Advancing the Development of Contextually Relevant ICT4D Theories - From Explanation to Design

Osei-Bryson, Kweku-Muata; Brown, Irwin; Meso, Peter

doi:10.1080/0960085x.2022.1994119

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…In addition, and perhaps surprisingly, we find that 33% of the community networks are deployed in urban areas as well. This is important in that, while rural communities are commonly known to be the least connected, pockets of unconnected populations also exist in urban areas (Brown et al, 2020). The overall idea, however, is that any community, whether in urban or rural, can self-organize to develop a connectivity initiative (Plagemann et al, 2008).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2021, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) reported that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of people online had surged to 4.9 billion, meaning that 63% of the world's population is now connected to the Internet, up from 54% in 2019 (ITU, 2021). While this statistic paints a somewhat optimistic picture, the reality is that billions of people remain unconnected, and the majority of these are in least developed countries (Graydon and Parks, 2019), although unconnected populations exist in developed countries as well (Brown et al, 2020). Available data, such as that reported by the International Telecommunication Union, reveal stark differences across regions, with most African countries remaining extensively underserved (ITU, 2021).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Community networks as models to address connectivity gaps in underserved communities

Gwaka

Haseki

Yoo

2022

Information Development

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The mounting evidence that current efforts to meet international goals for increasing Internet connectivity are likely to fall short has heightened interest in alternative connectivity models such as community networks. Already, there are many such initiatives globally taking differentiated approaches towards their setup and operation. This results in fragmented knowledge on the initiatives and systematic analysis of these models is limited. This study applies the People, Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) framework to examine 21 community networks across countries in different continents to produce insights into their structure and components. The aim is to identify ways in which initiatives become sustainable. Data for the study were collected in two steps. First, qualitative data were gathered using in-depth interviews to produce a database of case studies. Second, the qualitative data were quantized, which enables the researchers to produce descriptive data. Overall, the study findings demonstrate the existence of several technology options, but the main technology used for community level connectivity is Wi-Fi. Initiatives also adopt different organizational approaches, but strategic partnerships are critical for the success of the initiatives. While strategic partners provide support for the initial set up lack of business models affect the sustainability of initiatives. Also, while environment-related issues (regulation, infrastructure) play a significant role, they are malleable as shown by changes in regulatory regimes. This study findings are useful to practitioners implementing community networks, researchers looking to gain more insights on these models and policy makers responsible for the telecommunication, and digital policies.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community networks as models to address connectivity gaps in underserved communities

Gwaka

Haseki

Yoo

2022

Information Development

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“…This concept represents a vital mechanism connecting the four First, as knowledge production in the ICT4D discipline has been skewed toward western academics and theories, scholars have advocated the need to evaluate the roles of ICT in developing countries (Walsham, 2020). Moreover, the ICT4D literature has called for the development of more contextually relevant theories (Osei-Bryson et al, 2022). Responding to these advocates and calls, this research enriched the ICT4D literature by yielding significant insights into the empowering role of healthcare ICT (i.e., mHealth in particular) in the context of disruptive events (COVID-19) from the perspective of China, a developing country with a large population that is especially vulnerable to public emergencies.…”

Section: Theoretical Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

User empowerment and well‐being with mHealth apps during pandemics: A mix‐methods investigation in China

Zhou

Jin

Hsu

et al. 2022

Asso for Info Science & Tech

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As a healthcare ICT4D solution, mobile health (mHealth) can potentially improve users' well‐being during pandemics, especially in developing countries with limited healthcare resources. Recent ICT4D research reveals that providing end‐users with access to ICT is insufficient for improving well‐being and, thus, understanding how mHealth empowers end‐users to enhance well‐being against stressful events is important. However, prior research has rarely discussed the issue of empowerment in the domain of mHealth or the context of major disruptive events. This paper contributes to the literature by conceptualizing the psychological empowerment of mHealth users (PEMU) and investigating its nomological network during pandemics. Drawing upon theories of psychological empowerment and event characteristics, we developed a research model and tested it through a mixed‐methods investigation, containing a quantitative study with 602 Chinese mHealth users during COVID‐19 and a follow‐up qualitative study of 326 online articles and reviews. We found that PEMU, driven by three technological characteristics (perceived response efficacy, ease of use, and mHealth quality), affects well‐being through both (a) a stress‐buffering effect, which counterbalances the detrimental, stress‐increasing effects of event criticality and disruption, and (b) a vitality‐stimulating effect, which is intensified by event criticality. These findings have important implications for ICT4D research and practice.

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“…However, most ICT4D interventions in developing countries are failed projects and lack sustainability (Krauss, 2021; Schelenz & Pawelec, 2021). The reasons include lack of shared framework/shared ontology, little awareness of the mutual constitution of society and technology, wrong priority given to ICT in development (Schelenz & Pawelec, 2021), inadequate consideration of the potentials of the local beneficiaries as stakeholders and the values they can add (Osei‐Bryson et al, 2022), and inappropriate ICT4D interventions that do not fit to the local development practices of stakeholders (Krauss, 2021). Overall, this has created a “knowledge gap between ICT intervention and development in the context of developing countries” (Andoh‐Baidoo, 2017; Sein et al, 2019, p. 8).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The continued failure of the ICT4D interventions in developing countries (Krauss, 2021) also accounts for one of these concepts or the relationships among the concepts as follows. One, developing a clear understanding of the contexts of local development practices and mapping it into an IS artifact remains a consistent challenge to the field (Krauss, 2021; Osei‐Bryson et al, 2022). Though there is high interest to acknowledge the role of context in studying IS, the efforts made and the outcomes from the studies conducted are rare and insignificant (Ramadani & Almaarif, 2021).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A holistic understanding of information and communication technology for development through context, resilience, and sustainability: Evidence from a local agriculture extension information service in Ethiopia

Atinaf

Anteneh

Kifle

2023

E J Info Sys Dev Countries

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There exists isolated work that focuses on context, resilience, and sustainability of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). However, research on how the three concepts inform and influence one another to better meet the development goals and priorities is limited. More research is required to enhance our holistic understanding of ICT4D interventions in terms of the approaches applied to investigate context, resilience, and sustainability from socio‐technical perspectives. This research explores the link among the triple concepts to fill the above void, drawing from qualitative data collected from multiple but networked stakeholders at a local agriculture extension information service. Data is processed in a way to understand: the context of the local development practices and stakeholders, the gaps in the design of information systems applied to support local development practices, and how local communities remain resilient in their information exchange practices. Building on the existing knowledge of context, resilience, and sustainability in ICT4D the research shows how the context of the local development practices inform resilience and in turn how resilience enables the continued operation of the local development practices (context), and how context and resilience lead to sustainable ICT4D interventions. The research contributes to theory by showing how the social and technical resources distributed in the social system and the stakeholders' networks can be unlocked to conceptualize the links between the triple concepts. It informs practitioners on how they can develop a holistic understanding of the socio‐technical contexts of local developments and the socio‐technical factors to design resilient ICT4D that will lead to sustainable digital interventions.

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Advancing the Development of Contextually Relevant ICT4D Theories - From Explanation to Design

Cited by 9 publications

References 21 publications

Community networks as models to address connectivity gaps in underserved communities

Community networks as models to address connectivity gaps in underserved communities

User empowerment and well‐being with mHealth apps during pandemics: A mix‐methods investigation in China

A holistic understanding of information and communication technology for development through context, resilience, and sustainability: Evidence from a local agriculture extension information service in Ethiopia

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