Global Diffusion of the Internet III: Information Diffusion Agents and the Spread of Internet Cafés in Indonesia

Abstract

The paper identifies characteristics of early adopters of the Internet café business in a developing country. The study is based on innovation diffusion and entrepreneurship theory and uses a combination of in-depth interviews and survey methodologies. The data, obtained in Indonesia, show that most early adopters are highly educated, have previous IT-related work experience, and score high on the 'entrepreneurial readiness' variable. Students and youngsters are the main market segments. Early and late adopters alike are innovative. Innovation diffusion depends on adequate infrastructure and awareness among potential customers. Policy recommendations include increasing government commitment to infrastructure development to provide more equitable access to information in society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]Copyright of Communications of AIS is the property of Association for Information Systems and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)