Communication technologies: commercial adoption and institutional environment

by Andonova, Veneta Stefanova

Abstract: This research contributes to several fields of knowledge. It studies the ambiguous effects that the Internet has on the transaction costs structure in the case of retailing. Next, it presents an empirical study of the determinants of worldwide Internet and cellular phone penetration levels since 1980. It is shown that cross-country differences in the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) are to a considerable extent due to differences in investment climate, which determines the incentives to adopt technologies based on site-specific assets. Finally, this thesis develops and tests a theory regarding the effect that electoral formats and government configurations have on the degree of property rights protection. A formal model is presented, which establishes a negative relationship between the number of institutions of consensual collective decision-making and the degree of property rights protection.