the results also suggest that personnel may be the most important factor. The data also suggest that regions are undergoing important changes in technological specialisation, although the eventual impact on economic performance and competitiveness is not yet clear.