Inter- and Intra-Firm Diffusion of Technology: The Example of E-Commerce: An Analysis Based on Swiss Firm-Level Data

Abstract:     
The paper aims at a joint analysis of inter-firm and intra-firm diffusion of technology, taking as an example E-selling and E-purchasing. The analysis is based on an encompassing model of diffusion, drawn from the literature, which is extended by considering technology-specific obstacles and benefits of adoption. As hypothesised, we find, firstly, that the determinants of inter-firm and intrafirm diffusion differ in case of both types of E-commerce; secondly, that the drivers of the diffusion of E-selling and E-purchasing are not the same, and, finally, that uncertainties and adjustment costs, mostly neglected in previous work, are important factors in explaining technology diffusion.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 33

Keywords: Technology diffusion, Inter-firm and Intra-firm diffusion, E-commerce, E-selling, E-purchasing

JEL Classification: O3

working papers series