The affordances of actor network theory in ICT for development research

Abstract

PurposeThis paper seeks to use actor network theory (ANT) to examine the different phases – i.e. translation process – of an information and communication technology (ICT) initiative intended to bring development to underserved rural communities in the Peruvian Andes by providing access to computers and the internet.Design/methodology/approachThe paper employs a holistic‐multiple case study based on cross‐sectional data collected between July and November 2005 by means of in‐depth interviews, field notes and photographs gathered in eight rural communities in Peru, plus demographic data and background reports obtained from the sponsor of an ICT for development (ICT4D) project. The collected data are analysed through the lens of ANT.FindingsThe ANT analysis dissects the history of the translations of the ICT4D project. ANT analytic dimensions of convergence and devices afford a great deal of insight into the underlying anatomy of the project and its assumptions. The study shows that when actors' interests are not aligned and the network procedures defined by the ICT4D initiative sponsors are unfamiliar to local people, the network cannot be established.Practical implicationsSince ICT4D projects invariably superimpose technological networks over existing networks, ANT analytic dimensions do provide some unique and useful understandings for such projects. ANT overall affords visibility of the actions of both humans and non‐humans, and their disparate goals. The focus on the alignment of disparate goals is particularly important in ICT4D research, where the recipients need to be engaged in a different way. Often in ICT4D projects, participants are using ICT for the first time, and there is no compulsion for them to do so. So the process of translation is very important in an ICT4D context; while there are many ways to engage participants, ANT gives particular insight into how that process might play out.Originality/valueThe paper demonstrates the usefulness of ANT's concepts for analysing a rural telecentre project and itemises how the use of each ANT analytical concept might contribute to ICT4D research.

Lost in translation? An actor-network approach to HRIS implementation

“…Examples include studies of the implementation of computer aided ambulance dispatch systems (McGrath, 2002), computerized baggage handling system in a major US airport (Mahring, Holmstrom, Keil, & Montealegre, 2004), health information systems (Cho, Mathiassen, & Nilsson, 2008;Cresswell, Worth, & Sheikh, 2010) inter-organizational information systems in a major Spanish seaport (Rodon, Pastor, Sese, & Christiaanse, 2008) an ICT enabled development project in Latin America (Andrade & Urquhart, 2010) and in relation to the deployment of CAD software across a number construction firms (Harty, 2010). Particularly notable are recent contributions by Elbanna (2008Elbanna ( , 2010 in which she uses an ANT framework to explain both project drift and the impact of other projects on the IS implementation, two issues that are relevant to the study of HRIS implementation and are evident in the case study we discuss below.…”

Remontando a Rede De Atores Na Implantação De Um Sistema De Informação Em Saúde

“…Durante a implantação, constata-se que o sucesso do E-Hosp foi uma hipótese formulada pelos Analistas de Sistema, a qual foi submetida a diversos testes e negociações, à medida que foram introduzidos dispositivos de "Interessamento" no projeto. Assim, pode-se observar, na Figura 4, que o processo de tradução (Callon, 1986) (Braa et al, 2004;Sahay et al, 2013;Sheikh & Braa, 2011 Na literatura científica brasileira e da América Latina sobre SI, os estudos baseados na ANT registram, em detalhes, as diversas operações heterogêneas associadas ao desenvolvimento e implantação de SI (Andrade & Urquhart, 2010;Cavalheiro & Joia, 2014;Teles & Joia, 2011). Este estudo vai ao encontro desses trabalhos precedentes, ao evidenciar que na saúde, assim como em outras áreas, a complexidade sociotécnica dos SI também se faz presente.…”

“…Essas pesquisas têm abrangido diversos contextos, tais como governo eletrônico (Heeks & Stanforth, 2007), saúde (Braa et al, 2004;Sheikh & Braa, 2011) e gestão baseada em processos (Albuquerque, 2012;Sarker, Sarker, & Sidorova, 2006). Na América Latina, e especialmente no Brasil, pesquisas têm se baseado na ANT para estudo da inclusão digital (Andrade & Urquhart, 2010;Teles & Joia, 2011), geoprocessamento (Rajão & Vurdubakis, 2013;Silva, 2007), política industrial de informática e inovação (Marques, 2004;Ramos, 2009) e governo eletrônico (Barbosa, 2008;Cavalheiro & Joia, 2014).…”

“…A abordagem ANT, embora não tenha um aspecto crítico explícito, ao reconstruir "a rede e as ações de seus constituintes, associado a uma recusa em fazer distinções apriorísticas ou em assumir algo como dado, habilita uma luz crítica para ser posta no que é assumido, o mundano e o status quo" (Doolin & Lowe, 2002, p. 74 A seguir, usando a abordagem ANT, é descrito o processo de implantação do E-Hosp no HPT de acordo com os quatro momentos de tradução apresentados no Quadro 1 (Callon, 1986), tal como realizado em vários estudos em SI (Albuquerque, 2012;Andrade & Urquhart, 2010;Heeks & Stanforth, 2007;Ramos, 2009;Teles & Joia, 2011 (Latour, 1997). O grupo de analistas era composto por um coordenador e cinco analistas e, uma vez que não foram observadas dissidências entre eles durante a implantação do sistema, optou-se por nomeá-los todos sob a rubrica "Analistas".…”

The level of participation during the development of a mobile care data application for home-based healthcare in a developing context: An actor-network theory perspective

“…Other project phases-e.g., an initial needs analysis and the final testing phase-are considered elsewhere as discrete cycles [6] [7]. The approach of Diaz Andrade and Urquhart [8] was selected for analysing the design and development phases, i.e., the translation process. Based on this approach the objective for this paper is to investigate whether the actants' interests were sufficiently considered throughout the design and development phases of the mobile care data application.…”