INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE - LESSONS FROM THE DEVELOPED-COUNTRIES

The paper focuses on developed countries. arguing that when used effectively information technology (IT) brings gains in the form of better product quality, greater flexibility and speed, and first-mover advantage; the cost-reducing impact of IT is of secondary importance. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) experience with IT has been mixed and often disillusioning. OECD nations, with their well-developed technological infrastructures, national computer and telecommunications industries and substantial resources, have failed to develop universal rules for applying IT successfully. The obstacles are managerial and regulatory, not technological. Unpreparedness by companies, regulatory barriers and a lack of standards all tend to inhibit diffusion of IT.