| The purpose of this study was to determine whether or not a country's culture, as measured by its values for Hofstede's Dimensions of Culture, affects the adoption of six Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in 31 different countries. Hofstede's Dimensions of Culture were correlated with ICT usage data, financial data, and the Ethno-Linguistic Fractionalization (ELF) index, and Hofstede's PDI and IDV index values were found to be significant indicators of a nation's likelihood to adopt ICTs, while GNI per capita was also found to play a significant role. Actual ICT usage per 1000 population was found to be a superior predictor to usage rate changes. This study serves as strong evidence that mere statistical analysis cannot replace the expertise of experienced product managers who must learn to understand a country's cultural values, political priorities, and economic potential before they can appropriately promote an ICT to its inhabitants. |
