bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Developing Countries and ICT Initiatives: Lessons Learnt from Jordan's Experience
Authors: Mofleh Samer , Wanous Mohammed , Strachan Peter 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMany developing countries have started major Information Communication Technologies (ICT) initiatives including e‐Government, e‐Learning, e‐Health, and other schemes that are designed to boost the adoption of ICT based applications within public and private sectors as well as creating a knowledge society. The main aims of these initiatives is to be ready to undertake major reform programmes in order to achieve the social and economic development that ICT is believed to deliver. The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan commenced major ICT programmes in 1999. Eight years on most of the e‐Initiatives that have been implemented have not met their intended objectives. This paper will review Jordan's ICT transformation over the past decade identifying critical factors that might be behind the country's lack of progress with its transformation. This might prove useful for other developing countries undertaking similar ICT initiatives.
The Internet and the Public Sphere: Evidence from Civil Society in Developing Countries
Authors: Lunat Ziyaad 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis essay adopts a Freedom‐centred view of development with Political Freedom at its core. It questions the conditions that enable Civil Society in developing countries to use the internet to create (virtual) public spheres. It will begin by reviewing literature on Civil Society and on Habermas’ theorization of the public sphere. It will then analyse the impact of the internet in redefining the public sphere and its contribution to the emergence of the Zapatista effect. Two factors are consequently identified as facilitating a (virtual) public sphere: identity politics in a network environment and the socio‐political conditions. Based on the experience of Civil Society in Tanzania, we will see that these factors cannot be ‘engineered’ as the complexities of the public sphere cannot be overlooked. Future research should focus on the specific contextual elements that create a public sphere in the specific circumstances of developing countries.
Mobile Phones and Development: An Analysis of IDRC‐Supported Projects
Authors: Rashid Ahmed T. , Elder Laurent 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn the context of the rapid growth of mobile phone penetration in developing countries, mobile telephony is currently considered to be particularly important for development. Yet, until recently, very little systematic evidence was available that shed light on the developmental impacts of mobile telecommunication. The Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) program of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, has played a critical role in filling some of the research gaps through its partnerships with several key actors in this area. The objective of this paper is to evaluate the case of mobile phones as a tool in solving development problems drawing from the evidence of IDRC supported projects. IDRC has supported around 20 projects that cut across several themes such as livelihoods, poverty reduction, health, education, the environment and disasters. The projects will be analyzed by theme in order to provide a thematic overview as well as a comparative analysis of the development role of mobile phones. In exploring the evidence from completed projects as well as the foci of new projects, the paper summarizes and critically assesses the key findings and suggests possible avenues for future research.
IT in Pakistan: Threats & Opportunities for eBusiness
Authors: Kundi Ghulam Muhammad , Shah Bahadar 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis study identifies the characteristics of the independent variables i.e. governmental, organizational, human and technological conditions and the dependent phenomenon of the success/failure of eBusiness projects in the background of Pakistan. A huge body of research is going to be unfolded, which if not managed properly, can nullify all the investments and efforts on eBusiness in the country. The study is based on survey approach; a questionnaire on continuous scale was used, where t‐test, ANOVA, correlation and regression analysis were done for statistical analysis of primary data. Out of 31 hypotheses, 22 were substantiated and the rest were rejected. This study finds that though the conditions are not much promising for eBusiness at the moment, yet growing interest of the private sector through viable investment and gradual improvement in infrastructure indicates more opportunities than threats for eBusiness in Pakistan.
The Nature and Structure of the Information Systems Profession in Thailand
Authors: Wongwuttiwat Jittima 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe study tests predictions made in the literature about the nature and structure of the IS profession over the next 5 years against the expectations of organizations operating in Thailand. Predictions refer to similarities and differences between Provider organizations where the core activity is the provision of ICT products and services and User organizations which are engaged in different core activities but require ICT products and services. The expectations in both types of organizations are analyzed and compared using data collected by questionnaire. The results are interpreted and theoretical and practical implications are presented.
