James Pick | University of Redlands (original) (raw)

Papers by James Pick

RePEc: Research Papers in Economics, 2015

This exploratory empirical study examines the extent of differences in information and communicat... more This exploratory empirical study examines the extent of differences in information and communication technology (ICT) utilization among the various countries of Africa. This paper also enhances understanding of factors that impact ICT utilization and the digital divide in African countries. In contrast to previous empirical studies, we include more advanced forms of ICT such as broadband and social media technologies. In our conceptual model of ICT utilization, known as Spatially Aware Technology Utilization Model (SATUM), five dependent variables are posited to be associated with eighteen demographic, socioeconomic , education, technology tariff, societal openness, infrastructure, and ICT services competitiveness variables. ICT utilization dependent variables are spatially analyzed to determine patterns of agglomeration or randomness, and regression residuals are tested for the presence of spatial bias. We determine that laws that relate to the use of ICTs is a dominant predictor of all forms of ICT utilization, a novel finding. The effectiveness of a national parliament/congress as a lawmaking institution is significantly associated with modern (broadband) as well as legacy forms (fixed telephones) of ICT. This is consistent with prior literature which emphasizes the role of national governments in Africa in framing ICT sector policies for investment, privatization, deregulation, and providing access in underserved areas. For a smaller sample of nations that excludes high utilization ICT nations of Africa, ICT laws have a somewhat reduced effect for two forms of ICT. However gross national income per capita is determined to a dominant predictor for three ICTs and mobile tariffs is negatively associated with mobile cellular subscribers. The findings are intuitive and mostly well supported by previous literature. Policy implications for African nations are provided.

Proceedings of the ... Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, 2018

Attention in the digital divide research agenda is shifting gradually from material access of inf... more Attention in the digital divide research agenda is shifting gradually from material access of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to actual use of ICTs. As internet usage increases worldwide and online activities concomitantly expand in range and sophistication, it becomes essential to examine patterns and disparities of such usage. This paper examines geographic patterns and disparities along with influences of demographic, economic, and social factors on internet use in U.S. states. Our conceptual model of internet use posits associations of 21 traditional (socio-economic) as well as non-traditional independent variables (social capital, societal openness, innovation, infrastructure, and affordability) with dependent indicators of e-communication, ecommerce, e-education, e-entertainment, e-health, and telework. Age, race/ethnicity, innovation, urban location, managerial and scientific occupations, and social capital are found to predominantly influence internet use spanning a range of online activities. Policy implications of these findings are discussed taking cognizance of geographic disparities in internet use among the fifty states.

Demography, Nov 1, 1974

Volume 11, Number 4 November 1974 were recently used in an interactive educational computer progr... more Volume 11, Number 4 November 1974 were recently used in an interactive educational computer program (Handler and Sherwood, 1972). In another study, time sequence movie-like graphs of changes in neighborhood composition and student riot locations emphasized the time axis of population change but did not reveal age structure (Demko and Youngman, 1973). The results of earlier versions of the present population pyramid program appeared in Keyfitz and Flieger (1971) and in Boughey (1973).

ISPRS international journal of geo-information, Sep 19, 2019

This paper analyzes the spatial distribution and socioeconomic determinants of social media utili... more This paper analyzes the spatial distribution and socioeconomic determinants of social media utilization in 3109 counties of the United States. A theory of determinants was modified from the spatially aware technology utilization model (SATUM). Socioeconomic factors including demography, economy, education, innovation, and social capital were posited to influence social media utilization dependent variables. Spatial analysis was conducted including exploratory analysis of geographic distribution and confirmatory screening for spatial randomness. The determinants were identified through ordinary least squares (OLS) regression analysis. Findings for the nation indicate that the major determinants are demographic factors, service occupations, ethnicities, and urban location. Furthermore, analysis was conducted for the U.S. metropolitan, micropolitan, and rural subsamples. We found that Twitter users were more heavily concentrated in southern California and had a strong presence in the Mississippi region, while Facebook users were highly concentrated in Colorado, Utah, and adjacent Rocky Mountain States. Social media usage was lowest in the Great Plains, lower Midwest, and South with the exceptions of Florida and major southern cities such as Atlanta. Measurements of the overall extent of spatial agglomeration were very high. The paper concludes by discussing the policy implications of the study at the county as well as national levels.

