The paper explores the misuse of information systems for corrupt practices in the Nigerian public sector as a phenomenon under study. Routine Activity theory, Model of Emergent IT Use, and Normalization theory were used as lenses. Danermark et al.'s six stage framework with a single case-study was adopted as the critical realist methodology. The anti-corruption and regulatory agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission of Nigeria, is the case in focus. Semi-structured interviews, archival documents and press media were used as data sources. By analyzing the data, we identified motivated offender, suitable target, and the absence of a capable guardian as the entities/factors that characterized the phenomenon. Political clientelism patronage, socialization, embeddedness of corrupt routine into IT artifacts and rationalization were identified as causal mechanisms with culture as the enabling conditions. Dysfunctional structures of the Nigerian public sector were also identified as structures that breed the mechanisms. The study findings contribute to theory, practice, and the methodology of critical realism.
This study examines the mechanisms fostering sustainable value propositions of implemented e‐Governments projects in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) as a research focus. Value propositions identify how public organizations use e‐Government to fulfill citizens' needs across different roles. Using a concept‐centric systematic review, we identified such value propositions as effective public organizations, quality service delivery, open government and democratic values, as well as social values and well‐being. We chose some selected e‐Government projects in Nigeria and Rwanda; adopted realist evaluation (RE) multiple case studies as a methodology and introduced affordance actualization, self‐determination theory, and sustainability framework for e‐Government success as theoretical lenses. To collect data, we adopted a mixed method RE approach and used a contingent valuation method (CVM) as a quantitative aspect to identify the actualized value propositions in operations in the implemented e‐Government projects in Nigeria and Rwanda as outcomes. Sequentially followed by a realist interview as a qualitative approach to collect and analyze data we uncovered the generative mechanisms causing such outcomes to exist and be sustainable. Our findings revealed technological cognizance and autonomy as well as competence as individual mechanisms identified for sustaining such outcomes. While organizational mechanisms revealed are continuous availability of funds, institutional, administrative, and coordinating capacity with leadership and political support. Other organizational mechanisms include institutionalizing the technology within local settings with ongoing monitoring and improvement evaluation enabled by both internal and external contextual conditions. We synthesized our findings into an actualized value sustainability framework for implemented e‐Government projects in SSA to contribute to academics and practice in ICT4D, particularly RE application in e‐Government study, which is nascent.
This article explores the dimensions and structural mechanisms that can foster the misuse of information systems (IS) for corrupt practices. Using the abductiveretroductive strategy native to critical realism, we present a realist conceptualization of why the misuse of IS for corrupt practices occurs in the Nigerian public sector. Routine activity, reintegrative shaming, model of emergent IT use, and normalization theories were adopted as theoretical lenses. Danermark et al's six-stage explanatory framework embedded with a single case study was adopted as the methodology. Focus group and semistructured interviews were used as primary sources of data, while archival documents and press media reports were used as secondary data sources. From the data analysis, malleability structures of the IS artifacts, dysfunctional structures of the Nigerian state, embeddedness of corrupt routines into IS artifacts, institutionalization, socialization, rationalization, and negative reintegrative shaming were identified as core causal structural mechanisms generating the misuse of IS for corrupt practices in the study context. Such corrupt practices were clustered in motivated offenders, suitable targets, and absence of a capable guardian as dimensions that characterized the misuse of IS by our findings. Our findings contribute to theory, practice, and the methodology of critical realism.
National and economic benefits of mobile phone use in developing countries has been a well-articulated research domain over an extended period. This can be attributed to the ubiquitous nature of mobile phones and their increased penetration in developing nations. However, the potential benefits of mobile phones for empowerment and well-being of people with disability (PWD) has been ignored. This paper focuses on the well-being of the physically challenged in Nigeria and how mobile phones can be employed to empower them. The link between ICT and human development has been well researched, but minimal research has attempted to link ICT, mobile phone and disability using the Capability Approach as a theoretical lens. The critical realist ethnographic study approach is employed in this study to show how mobile phones can be used to empower and impact on the well-being of the physically challenged. Data were collected from the Adamawa skill acquisition center for persons with disability, Nigeria. It is argued that mobile phones have the capabilities to empower and impact on the well-being of the physically challenged. Thus, the findings illustrate that mobile phones play significant roles in the well-being and empowerment of the physically challenged.
Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are gradually becoming important artifacts for people with disabilities (PWDs). This paper investigates the use of mobile phones in the daily activities of PWDs in sub‐Saharan Africa. The study argues that mobile phone use empowers PWDs, but little is known about what contextual factors and under what underlying mechanisms such empowerment occurs. By adopting Thapa and Omland's (2018) critical realism methodology, we aim to understand the underlying mechanisms, structures and conditions that shape empowerment through mobile phone use by PWDs in Nigeria. The Capability Approach (CA) was engaged as the theoretical framework. Semi‐structured interviews and focus group discussions with twenty‐four PWDs were used as the primary source of data. Our findings reveal that contextual factors such as personal, social and environmental factors enable/hinder empowerment for PWDs. Similarly, mechanisms such as accessibility and acceptability, technology knowledge, social media and mobile phone features are found to be the main underlying mechanisms triggering the events we observed. However, we argue that these mechanisms are enacted from other enabling structures such as the ubiquity of mobile phones, caregivers and contextual conditions like the personal innovativeness in mobile phone use and the low price of mobile phones. Our findings contribute to the critical realism methodology, policy and theory.
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