In this paper I review the Information Systems (IS) research on how developing countries have attempted to benefit from information and communication technologies (ICTs). First I identify three discourses on IS implementation and associated organizational and social change that coexist in information systems in developing countries (ISDC) research, namely as a process of technology and knowledge transfer and adaptation to local social conditions; as a process of socially embedded action; and as a process of transformative techno-organizational intervention associated with global politics and economics. I then point out the distinctive research agenda that has been formed in ISDC studies, both in the more familiar IS themes -failure, outsourcing, and strategic value of ICT -and also in studies of themes relevant specifically to the context of developing countries, such as the development of community ICT and information resources. Finally, I call the reader's attention to the potentially significant theoretical contributions of ISDC research for understanding IS innovation in relation to social context and in relation to socio-economic development theories and policies.

It is often assumed that the implementation and the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) will or should be the same in all situations with little regard to the particular social or cultural context of their use. Drawing on research in different societies (Europe, Latin America, etc.), this book explains the nature of organizational diversity in which ICT innovation takes place, and develops a conceptual approach to account for it. The book draws from institutionalist concepts of organizations, the sociology of technology, current debates on globalization, and critiques of the rationality of modernity. The theoretical perspective is supported empirically by four international case studies. This book shows how the processes of ICT innovation and organizational change reflect local aspirations, concerns, and action, as well as the multiple institutional influences of globalization.

This paper argues that it is of crucial importance that Information Systems (IS) research and practice associates technology innovation with the context within which it is embedded. It identifies three principles to be followed in order to address the contextual processes involved in IS implementation: first, technology innovation should be considered in relation to socio-organisational change; second, analysis should consider not only the local organisational, but also the national and international context; and third, analysis should consider both the technical/rational decisions and actions involved in the innovation process, and the cultural, social and cognitive forces of such a process. These principles are demonstrated with the analysis of a case study of organisational reform in Cyprus.Keywords: Socio-economic context, information systems, organisational change, flexible specialisation, Cyprus IntroductionA great deal of effort in information systems research has been directed towards developing general knowledge for the implementation of information technology innovation without considering in a systematic way variations of the organisational and the broader context within which the innovation is embedded. Many of the conceptual frameworks and normative models that guide information systems (IS) practitioners draw from such research, contributing into a professional tradition of 'best practice' irrespective of contextual particularities. The tendency to prescribe and apply general courses of action in the implementation of technology is compounded by trends in the business literature -such as TQM and BPR -and the 'globalisation' discourse which tends to suggest the exertion of uniform economic imperatives around the globe. Such general trends support a clear rationale regarding the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) in developing countries: not only ICT is an imperative for 1The significance of context taking part in the global economy, but there are standard ways that it should be used, and specific organisational features that it should aim at supporting. Many countries, corporations, influential aid institutions and management and IT consultants have adopted policies, strategies, and practices based on the assumption of universal imperatives, globally valid business objectives, and general patterns of professional action regarding the exploitation of the potential of the new information and communication technologies (Schware and Kimberley 1995;Talero and Gaudette 1995). Such an a-contextual attitude to ICT exploitation is effective in spreading powerful messages about the significance of ICT in the contemporary economy, but it entails high risks of misguiding and frustrating local efforts to make sense and appropriate new technology.The significance of considering the context of IS innovation in developing countries cannot be over-emphasised. Invariably IS innovation in developing countries involves the transfer of technologies and organisational practices which we...

Article (refereed)ChrisanthiThis perspective is demonstrated with the case study of the Mexican oil company, Pemex, which, for almost two decades, has made significant efforts to transform itself from a state controlled bureaucracy to a 'modern' market driven corporation and has been engaged in successive IS projects.

This document is the author's final manuscript accepted version of the journal article, incorporating any revisions agreed during the peer review process. Some differences between this version and the published version may remain. You are advised to consult the publisher's version if you wish to cite from it. MIS Quarterly