Adoption of mobile communication standards : a comparative study of China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong

This thesis is a study about the patterns or styles of adopting industrial standards. The goal of this study is to identify the factors in adopting standards in different countries, and to explain the distinctive features in Asia by categorizing them into particular patterns or styles. This topic is discussed in a broader political economic context, particularly in terms of the relationship between the government and the industry and the relationship between the domestic and foreign economic actors. A focus will be put on the adoption of mobile telecommunication standards as a key example of industry standards in major Asian economies: China, Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. The author classifies four economies into three styles: the market-led or de facto style, and the official or government-led style, and the hybrid style that exist between the two. Hong Kong can be put into the "market-led" style. On the other hand, China takes the government-led style. The case of Korea and Japan belong to the hybrid style. To explain the differences, the author discusses the role of the "intermediation zone" that exist between the market and the government. Another key factor is influence of foreign capitals. In many Asian countries, where astonishin, growth is seen in telecommunications, bargaining between foreign firms and local governments or standards-making bodies is a key process in standard making. In conclusion, I confirm the hypothesis that the process of deciding on the telecommunication standards is a multivariate function, which is determined particularly by (1) the role and nature of the government, (2) the roles of foreign actors, and (3) the nature of the quasi-governmental"intermediate-zone"actors such as policy deliberation councils and business organizations. I also conclude that all the economies under study (probably except China) tend to evolve toward more liberal systems in terrns of standardization judging from the case study of telecommunications