How information and communication technology affects decision‐making on innovation diffusion: An agent‐based modelling approach

摘要

We introduce a computational agent‐based model of innovation diffusion that allowsrnus to analyse the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) developmentrnon decision‐making. Model dynamics are based on local emulation betweenrnpairs of individuals that generate an evolving social network on which an innovationrnis virally spread (by word of mouth). Results suggest that ICT development affectsrnthe data usefulness for decision‐making by changing the topology of the social networkrn(the means whereby the innovation is propagated). Paradoxically, a higher levelrnof ICT development (providing a larger volume of data) narrows the differencesrnbetween better and worse launch strategies, thus reducing data‐driven decision‐makingrnusefulness, which then shows diminishing returns on the ICT level.