Britain Lags Germany In Backing Internet Entrepreneurs
4 September 2000
Germany appears to be forging ahead of Britain in backing internet start-ups, with three times as many Germans as Britons regarding internet entrepreneurs as role models, according to a MORI opinion poll published today.
The poll, carried out for the German-British Forum and the Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society, shows British people are more worried than Germans about potential criminal misuse of the internet.
The survey, carried out in advance of a German-British Forum internet conference in London on 4 October, indicates that German society has become less risk-averse and Britons are more Angst-ridden in attitudes towards new technology.
MORI and its German partner INRA conducted the poll with a representative sample of around 1,000 people in each country. Britain and Germany are the largest markets in Europe for internet applications.
Most people in both countries believe the internet will produce benefits for the economy and society. However, there is evidence of the internet's potential social divisiveness, with the elderly in both countries seen as missing out on the internet's advantages.
An optimistic streak runs through both countries' attitudes, since 78 per cent of Britons and Germans alike believe the internet will bring at least some benefits as it becomes more widely used. However, 77 per cent of the population in Britain, against 59 per cent in Germany, see potential for misuse by criminals. People who have internet access express higher than average concern about possible criminal use.
Underlining a new German leaning towards risk-taking, 32 per cent of Germans see internet entrepreneurs as potential role models, against only 10 per cent in Britain. In Germany, 35 per cent of the population say they do not regard these entrepreneurs as role models, against 55 per cent in Britain. The gap in attitudes may reflect the fallout in Britain after the bursting of the dotcom bubble on the stock market in spring 2000.
Despite the differences in attitudes on internet entrepreneurs, use of the new technologies is more widespread in Britain than in Germany. According to the poll, 44 per cent of Britons have a personal computer or laptop at home, against 34 per cent in Germany. 28 per cent of the British (against only 13 per cent of the Germans) are connected to the internet at home. 52 per cent of British people personally own a mobile phone, against 31 per cent in Germany.
There are differences in the areas of the economy and society seen as likely to benefit from the internet. Significant proportions (56 per cent, 42 per cent and 31 per cent respectively) of German people view the country's industry, employment prospects generally and government institutions as the most likely beneficiaries as the internet becomes more widely used. Only 18 per cent forecast benefits to their everyday lives, while 19 per cent of Germans agree that the internet has great potential to help them manage their personal finances.
Compared with Germany, twice as many Britons (37 per cent) think that use of the internet will benefit their daily lives. A third of British respondents (33 per cent) say the internet has great potential to improve management of their personal finances. A similar proportion (34 per cent) believes British industry will benefit, but only 16 per cent say the government will do well out of the internet.
In Britain, the highest proportions of people seeing benefits from the internet are those already connected to the internet at home (56 per cent), students (51 per cent) and people from high and medium income households (47 per cent). It is a similar picture in Germany. People connected to the internet at home (62 per cent), aged 15 to 24 (35 per cent), from high income households (31 per cent) and from social group AB (30 per cent) all have above-average propensity to feel they will benefit.
In both countries, those least likely to identify or understand the potential benefits of the internet are the over 55s, those living on their own, those not working and in the lower income groups.
Around one quarter of the population (28 per cent in Britain and 24 per cent in Germany) are concerned that they will be excluded from the benefits of the internet because of lack of sufficient training and education to use it properly.
Technical details
- MORI and INRA carried out face-to-face interviews in July with representative samples of around 1000 members of the general public in each country. The work was carried out on behalf of the German-British Forum and the Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society. In Britain, MORI carried out 962 interviews at 175 sampling points between July 4 and July 10. In Germany, INRA carried out 1,048 interviews at 500 sampling points between July 6 and July 10.
- German-British Forum conference on Europe and the internet is at the Savoy Hotel on 4 October. Details and booking procedures are available from Michael Jack
- For information about the Anglo-German Foundation for the Study of Industrial Society contact Keith Dobson