Exploring characteristics of GIS Adoption Decisions and Type of Induced Changes in Developing Countries: The Case of Ethiopia
Authors: Berisso Zerihun Amdemariam , de Vries Walter T. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe adoption of geographic information system (GIS) in developing countries is limited due to contextual impediments. Despite this, there are examples in developing countries where GIS is being adopted through various projects, initiatives and incentives. One such example concerns the municipal utility sector in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The sector is largely under the control of public authorities with limited funds, yet it has been investing in GIS. Our article explores what have been the characteristics of the adoption decisions and type of induced changes, with the purpose to explore what could explain the GIS adoption process. The aim of this exploration is to find general characteristics of what would make GIS adoption successful in a developing countries context. We hypothesized that actual GIS adoption decision and induced changes depend on the overall organizational interests and strategic opportunities, which in turn depend on contextual factors. The results indicated that there were some circumstances which fused GIS adoption decisions with a certain degree of opportunism. GIS was adopted especially when it served other strategic purposes, such as structural adjustments to maintain organizational control. Furthermore, we found that higher level organizational changes, such as changes in power structure and communication lines, would not directly occur only because GIS adoption required so. These characteristics may be more profound in developing countries than in developed countries.
Enhanced Land Documentation for Farmland Compensation A Case Study of UMaT Lands, Postulated Challenges and Solutions
Authors: Mensah A.A. , Duncan E.E. , Annku M.F. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractSpeculative developments on land areas given out for developments have posed great challenges to would be developers, be they mining concerns, schools and universities or any other potential enterprise for uninterrupted growth. Challenges that have dogged developers in any of these categories for development have been unprecedented, exorbitant post compensations to be paid for the land and what have been developed on them. This paper makes thorough analysis into these challenges that could have unpleasant repercussions for the developer in this case the University of Mines and Technology, (UMaT). The existing format of documentation is considered and an enhanced format evolved that will make the presentation of documentation for effecting compensations more transparent while eliminating unwarranted Speculative Developments (SpD) that have most often created heated arguments and rancor between individual land owners and the development agency.
Establishing a Sustainable Legal Information System in a Developing Country: A Practical Guide
Authors: Yates Kenneth A. , Shapiro Charles E. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn this paper, a practical systems analysis approach is described for the planning, development and implementation of the information technology required to have a sustainable legal information system in a developing country. Considerations involved to create, compile and distribute the country's governing laws in electronic form are described. Alternative database search and retrieval options are discussed, as well as issues relating to distribution of the database online, on local media, or on both. Based on a reasonable set of assumptions and general requirements for a developing country, a model legal information system is then presented. By using the approach suggested in this paper, a developing country can fully evaluate the cost‐benefit tradeoffs, as well as all other tradeoffs, in determining the most appropriate information technology to use for the creation, compilation, and distribution of its laws in electronic form.
Researching ICT Micro‐Enterprise in Developing Countries: Themes, Wider Concepts and Future Directions
Authors: Foster Christopher , Heeks Richard 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of knowledge on ICT micro‐enterprise in developing countries and provide guidance for future research. It does this by reviewing two strands of literature. In the first, it reviews the literature related to ICT micro‐enterprises, focussing particularly on two sub‐sectors that might be considered successful, mobile entrepreneurship and the Nigerian video‐film industry. It draws out three key themes that are addressed in the literature – the significance of local networks and supply chains; strategies of niches and appropriation; and the importance of context.This analysis also reveals a significant weakness in the literature. Studies have generally made a close focus on the local practices and technology actions of such micro‐enterprises, but there has been little analysis of such micro‐enterprise within wider conceptual frameworks, which means that there are significant gaps relating to understanding of the developmental role and potential of such ICT micro‐enterprise.Thus, the broader development literature is reviewed related to the three key themes that were identified. This wider literature highlights three conceptual literatures – enterprise clustering and upgrading, base‐of‐the‐pyramid markets, and urban development – that are able to offer some useful lenses for researching ICT micro‐enterprise, as well as highlighting potential future research directions.
