資訊通信科技（ICT）發展在推動經濟成長與社會變遷上扮演關鍵角色，其對貧富差距的影響日益受到重視。鑑於不同國家之創業環境存在顯著差異，ICT發展在縮小貧富差距上的實際效果亦可能因制度條件而異，因此若欲全面理解ICT發展對貧富差距的影響，便有必要將創業環境納入分析架構之中，作為制度性的調節變數。過去文獻大多強調，良好的制度與創業環境可能放大ICT發展的正向效果，然而近年來不少制度尚不健全的中低收入國家卻出現所得不均程度下降的趨勢，引發對ICT發展與貧富差距關係的新詮釋。

本研究據此提出兩個研究目的：首先，釐清ICT發展對貧富差距是否具有穩定且顯著的直接影響；其次，進一步分析創業環境是否於此關係中扮演調節角色，亦即探討在創業環境不利的情境下，ICT發展是否更能透過補償性正義機制，改善弱勢族群的經濟參與和資源可得性。為此，本文結合2000年至2023年間涵蓋217個國家的跨國追蹤資料，並採用雙向固定效果模型進行實證分析。本研究之ICT發展以網路使用人口比例與每百人行動電話訂閱數為衡量指標，創業環境則以政府效率、貪腐控制、監管品質與創業所需天數為代理變數。

實證結果顯示，ICT發展對Gini係數具穩定且顯著的負向影響，顯示其對改善收入分配具備顯著影響力。進一步分析則發現，在創業環境不佳的國家中，ICT發展對縮小貧富差距的影響更為顯著，突顯出其在制度不利條件下所展現的補償性功能。換言之，ICT發展不僅能縮小貧富差距，更可能在制度資源不足時，為弱勢族群提供繞開體制障礙的另類經濟參與路徑，創造新的流動機會與再分配機制。

本研究補足了現有文獻對創業環境調節角色的忽視，並為ICT發展在不同環境條件下的應用提供了新的分析視角與實證依據。在政策建議方面，即便在制度尚未健全的中低收入國家，亦可透過提升數位基礎建設、普及數位能力培訓與簡化網路創業流程等措施，使ICT發展成為短期內改善收入不均與促進社會流動的重要政策工具。

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) plays a critical role in driving economic growth and social transformation. Its impact on income inequality has received increasing scholarly attention. Given the considerable variations in entrepreneurial environments across countries, the effectiveness of ICT development in narrowing income gaps may differ significantly depending on institutional conditions. To achieve a more comprehensive understanding of ICT’s development influence on income inequality, it is essential to incorporate the entrepreneurial environment as an institutional-level moderating variable.

While prior literature has mainly emphasized that sound institutions and favorable entrepreneurial conditions amplify the positive effects of ICT development, recent trends in many low- and middle-income countries, characterized by relatively underdeveloped institutions, have shown a decline in income inequality. This observation invites a re-examination of the narrative regarding the role of ICT development in shaping income distribution.

Building on this premise, this study sets out two key research objectives. First, it aims to examine whether ICT development exerts a stable and significant direct impact on income inequality. Second, it seeks to investigate the moderating role of the entrepreneurial environment, specifically, whether ICT development becomes more effective in reducing inequality under unfavorable institutional conditions, through a mechanism of compensatory justice that enhances economic participation and access to resources for disadvantaged groups.

To this end, this study uses panel data covering 217 countries from 2000 to 2023 and employs a two-way fixed effects model for empirical analysis. ICT development is measured by Individuals using the Internet (% of population) and mobile cellular subscriptions (per 100 people). At the same time, the entrepreneurial environment is proxied by government effectiveness, control of corruption, regulatory quality, and the number of days required to start a business.

The results show that the development of ICT is significantly negatively correlated with the Gini coefficient, indicating a substantial effect in mitigating income inequality. Further analysis shows that this effect is more pronounced in countries with weak entrepreneurial environments, highlighting the compensatory function of ICT development under adverse institutional contexts. In other words, ICT development may not only serve to reduce income gaps but also offer alternative pathways for economic engagement and redistribution, especially for disadvantaged groups, by circumventing institutional barriers.

This study contributes to the literature by exploring the previously underexplored mediating role of the entrepreneurial environment and provides new empirical insights into the development of ICT. From a policy perspective, even in low- and middle-income countries under adverse institutional contexts, promoting digital infrastructure, expanding digital literacy training, and streamlining online entrepreneurship procedures can enable ICT development to serve as a practical tool for reducing inequality and enhancing social mobility in the short term.

目錄
論文審定書 i
致謝 ii
中文摘要 iii
Abstract v
一、研究問題與動機 1
二、文獻回顧 5
2.1 ICT發展對貧富差距的影響 5
2.2 創業環境對ICT縮小貧富差距的影響力 7
2.3 其他影響貧富差距的結構性因素 12
2.4 小結 15
三、研究資料與方法 17
3.1 資料來源 17
3.2 研究方法 17
3.3 資料初步分析 21
四、實證結果 26
4.1 ICT發展對貧富差距的影響 26
4.2 創業環境的調節效果 30
4.3 控制變數 31
4.4 穩固性測試：以每百人行動電話訂閱數做為ICT發展之衡量31
4.5 小結 34
五、研究結論與建議 35
參考文獻 38

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