Title: The role of information and communication technologies in paper consumption

Authors: Maija Hujala

Addresses: School of Business, Lappeenranta University of Technology, P.O. Box 20, FI-53851 Lappeenranta, Finland

Abstract: Conventionally, paper demand is modelled by using only gross domestic product and the price of paper as explanatory variables. However, one factor affecting the demand of printing and writing papers is presumably the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT). In this paper, the regression analysis model and large global scale panel data sets from 1990-2007 are used to analyse the effect of ICT on paper demand for three paper grades: newsprint, office paper and magazine paper. Results show that the internet is a substitute for newsprint and possibly for magazine paper and mobile telephones are complementary and a growing number of personal computers increase office paper consumption.

Keywords: paper demand; information technology; communications technology; ICT; newsprint; office paper; magazine paper; pulp industry; paper industry; panel data; internet; world wide web; paper consumption; gross domestic product; GDP; prices; pricing; explanatory variables; printing paper; writing paper; regression analysis; paper grades; newspapers; mobile phones; cell phones; personal computers; business information systems.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIS.2011.038507

International Journal of Business Information Systems, 2011 Vol.7 No.2, pp.121 - 135

Published online: 30 Sep 2014 *

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