IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/telpol/v44y2020i2s0308596119302290.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Digitalization and economic growth: A comparative analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa and OECD economies

Author

Listed:
  • Myovella, Godwin
  • Karacuka, Mehmet
  • Haucap, Justus

Abstract

This paper examines the contribution of digitalization to economic growth of Sub Saharan Africa (SSA) in comparison with the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) economies. The main reason for comparing the most and the least developed countries to measure the effects of digitalization is to have an insight of whether such effects depend on the levels of development of the country. New technologies in Sub Saharan Africa are assumed to have played significant roles in economic activity, including accessibility of communications, which was impeded by poor infrastructure, accommodation of the poor majority who were initially financially excluded from mobile banking and participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in e-commerce. On the other hand, due to the effects of digitalization, least developed countries in SSA have been facing a premature deindustrialization.

Suggested Citation

  • Myovella, Godwin & Karacuka, Mehmet & Haucap, Justus, 2020. "Digitalization and economic growth: A comparative analysis of Sub-Saharan Africa and OECD economies," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(2).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:44:y:2020:i:2:s0308596119302290
    DOI: 10.1016/j.telpol.2019.101856
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308596119302290
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.telpol.2019.101856?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Robert M. Solow, 1956. "A Contribution to the Theory of Economic Growth," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 70(1), pages 65-94.
    2. Daron Acemoglu & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2001. "Productivity Differences," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 116(2), pages 563-606.
    3. Wolfgang Keller, 2004. "International Technology Diffusion," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 42(3), pages 752-782, September.
    4. Jenny C. Aker & Isaac M. Mbiti, 2010. "Mobile Phones and Economic Development in Africa," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 24(3), pages 207-232, Summer.
    5. Levine, Ross & Renelt, David, 1992. "A Sensitivity Analysis of Cross-Country Growth Regressions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 82(4), pages 942-963, September.
    6. Richard Beil & George Ford & John Jackson, 2005. "On the relationship between telecommunications investment and economic growth in the United States," International Economic Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 3-9.
    7. Anusua Datta & Sumit Agarwal, 2004. "Telecommunications and economic growth: a panel data approach," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(15), pages 1649-1654.
    8. World Bank, 2018. "The World Bank Annual Report 2018 [Informe Anual 2018 del Banco Mundial]," World Bank Publications - Books, The World Bank Group, number 30326.
    9. David Roodman, 2009. "How to do xtabond2: An introduction to difference and system GMM in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LP, vol. 9(1), pages 86-136, March.
    10. Hofman, André & Aravena, Claudio & Aliaga, Vianka, 2016. "Information and communication technologies and their impact in the economic growth of Latin America, 1990–2013," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(5), pages 485-501.
    11. Dani Rodrik, 2018. "New Technologies, Global Value Chains, and the Developing Economies," CESifo Working Paper Series 7307, CESifo.
    12. Carl Dahlman & Sam Mealy & Martin Wermelinger, 2016. "Harnessing the digital economy for developing countries," OECD Development Centre Working Papers 334, OECD Publishing.
    13. Niebel, Thomas, 2018. "ICT and economic growth – Comparing developing, emerging and developed countries," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 104(C), pages 197-211.
    14. Ward, Michael R. & Zheng, Shilin, 2016. "Mobile telecommunications service and economic growth: Evidence from China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 89-101.
    15. Arellano, Manuel & Bover, Olympia, 1995. "Another look at the instrumental variable estimation of error-components models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 68(1), pages 29-51, July.
    16. Alice Shiu & Pun-Lee Lam, 2008. "Causal Relationship between Telecommunications and Economic Growth in China and its Regions," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(5), pages 705-718.
    17. Lars-Hendrik Roller & Leonard Waverman, 2001. "Telecommunications Infrastructure and Economic Development: A Simultaneous Approach," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 91(4), pages 909-923, September.
    18. Lucas, Robert Jr., 1988. "On the mechanics of economic development," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 3-42, July.
    19. Emma L. Schultz & David T. Tan & Kathleen D. Walsh, 2010. "Endogeneity and the corporate governance - performance relation," Australian Journal of Management, Australian School of Business, vol. 35(2), pages 145-163, August.
    20. Sanjeev Dewan & Kenneth L. Kraemer, 2000. "Information Technology and Productivity: Evidence from Country-Level Data," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 46(4), pages 548-562, April.
    21. Dani Rodrik, 2016. "Premature deindustrialization," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 21(1), pages 1-33, March.
    22. Blundell, Richard & Bond, Stephen, 1998. "Initial conditions and moment restrictions in dynamic panel data models," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 115-143, August.
    23. Ghosh, Saibal, 2016. "Does mobile telephony spur growth? Evidence from Indian states," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(10), pages 1020-1031.