Mobile Phones, the Bottom of the Pyramid and Working‐Class Information Society in China
Authors: Qiu Jack Linchuan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe rise of China as the world's largest mobile phone market poses key challenges to existing ways of conceptualizing the relationship between mobiles and information society, including especially questions concerning class stratification and class formation at the bottom of the pyramid (BOP). These are more than questions specific to the Chinese context. They are relevant to much of the Global South: Can there be a working‐class information society? If so, what does it look like? What are its basic characteristics and key issues of contention, especially in relation to mobile communication? Based on recent evidence from urban China, this article discusses important questions about mobile phones, BOP, and working‐class information society. It discusses the macro‐institutional framework in China that shapes informational needs and patterns of appropriation at the grassroots level, which not only facilitates horizontal networking and new modes of class organization but also leads to new ways of exploitation and disempowerment. When it comes to issues of the working class, social processes at the BOP are often multi‐dimensional, sometimes paradoxical, always inviting. This article also addresses issues for future research.
Framing M4D: The Utility of Continuity and the Dual Heritage of “Mobiles and Development”
Authors: Donner Jonathan 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe paper suggests that research on the role of mobile telephony for socioeconomic development (M4D) draws on two frames. One frame stresses the relative freedom of telephone users to do whatever they choose. The other stresses how technologies and technology‐led interventions are embedded in recursive, context specific relationships with user communities. Together these frames support M4D's ‘dual heritage’. After detailing current M4D archetypes representing each heritage, the paper introduces a conceptual and practical synthesis, that is, large‐scale platforms for distributed, semi‐constrained interaction. This paper considers two examples of such platforms'MXit, South Africa's mobile social networking service and M‐PESA, Kenya's mobile money transfer system'including both anticipated and unanticipated consequences of operating ‘at scale’ and beyond the confines of a controlled M4D intervention. Finally, this paper introduces implications of the dual heritage and of the rise of hybrid platforms for research and practice.
Financial Vs Social Sustainability of Telecentres: Mutual Exclusion or Mutual Reinforcement?
Authors: Masiero Silvia 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe debate on development‐led telecentre projects revolves around the concept of sustainability. Although it is accepted that telecentre sustainability has both a financial and a social dimension, the relationship between these two sides is sometimes axiomatically defined as one of mutual exclusion. Through the case study of the Akshaya Telecentre Project in Kerala, southern India, we problematize this logic: we individuate a set of mechanisms through which the social dimension of telecentre sustainability feeds the financial one, rather than obstructing it. As such, we propose a new paradigm for telecentre studies, in which social and financial sustainability are interlinked by mutual reinforcement.
Establishing a Sustainable Legal Information System in Azerbaijan: A Case Study
Authors: Shapiro Charles E. , Yates Kenneth A. 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIn this case study we describe the application of the principles set forth in the Practical Guide (Yates & Shapiro, 2010) to establish a sustainable legal information system in Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijan system was developed and implemented from 2004–2006 pursuant to a USAID‐funded project. The initial goal of the project was to assist the Azerbaijan Ministry of Justice to create and maintain a sustainable legal information system, to enable public access to the country's governing laws on a current, complete, and accurate basis 24 hours‐a‐day, 7 days a week via the Internet and on CD‐ROM. Various “on the ground” factors that contributed to the design of the database containing Azerbaijan's laws and those that resulted in deviations from the original plan are discussed in detail, as are recommendations based on lessons learned during the project. Using human performance research as a framework, we conclude with a discussion of the key individual and team performance issues that must be addressed to successfully sustain a legal information system in a developing country.
The Impact of Mobile Telephony on Developing Country Enterprises: A Palestinian Case Study
Authors: Rabayah Khalid S. , Qalalwi Khalid 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThis paper aims to explore the use and impact of mobile telephony on the performance of companies in developing countries, through a nationwide survey comprised of thousands of enterprises representing a true sample of the business sector in Palestine. This paper complements studies that make the linkage between mobile communications and economic activities at micro or enterprise level. It analyses the adoption patterns and rational behind these patterns as revealed by the business owners and managers of Palestinian enterprises. Porter's value chain is used as a framework to assess the impact of mobile telephony in work processes.The survey covered thousands of enterprises of all sizes and economic activities, selected to embody a representative sample of the Palestinian business sector. It further explores the views of the owners and managers of these enterprises regarding the use of ICTs. The study reveals that mobile phones have meaningfully enhanced internal processes and the overall value chain. Most notably, mobile phones were effective in bridging the information and connectivity gap businesses in developing countries ordinarily suffer.The study has also found that small and micro enterprises gain from the use of mobiles the same as what large enterprises do, especially in mainstream operations like marketing and sales, information flow, and provision of customer services. This is happening at the time when there is a huge difference in resources between the two categories of enterprises. The study came to conclude that mobile benefits are not favoring one business sector from the other, in the sense that all business sectors are capable of tailoring mobile phone services to suit their needs.
