The digital divide refers to the separation between those who have access to digital information and communications technology (ICT) and those who do not. Many believe that universal access to ICT would bring about a global community of interaction, commerce, and learning resulting in higher standards of living and improved social welfare. However, the digital divide threatens this outcome leading many public policy makers to debate the best way to bridge the divide. Much of the research on the digital divide focuses on first order effects regarding who has access to the technology, but some work addresses the second order effects of how the technology is actually used by those with access. In this paper, we examine both first and second order effects of the digital divide at three levels of analysis ¾ the individual level, the organizational level, and the country level. At each level, we survey the existing research findings, and suggest a series of research questions to guide researchers seeking to further examine the digital divide and how it impacts citizens, managers, and economies.
Keywords: digital divide, e-commerce divide, information and communications technology, ICT, diffusion of technology, electronic commerce.