National Technology Associations
Overview and Case Studies of National IT Associations
The
following eight countries representing different stages of economic development
are used to demonstrate the activities that technology associations engage in,
within and outside of their respective countries. The associations represent a
cross-section of countries from the poorest to richest, north to south, western
and eastern.
Least Developed: Bangladesh
Developing:
Brazil, Bulgaria, Costa Rica
Most
Developed:
Finland, United States
Overview Analysis
The association sector on the whole shows greater organizational development and resources along the scale of least to most developed nations. The number of associations in each nation mirrors the number of the businesses in each nation with many nations only supporting one or two technology associations.
The greater organizational development along the least to most developed nations is also demonstrated by the more technologically and graphically advanced websites in the developing and most developed nations. Association services of those organizations in developing nations often resemble the model of U.S.-based associations, especially when in those nations the industry is well supported by the government and the economic success of the IT sector is growing. The majority of the associations have an Executive Director and other staff, resources permitting. Some are all volunteer run due to either their small size or time in existence. Some sites did not make it clear if the contact page was to a staff member or not.
Associations
in the least developed and developing nations that experience brain drain to the
U.S. have developed cross border associations to connect U.S. business back to
the homeland. This is one unique way associations are helping to improve
conditions in the poorer nations. Associations with a global membership provide
services for both the poorest and the richest nations and build bridges between
businesses that might not otherwise have a forum in which to interact.
International trade shows organized by associations rank as one the most common
activities of association seeking to market goods and services of less developed
countries to the richer nations and multinational corporations.
Associations
are generally a step ahead of government in their goals for establishing
national IT policies as it means greater business development for the technology
companies. Lobbying of governments is a core purpose of every leading
technology association in all countries analyzed.
While
the case studies are used as examples of associations in particular nations,
they drive home the important point that no matter how poor the nation is in its
IT development, associations naturally form to represent the emerging companies
in the broader governmental and global business landscape. In highly developed
nations, associations splinter off and move toward providing very specific
services to constituents and flex their considerable power in government
lobbying and in the market place. Associations that find duplication of efforts
are hurting their progress have taken the steps to merge to better serve their
members (see examples on in the Mergers & Competition
section.)
The website of the vast majority of the technology associations are not particularly well designed, both visually and architecturally. Finland tends to have the best sites with the U.S. as the next best follower. As websites are the first stop for just about any potential new member, it would serve every association well to work to create a much more mature web presence to fully reflect the technological advancement of the members of each association.
Across all cultures, similarities exist in the core missions of IT associations. All have been founded on the same core principles to advance the ICT in the nation through lobbying the government, growing the businesses of the membership, training and education, and global networking.
Least Developed Nations
Developing Nations
Most Developed Nations
