The making of information nations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the main characteristics of what have come to be called information nations, and to identify some of the determinants of success in becoming an information nation. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on a critical review of the literature and of secondary data on information technology and services from studies of the innovativeness of nations. Findings Success in becoming an information nation is not necessarily closely connected with investments in information technology and services by firms and policies supporting these investments by governments, or with education policies designed to support the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Other factors, such as the vibrancy of capitalism, particularly the funding of new ventures, the culture of the nation, and its focus on non-scientific determinants of innovation, such as design, are also important. Governments should be careful not to take credit for achievements when their policies are merely coincident with those achievements. Research limitations/implications The main limitations relate to the focus of this article on two sets of nations, South East/East Asia and two Western nations. The review of their performance is relatively high level and needs to be deepened, while the number of nations included in the research needs to be increased. Practical implications This article has substantial practical implications for government policy makers, in terms of whether and how they should make policy at all in this area, and for companies trying to establish a long-term position in the global economy, in terms of being careful not to go against the very strong economic forces which favour certain kinds of activities in certain countries. Social implications This article has significant social implications, because much of the thinking about developing information societies relies on generalisations about the creation of information nations that may not hold. Governments and social commentators are encouraged to approach the idea of making “big policies” in this area with some scepticism. Originality/value The content of this article is not original, but the challenge to policy makers is relatively original, as too often the work of academics is sponsored by governments that are trying to legitimate the value of their own efforts.