Increasing Returns and the Diffusion of Linux in China
IT Professional, Vol. 9, No. 6, 2007
14 Pages Posted: 4 Dec 2007
Abstract
The scale of Linux development and deployment in China is large enough to be noticed at the global level. China has a unique combination of institutions, industries and markets that have provided a fertile breeding ground for the generation and use of Linux related innovations. This paper emphasizes on increasing returns as a key element in understanding the diffusion of Linux in China. We analyze three categories of positive or self-reinforcing feedback systems for evidence regarding the effects of increasing returns to scale in the Chinese Linux industry: socio-political, cognitive and economic.
Keywords: China, increasing returns, feedback systems, Linux, institutions
JEL Classification: O33
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