Big Data and Analytics have emerged as important areas of investigation for MIS academics and pra... more Big Data and Analytics have emerged as important areas of investigation for MIS academics and practitioners. Increasing interest has also been witnessed in industry and federal agencies, as evidenced by the recent White House initiative on Big Data. Recently, proliferation of sensors and location sensing devices has created an abundance of geographically referenced data. This workshop will focus on Big Data location analytics. It will renew attention to Big Data and Analytics theories, concepts, and technologies, and how Geographical Information Systems enable visualization and analysis of the location component of Big Data to create additional value to make better decisions. Spatial Big Data tools (SpatialHadoop) that leverage the power and sophistication of traditional Big Data technologies (Apache Hadoop) will be discussed. Big Data opportunities in different industries that are known to leverage geotechnology will be presented. This is part I of a two-part workshop on Big Data and Location Analytics

Mobile and Wireless Systems Beyond 3G

This chapter identifies the technology and non-technology factors that companies consider importa... more This chapter identifies the technology and non-technology factors that companies consider important in deciding to adopt and deploy wireless devices designed for mobile telephony and information services, the extent of current use of cell phones, the extent of existing utilization and/or planning for Web-enabled cell phone use, the constraining factors in their deployment decisions, how such decisions are made, and the practical technology implications for decision-making, including beyond 3G. This chapter seeks to help decision makers by shedding light on the adoption process. The conceptual model combines the TAM and innovation adoption/diffusion models, adding the factors of security, cost, reliability, digital standards/regulatory environment, technology product suitability, and future Web connectivity. Case study methodology is utilized for five manufacturing and technology firms. A key finding is that the most important technology decision factors are security, reliability, an...

Progress in IS, 2015

China has the world’s largest base of information technology users, growing in this century at ex... more China has the world’s largest base of information technology users, growing in this century at exponential rates. During the study period of 2006–2009, substantial regional differences existed in China in ICT utilization. In the Chinese conceptual model twelve independent factors are posited to be associated with eight technology utilization factors. The government data introduce culturally specific factors such as workers in non-state-owned enterprises and number of web pages. The most important ICT correlate is export commodities value, followed by published books, tertiary employment, non-state-owned workers, and innovation funds. Cluster analysis indicates the outlier, dominant mainland provinces are Beijing and Shanghai, with a second level of relatively high ICT provinces nearby and vast rural areas of low technology use. Policy implications for China are distinctive regional policies depending on ICT intensity, including Central-policy, low-end industry transfer model, overseas model, and model for China’s West, Center, and North. Cases of Alibaba and Google highlight the rapid growth, exporting aspect, and obstacles of ICT in China.

SIMULATION, 1998

Very often the data sets needed for large-scale system simulation and testing aren't availabl... more Very often the data sets needed for large-scale system simulation and testing aren't available. Even when it's possible to collect and use the real-world data, they're not always suitable. In some situations, only a small portion of the data sets is actually needed for system testing. In others, the sets may involve many data variables and extensive data elements in each data variable, creating high complexity and difficulty. This is especially true in manufac turing production planning, where many fac tors must be considered, and the scope of the data sets is often very large. Here we introduce the procedure and methods we developed for generating large data sets in manufacturing using Monte Carlo techniques combined with the Extended Entity Relationship modeling method. We introduce an approach that can deal with complicated relationships and order ing among random variates. We generate the data sets for an IBM electronics manufactur ing facility. We examine use of the...

Exploratory empirical studies of the digital divide exist for various nations including the Unite... more Exploratory empirical studies of the digital divide exist for various nations including the United States. The contribution of this paper is to enhance understanding of factors associated with availability and utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the state level in the US. In our conceptual model of technology utilization, eight dependent technology availability and utilization factors are posited to be associated with twelve independent socioeconomic , demographic, innovation, and societal openness factors. Technology utilization variables are spatially analyzed to determine extent of agglomeration or randomness, and regression residuals are examined to eliminate spatial bias. We find that societal openness, urbanization, and ethnicities are significantly associated with higher ICT utilization. We report interesting findings for social media communication technologies of Facebook and Twitter. Implications for policymakers at both federal and state levels are discussed.

China's technology levels have grown rapidly in the first decade of the 21 st century. This study... more China's technology levels have grown rapidly in the first decade of the 21 st century. This study examines the economic and social influences on technology utilization and availability in China's 31 administrative units. An exploratory conceptual model is established, based on prior research and including screening for spatial clustering of like-valued residuals. The empirical research goals are (1) to statistically analyze the determinants of technology usage in China at the provincial level using the most recent technology, economic, and social data, and (2) to statistically analyze the impact of spatial autocorrelation on Chinese provincial technology levels and on regression residuals. Findings indicate the most significant determinant of China's provincial technology levels is export commodities value, followed by published books, tertiary and non-state-owned employment, and to a lesser extent innovation. Spatial autocorrelation is only slightly present following the regression analysis. The implications of the study for government policies in China are examined.

