Nir Kshetri

Cloud Computing in Developing Economies

The developing world must exploit the opportunities afforded by cloud computing while minimizing the associated risks to allow access to advanced IT infrastructure, data centers, and applications and protect sensitive information.

Determinants of the Locus of Global E-Commerce

Internet and e-commerce are experiencing hyperbolic growth rates and highly asymmetric global distribution. There is also a significant variation worldwide in the means used to access the Internet and the e-commerce models adopted. This paper attempts to identify and synthesize the available evidence on predictors of magnitude, global distribution and forms of e-commerce. The analysis indicates that the twin forces of globalisation and major revolutions in ICT are fuelling the rapid growth of global e-commerce. On the other hand, economic and infrastructure related factors, cultural factors, political and legal factors and the activities of supranational institutions determine the proportion of the global e-commerce a country is likely to receive and the forms in which it is implemented. The success of a company is a function of its ability to understand how various environmental factors influence the optimum combination of fixed and mobile telecommunications networks in a country; appropriateness of a product to be sold online; website design; payment mechanism; delivery means; etc.

Institutional Changes Affecting Entrepreneurship in China

Institutions influencing entrepreneurship are undergoing significant transformation in China. During the Mao era, private entrepreneurship was virtually eradicated and was a political taboo. As reflected in the macro-level economic data, there has been an evolution of entrepreneur-friendly institutions in the country. A constellation of factors linked to Chinas global integration is pushing through fundamental changes in institutions related to Chinese entrepreneurship. The logics or governance structures and organizing principles related to entrepreneurship are rapidly changing in the country. This paper examines forces influencing the diffusion of instrumental values promoting entrepreneurship among Chinese institutional actors.

The Economics of Click Fraud

Click fraud is a substantial threat in the cyberworld. Here, the author examines the contexts, mechanisms, and processes associated with the click-fraud industry from an economics viewpoint. The nature of electronic channels, characterized by asymmetric hypermediation, provides a fertile ground for such fraud.

Economics of Linux adoption in developing countries

Software globalization affects build-versus-buy decisions at every level and phase of the software development process. One of the most interesting and controversial issues is the expansion of Linux, an open source operating system, into software development efforts in developing countries. Linux is an interesting example of a globally available software product that has nontrivial choice and productivity implications for software projects in developing countries. We examine the positive and negative effects of adopting Linux and ways to achieve the greatest benefits for developing countries and policy makers. Linux communities and Linux-friendly companies can also help promote diversity and flexible options by working to make proprietary and open source operating systems more interoperable.

The emerging role of Big Data in key development issues: Opportunities, challenges, and concerns

This paper presents a review of academic literature, policy documents from government organizations and international agencies, and reports from industries and popular media on the trends in Big Data utilization in key development issues and its worthwhileness, usefulness, and relevance. By looking at Big Data deployment in a number of key economic sectors, it seeks to provide a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges of using it for addressing key issues facing the developing world. It reviews the uses of Big Data in agriculture and farming activities in developing countries to assess the capabilities required at various levels to benefit from Big Data. It also provides insights into how the current digital divide is associated with and facilitated by the pattern of Big Data diffusion and its effective use in key development areas. It also discusses the lessons that developing countries can learn from the utilization of Big Data in big corporations as well as in other activities in industrialized countries.

Cybercrime and cybersecurity in the Global South

1. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Global South: Status, Drivers and Trends 2. Technological and Global Forces Shaping Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Global South 3. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Former Second World Economies 4. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in China 5. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in India 6. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Middle East and North African Economies 7. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in Latin American and Caribbean Economies 8. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in Sub-Saharan African Economies 9. Cybercrime and Cybersecurity in the Developing Pacific Island Economies 10. Discussion, Implications and Concluding Remarks

Cybercrime and cyber-security issues associated with China: some economic and institutional considerations

China is linked to cybercrimes of diverse types, scales, motivations and objectives. The Chinese cyberspace thus provides an interesting setting for the study of cybercrimes. In this paper, we first develop typology, classification and characterization of cybercrimes associated with China, which would help us understand modus operandi, structures, profiles and personal characteristics of cybercrime organizations and potential perpetrators, the signature aspects and goals of cybercrimes, the nature and backgrounds of the criminal groups involved, characteristics of potential targets for criminal activities, the nature and extent of the damage inflicted on the victims and the implications to and responses elicited from various actors. We then examine this issue from developmental and international political economy angles. Specifically, we delineate salient features of China’s politics, culture, human capital and technological issues from the standpoint of cyber-security and analyze emerging international relations and international trade issues associated with this phenomenon. Our analysis indicates that China’s global ambition, the shift in the base of regime legitimacy from MarxLeninism to economic growth, the strong state and weak civil society explain the distinctive pattern of the country’s cyber-attack and cyber-security landscapes.

Cloud Computing in the Global South: drivers, effects and policy measures

Abstract Cloud computing has started to transform economic activities in the global South. Many businesses are taking advantage of the pay-as-you-go model of the technology, and its scalability and flexibility features, and government agencies in the South have been investing in cloud-related mega-projects. Cloud-based mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular and the pervasiveness of cellphones means that the cloud may transform the way these devices are used. However, findings and conclusions drawn from surveys, studies and experiences of companies on the potential and impact of cloud computing in the developing world are inconsistent. This article reviews cloud diffusion in developing economies and examines some firms in the clouds supply side in these economies to present a framework for evaluating the attractiveness of this technology in the context of evolving needs, capabilities and competitive positions. It examines how various determinants related to the development and structure of related industries, externality mechanisms and institutional legitimacy affect cloud-related performances and impacts.

The Adoption of E-Business by Organizations in China: An Institutional Perspective

The Chinese e-business industry has a number of unusual features. Institutional factors such as strong nationalism, the states entrenchment in the economy, political cognitive and political normative factors, regulative uncertainty, the role of professional associations, and the importance of business and social networks are deeply reflected in Chinas e-business development pattern. We argue that by approaching the Chinese e-business industry from the standpoint of institutional theory, we can capture these complex factors facilitating and hindering Chinas rapidly growing e-business industry. We thus employ an institutional perspective to explain the Chinese e-business landscape. In addition to advancing research on e-business in China, this paper also highlights several directions for future inquiry and implications for managers and policymakers.