Technology Adoption: A Comparison between Canada and the United States

Abstract

This study examines differences in technology use in Canada as opposed to the United States as well as reasons for these differences. It examines different aspects of technology use--numbers of technologies used, types of technologies used, as well as regional, size and industry variations in their use. It then investigates differences in benefits that plant managers perceive stem from advanced technology use and differences in the factors that managers assess as impediments. While managers in both countries generally place quite similar emphases on items in the list of benefits received and problems that have impeded adoption, there are significant differences that arise because of the smaller size of the Canadian market.

JEL Classification: O3, O14