Modeling the behaviour of science and technology: self-propagating growth in the diffusion process

• Main Authors: Wong, Chan-Yuan, Goh, Kim-Leng
• Format: Article
• Published: Kluwer (now part of Springer) 2010
• Subjects: R Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/12508/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Through theoretical analysis and empirical demonstration, this paper attempts to model the behavior of science and technology by investigating the self-propagating behavior of their diffusion for South Korea, Malaysia and Japan. The dynamics of the self-propagating behavior were examined using the logistic growth function within a dynamic carrying capacity, while allowing for different effectiveness of potential influence of science and technology producers on potential adopters. Evidence suggests that the self-propagating growth function is particularly relevant for countries with advanced science and technology, like Japan. While self-propagating growth was also found for South Korea, the diffusion process remained fairly static for Malaysia.