Information-Sector Growth in Market and Nonmarket Economies: A Comparative Case Study

The purpose of this study is to identify factors that have led to the emergence of information activities in the global labor force. An analysis of the predominant theoretical perspectives on the development of the information society indicates that a comparison of the development of the information work force in countries that have experienced industrialization under different socioeconomic systems is needed. Finland and Poland are selected as the representatives of a market economy and a centrally planned economy. The results indicate that the information work forces of Finland and Poland have experienced similar patterns of growth over the time period examined. However, the distribution of the work force across different economic sectors differs by socioeconomic system. It is concluded that factors relating to industrialization have played the primary role in the emergence of the information work force and that this emergence may take multiple paths in developing.