In the Eyes of the Media: Discourse of an ICT4D Project in a Developing Country
Authors: Chigona Wallace , Mooketsi Bojelo 
Published: December 2017

AbstractMedia discourse is one way in which social reality is shaped. The media has the power to influence public perceptions on ideologies and innovations and hence their adoption and success. It is, therefore, of academic interest to understand media discourse on Information Technological innovations, especially those which are affected and affect the public. This paper analyses the media discourse on ICT for Development ICT4D projects in developing countries. The study uses as a case the media discourse of the Khanya Project – a flagship ICT for education project in South Africa. Using the Habermasian Theory of Communicative Action as a theoretical lens, the study notes that the media discourse on the project is fraught with distortions. The findings substantiate previous research on media discourse that found that media discourse pushes propaganda to the effect that technological uptake and adoption is crucial and inevitable. The paper further explores the potential causes of the distortions. The findings of this study could form part of the recommendations for agencies responsible for implementing Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects for education.
Understanding IT Business Value Creation and Evaluation in Least Developed Economies
Authors: Prasad Acklesh 
Published: December 2017

AbstractInformation Technology (IT) is an important resource that can facilitate growth and development in both the developed and developing economies. The forces of globalisation increase the digital divide between the developed and developing economies is increasing. The least developed economies (LDEs) are the most vulnerable within this environment. Intense competition for IT resources means that LDEs need a deeper understanding of how to source and evaluate their IT‐related efforts. This effort puts LDEs in a better position to source funding from various stakeholders and promote localized investment in IT. This study presents a complementary approach to securing better IT‐related business value in organizations in the LDEs. It further evaluates how IT and the complementaries need to managed within the LDEs. Analysis of data collected from five LDEs show that organizations that invest in IT and related complementaries are able to better their business processes. The data also suggest that improved business processes lead to overall business processes improvements. The above is only possible if organizations adopt IT and make related changes in the complementary resources within the established culture and localizing the required changes.
Developing Information Society in Ghana: How Far?
Authors: Frempong Godfred 
Published: December 2017

AbstractIncreasingly the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is underpinning every socio‐economic activity and developing knowledge‐based economy and information society. The opportunities that access to and use of ICTs offer are numerous. The need for creating an information society is not based only on the availability of ICT services, but more importantly, their usage by the citizenry which contributes to building knowledge. Using primary data from Ghana, the paper discusses the access and usage of ICTs by individuals and household in three broad spatial categories namely: metropolitan cities, other urban towns and rural areas. The analysis is based on over 1200 households and individuals surveyed from the three areas. The results from the analysis and discussion show that Ghana has made some achievements in increasing access and usage of ICT services at both the household and individual levels. However, compared to more efficient markets in Africa, much remains to be done due to identified weakness in policy regime, market failures and weak ICT skills capability. Consequently, the paper advocates for a strong regulatory regime, coupled with increased competitiveness in the market and acceleration of the implementation of the ICT Policy to facilitate the advancement of the information society in Ghana.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and Mexican Manufacturing Exports
Authors: Santibáñez Ana L. Valderrama , Castillo Omar Neme 
Published: December 2017

AbstractThe paper analyzes the effects of changes in the purchase of computer equipment and peripherals (investment in information and communication technologies – ICT) on exports by classes of Mexican manufacturing industry using data from the Annual Industrial Survey and Industrial Stan OECD data base for the period 2003–2006. The paper distinguishes among industries with high and low technology. We used a cross‐section methodology to evaluate the effect of such technologies in each year of the period. The results indicate that investment in ICT has a positive effect on manufacturing exports, particularly in industries with low technological content that can integrate ICT into their export activities.