Does ICT promote democracy and economic freedom in Middle East?

Farid Shirazi; Roya Gholami; Dolores Añón Higón

Does ICT promote democracy and economic freedom in Middle East?

Farid Shirazi, Roya Gholami, Dolores Añón Higón

Operations & Information Management

Research output: Preprint or Working paper › Working paper

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) expansion on economic and social freedom in the Middle East (Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and United Arab Emirates) for the period of 1996 to 2005. This study is unique as it analyzes the effect of institutional resistance (governments’ restrictions) on ICT development, economic freedom and democracy. The results show that institutional resistance poses a significant negative effect on ICT development and democracy. Results also show that ICT expansion in Middle East has not only been effective in bridging the Digital Divide, but that it had a positive impact on promoting civil liberties and economic freedom in a region that is vulnerable to political, social, and global conflicts.

Original language	English
Place of Publication	Birmingham (UK)
Publisher	Aston University
ISBN (Print)	978-1-85449-736-9
Publication status	Published - Sept 2008

Publication series

Name	Aston Business School research papers
Publisher	Aston University
No.	RP081

Keywords

ICT
Digital Divide
institutional resistance
Freedom
Democracy
Economic freedom Index
economic intervention

Cite this

@techreport{6ac41cb3eb0f49cca09abbab0f162599,

title = "Does ICT promote democracy and economic freedom in Middle East?",

abstract = "This study investigates the impact of information and communication technology (ICT) expansion on economic and social freedom in the Middle East (Bahrain, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria and United Arab Emirates) for the period of 1996 to 2005. This study is unique as it analyzes the effect of institutional resistance (governments{\textquoteright} restrictions) on ICT development, economic freedom and democracy. The results show that institutional resistance poses a significant negative effect on ICT development and democracy. Results also show that ICT expansion in Middle East has not only been effective in bridging the Digital Divide, but that it had a positive impact on promoting civil liberties and economic freedom in a region that is vulnerable to political, social, and global conflicts.",

keywords = "ICT, Digital Divide, institutional resistance, Freedom, Democracy, Economic freedom Index, economic intervention",

author = "Farid Shirazi and Roya Gholami and {A{\~n}{\'o}n Hig{\'o}n}, Dolores",

year = "2008",

month = sep,

language = "English",

isbn = "978-1-85449-736-9",

series = "Aston Business School research papers",

publisher = "Aston University",

number = "RP081",