Telecommunications Policy, Dec 1, 2014

This study of the digital divide within Japan utilizes data from the country's 47 prefectures for... more This study of the digital divide within Japan utilizes data from the country's 47 prefectures for multivariate and spatial analysis of distributions of information and communication technology (ICT) variables. The paper constructs an exploratory conceptual model of technology utilization and expenditures in Japan, induced from prior literature. Ten dependent ICT utilization and expenditure factors are posited to be related to 12 independent demographic, economic, infrastructure, education, innovation and openness factors. The relationship of the independent to dependent factors is moderated by analysis of spatial patterns of technology utilization to examine proximities and reduce spatial bias. Based on the model, a multivariate analysis identifies correlates of the nation's digital divide, including patents registered by Japanese citizens, newspaper circulation, students and pupils per capita, household expenditures on education, rural/urban status, and Japan's aged population structure which has wide generational gaps. Spatial clusters and outliers of ICTs in prefectures are analyzed, with attention to their policy impacts. Findings suggest modifications to the conceptual model. Implications of findings for the country's official national technology planning policies are considered and recommendations made to expand them.

Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Feb 1, 2015

The research purpose is to identify the correlates of technology utilization for the world and ma... more The research purpose is to identify the correlates of technology utilization for the world and major world regions, while screening for spatial bias. Conceptual theory is induced which posits that levels of technological utilization are based on social, economic, government, and societal openness factors, while recognizing that geographic proximity can be influential for this utilization; the model's endogenous factors are posited to account for proximity. Regression findings worldwide for broadband internet subscribers indicate that the important correlates are tertiary education and innovation capacity. The disaggregated findings provide a more refined view. For Europe, significant determinants are judicial independence and innovation capacity, while for Asia they are tertiary education, foreign direct investment, and innovation capacity. For combined Africa-Latin America, higher education, press freedom, and foreign direct investment are most significant. The empirical findings lead to a more complex theoretical model that distinguishes determinants for developed and developing nations. The study suggests that a nation's governmental policies be tailored to the distinctive factors that apply for that nation's developed or developing region and/or its continental region. For planners and policy makers, the study suggests that use of spatial analysis can contribute to greater understanding and more accurate investigation of digital divides.

ABSTRACT Social, economic, and political determinants of technology utilization are studied for a... more ABSTRACT Social, economic, and political determinants of technology utilization are studied for a worldwide sample of nations through linear regression and spatial autocorrelation. The conceptual theory, based on prior research findings on the global digital divide, posits that higher levels of technological utilization are based on known factors and it further provides screening for geographic clustering of like-valued estimation errors. The spatial autocorrelation of residuals is tested, and is significant for the regressions of each of the dependent variables. Since geographically weighted regression cannot be applied, regression is performed for three world regions, based on UN definitions. Major findings indicate for Europe the importance of judicial independence and innovation, for Asia higher education and foreign direct investment, and for Africa and South America, education and foreign direct investment. The theory and findings add to the digital divide literature the method of validity testing for spatial clustering of errors.

The Information Society, 2013

ABSTRACT There are significant regional disparities in the level of technology availability and u... more ABSTRACT There are significant regional disparities in the level of technology availability and utilization in China. This study analyzes determinants of technology availability and utilization in China's 31 administrative units using data on technology adoption and socioeconomic factors. It examines the extent of spatial autocorrelation on technology levels and regression residuals, and provides exploratory spatial cluster analysis of technology attributes interpreted by four regional policy approaches. An exploratory conceptual model is established, based on diffusion of innovations theory and prior digital divide research. Regression findings indicate the most significant determinant of technology availability and utilization is export commodities value. This is followed by published books, tertiary employment, non-state-owned employment, and innovation funds of enterprises. The conceptual model is discussed in light of these findings and suggestions are offered for China's technology policy.

The Information Society, 2022

Location privacy is a growing challenge in today’s geo-referenced world. This exploratory study i... more Location privacy is a growing challenge in today’s geo-referenced world. This exploratory study investigates the management of location privacy and mitigation of its violations through case studies of six city and county governments in the United States. It focuses on why or why not local governments have instituted location privacy policies, how they incorporate location privacy in their management, and how the managerial processes of location privacy policy formulation and implementation could be conceptualized. It follows an inductive approach, analyzing within-case findings, identifying cross-case commonalities, and inducing propositions. Findings show that there is no consistent definition of location privacy, with each local government developing its own definition and attendant approaches to privacy policymaking, management, and protection. It induces seven propositions and posits a research model centered on the concept of managerial cognition. Practical implications for cit...

Geographies of the Internet, 2020