    24. Robert J. Barro & Xavier Sala-i-Martin, 1991. "Convergence across States and Regions," Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, Economic Studies Program, The Brookings Institution, vol. 22(1), pages 107-182.
    25. David Roodman, 2006. "How to Do xtabond2," North American Stata Users' Group Meetings 2006 8, Stata Users Group.
    26. Madden, Gary & Savage, Scott J., 1998. "CEE telecommunications investment and economic growth," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 10(2), pages 173-195, June.
    27. Wintoki, M. Babajide & Linck, James S. & Netter, Jeffry M., 2012. "Endogeneity and the dynamics of internal corporate governance," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 105(3), pages 581-606.
    28. Brezis, Elise S & Krugman, Paul R & Tsiddon, Daniel, 1993. "Leapfrogging in International Competition: A Theory of Cycles in National Technological Leadership," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1211-1219, December.
    29. W. Edward STEINMUELLER, 2001. "ICTs and the possibilities for leapfrogging by developing countries," International Labour Review, International Labour Organization, vol. 140(2), pages 193-210, June.
    30. Lukasz Arendt, 2015. "The Digital Economy, Ict And Economic Growth In The Cee Countries," OLSZTYN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 10(3), pages 247-262, August.
    31. Barro, Robert J & Sala-i-Martin, Xavier, 1992. "Convergence," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 100(2), pages 223-251, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Habibi, Fateh & Zabardast, Mohamad Amjad, 2020. "Digitalization, education and economic growth: A comparative analysis of Middle East and OECD countries," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    2. Awad, Atif & Albaity, Mohamed, 2022. "ICT and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Transmission channels and effects," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(8).
    3. Ward, Michael R. & Zheng, Shilin, 2016. "Mobile telecommunications service and economic growth: Evidence from China," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 89-101.
    4. Zhaofang Chu, 2012. "Logistics and economic growth: a panel data approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 49(1), pages 87-102, August.
    5. Ward, Michael R. & Zheng, Shilin, 2014. "Mobile telecommunications infrastructure and economic growth: Evidence from China," 25th European Regional ITS Conference, Brussels 2014 101405, International Telecommunications Society (ITS).
    6. Haftu, Girmay Giday, 2019. "Information communications technology and economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: A panel data approach," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(1), pages 88-99.
    7. Abdulqadir, Idris A. & Asongu, Simplice A., 2022. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 73(C), pages 44-61.
    8. Mwananziche, Josephat & Myovella, Godwin & Karacuka, Mehmet & Haucap, Justus & Moshi, Goodiel, 2023. "Is digitalization a booster for economic growth in Africa? Short run and long run evidence from Tanzania," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(10).
    9. Sawng, Yeong-wha & Kim, Pang-ryong & Park, JiYoung, 2021. "ICT investment and GDP growth: Causality analysis for the case of Korea," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(7).
    10. Atif Awad, 2023. "Information and communication technologies role in alleviating poverty in Sub‐Saharan Africa: Impacts and transmission channels," Sustainable Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 31(2), pages 1149-1165, April.
    11. Sang H. Lee & John Levendis & Luis Gutierrez, 2012. "Telecommunications and economic growth: an empirical analysis of sub-Saharan Africa," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 44(4), pages 461-469, February.
    12. Charles Shaaba Saba & Nicholas Ngepah, 2022. "ICT Diffusion, Industrialisation and Economic Growth Nexus: an International Cross-country Analysis," Journal of the Knowledge Economy, Springer;Portland International Center for Management of Engineering and Technology (PICMET), vol. 13(3), pages 2030-2069, September.
    13. Raéf Bahrini & Alaa A. Qaffas, 2019. "Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Economic Growth: Evidence from Developing Countries," Economies, MDPI, vol. 7(1), pages 1-13, March.
    14. Bayraktar-Sağlam, Bahar & Yetkiner, Hakan, 2014. "A Romerian contribution to the empirics of economic growth," Journal of Policy Modeling, Elsevier, vol. 36(2), pages 257-272.
    15. Capolupo, Rosa, 2009. "The New Growth Theories and Their Empirics after Twenty Years," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 3, pages 1-72.
    16. Soukiazis, Elias & Antunes, Micaela, 2011. "Is foreign trade important for regional growth? Empirical evidence from Portugal," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 1363-1373, May.
    17. Abdulqadir, Idris & Asongu, Simplice, 2021. "The asymmetric effect of internet access on economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa: Insight from a dynamic panel threshold regression," MPRA Paper 109904, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    18. Ronald Ravinesh Kumar & Peter Josef Stauvermann & Nikeel Kumar & Syed Jawad Hussain Shahzad, 2019. "Exploring the effect of ICT and tourism on economic growth: a study of Israel," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 52(3), pages 221-254, August.
    19. Albiman, Masoud Mohammed & Sulong, Zunaidah, 2017. "The linear and non-linear impacts of ICT on economic growth, of disaggregate income groups within SSA region," Telecommunications Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(7), pages 555-572.
    20. Daniel Ştefan Armeanu & Georgeta Vintilă & Ştefan Cristian Gherghina, 2017. "Empirical Study towards the Drivers of Sustainable Economic Growth in EU-28 Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(1), pages 1-22, December.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:telpol:v:44:y:2020:i:2:s0308596119302290. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30471/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.