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As attention in digital divide research shifts from internet access to its use, and subsequently its impacts, this paper examines purposeful uses of the internet for the US states in 2017 using data from the Digital Nation Data Explorer of the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). The conceptual model posits relationships of a group of demographic, societal, economic, and social capital variables to purposeful internet use (PIU) dependent variables that reference spatial clustering. The research questions are examine spatial patterns of PIU in US states and associations of demographic, socio-economic, affordability, innovation, social capital and societal openness factors with PIU dependent variables. Methods employed include k-means cluster analysis, mapping, and Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression analysis. Findings reveal unique cluster-based spatial patterns of high and low PIU in regions of the nation. The regression associations indicate that leading factors influencing PIU are professional, managerial, science and arts occupation, age (an inverse effect), social capital (positive effect), selected racial/ethnicity factors, and societal openness, with differences between PIU indicators for e-communication, e-entertainment, e-education, e-commerce, e-health, and purposeful internet use for internet-of-things and location-based services. Policy implications of the findings are discussed. The study is novel due to its emphasis on purposeful uses representing a second-level digital divide, the spatial insights, and new empirical findings.

This tutorial provides a foundation on geographic information systems (GIS) as they relate to and are part of the IS body of knowledge. The tutorial serves as a ten-year update on an earlier CAIS tutorial (Pick, 2004). During the decade, GIS has expanded with wider and deeper range of applications in government and industry, widespread consumer use, and an emerging importance in business schools and for IS. In this paper, we provide background information on the key ideas and concepts of GIS, spatial analysis, and latest trends and on the status and opportunities for incorporating GIS, spatial analysis, and locational decision making into IS research and in teaching in business and IS curricula.

This study analyzes factors associated with availability and utilization of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for U.S. states. We construct an exploratory conceptual model of technology utilization in which eight dependent ICT availability and utilization factors are posited to be associated with fourteen independent socio-economic, demographic, innovation, social capital, and societal openness factors. Technology utilization variables are spatially analyzed to determine extent of agglomeration, and regression residuals are examined to eliminate spatial bias. Findings indicate social capital, education, societal openness, urbanization, and ethnicities are significantly associated with ICT utilization. We suggest important implications for policymakers at state and federal levels.

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.

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. Conceptual model for ICT factors in Japan is induced from literature and tested.Japan's cluster regions for ICT factors are statistically identified and characterized.Regression analysis gives correlates for ICT factors in Japan's prefecturesRegional ICT policies are proposed to supplement Japan's official national policies.Geospatial methods control for spatial autocorrelation of regression error terms.