A Framework to Explain the Relation Between ICT and Development: Combining Affordances and the Capability Approach

2019

Part 1: Pushing the Boundaries - New Research Methods, Theory and Philosophy in ICT4D; International audience; In this paper, we suggest a framework to better explain the relation between ICT and development. The framework combines two theories: The Capability Approach and Affordances. The capability approach defines development as freedom of choice; and the affordances explains the relational aspects of people and technology. These two theories complement each other by connecting the means (technology) to the ends (development). A case study of ICT and study-circle education in rural areas of Kenya is used to illustrate the framework. Using the framework, the study revealed how actualizati…

Capabilities and Affordances in the ICT4D Context

2019

Part 1: Pushing the Boundaries - New Research Methods, Theory and Philosophy in ICT4D; International audience; The paper examines two concepts that have been frequently used in Information and Communications Technologies for Development (ICT4D) research, capabilities and affordance. We seek to delineate their similarities, their differences, and their accurate application in ICT4D. Both concepts connote a space of opportunities, both are relational between artefact and human agency when applied in ICT4D, and both entail potential rather than actualisation of possibilities. By comparing the two at some length, we hope to generate a more refined understanding of both capabilities and affordan…

A holistic perspective on the theoretical foundations for ICT4D research

2018

While many theories have guided research Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D), we are yet to construct a clear and coherent narrative that would help us answer the question of how ICT fosters development in underdeveloped communities. In this paper, we argue that one of the main reasons for this is that our holistic understanding of ICT4D is seldom grounded in theories to understand the core areas that define the field, namely, ICT, Development, and, ‘4’ which are the transformative processes that link the two. Through a brief literature review, we list theories that have informed ICT4D research in each of these areas. We present examples of theories, namely, C…

Methodological Approach for Identifying Mechanisms in ICT4D: A Critical Realism Perspective

2017

Part 4: Social Mechanisms of ICT-Enabled Development; International audience; The ontological questions ‘What is ICT?’ and ‘What is development?’ are described and documented in literature. Similarly, methodological approaches for understanding how ICT leads to development or for measuring the impact of ICT are described. However, explaining ‘why’ ICT works or not in the contexts of developing countries needs further investigation. We propose a critical realism based methodological approach for answering the above mentioned ‘why’-question. The core of a critical realism based approach is to identify the underlying mechanism(s) that may explain a phenomenon of why ICT leads to development. W…

Information systems security issues in the context of developing countries

2018

This chapter explores the current state of information systems security (ISS) in developing countries and suggests a way forward. A systematic literature review is conducted applying the approach suggested in reference [1]. In total, 41 articles were evaluated, 17 of which were analysed as part of the review. The review shows that the proliferation of technology in developing countries is increasing; however, ISS risk is also increasing in tandem. The reasons are lack of robust infrastructure, security education and skilled manpower. The review also revealed that while most of the technologies created are for the organizations in the developed world, developing countries are blindly impleme…

Introduction to ICT4D: ICTs and Sustainable Development Minitrack

2017

An ecological model of bridging the digital divide in education: A case study of OLPC deployment in Nepal

2018

Introduction to Government and Disaster Resilience Minitrack

2017

Building collective capabilities through ICT in a mountain region of Nepal: where social capital leads to collective action

2012

In this paper, we explore how ICT can lead to development specifically human development in Sen's capability approach. In answering to the critique that Sen views capabilities as the individual, we incorporate the societal level by adding collective capabilities. We propose that ICT helps to create or enhance SC of communities which in turn can lead to development by building collective capabilities through collective action. To illustrate, we conducted a qualitative case study of an ICT initiative in a remote mountain region of Nepal. We found support for our proposition and further that developing collective capabilities also simultaneously enhanced individual capabilities. We contribute …

Mutual informing between IS Academia and Practice: Insights from KIWISR-5

2011

Publisher's version of an article published in the journal: Communications of the Association for Information Systems. Also available from the publisher at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol29/iss1/7 The relationship between Information Systems (IS) scholars and IS practitioners has been debated since the birth of the IS discipline. How are academics interacting with practice, and how should we? In this article we propose that academia-practice collaboration, namely “mutual informing,” is an existential aspect of the Information Systems field. This article is based on presentations, discussions, group work, and a debate that took place during the Fifth Kristiansand International Workshop on …

Information quality life cycle in secondary use of EHR data

2021

Abstract The paper argues that existing research on information quality (IQ) mainly focuses on the primary use of electronic health record (EHR) data, whereas IQ in secondary use of EHR data needs further deliberation. The current view of IQ in a healthcare context is static. It assumes that once the EHR system generates the information product, individual users may act on the information based on their subjective perception of its quality. However, this view ignores the complexities of secondary use of EHR data, in which users are actively involved in (re)generating and communicating the information product. Thus, IQ does not remain static but keeps on transforming through active engagemen…

A conceptual model of feedback mechanisms in adjusted affordances – Insights from usage of a mental mobile health application

2023

Affordance theory provides one of the most prominent lenses through which the socio-technical aspects of a system’s use can be investigated and understood. In this context, the literature has proposed that perceived and actualized affordances may be adjusted over time. Yet, how the adjustment of affordances occurs has not been explained in detail. Thus, in this article, we develop a conceptual model of feedback mechanisms that includes a more explicit description of how affordances are perceived by users, whether actualized and adjusted. With the model, we introduce the central concept of a generative base, out of which affordance perceptions emerge and which can be updated through affordan…

Introduction to the Minitrack on Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D): ICT and Sustainable Development

2018

Building Resilience Through Effective Disaster Management

2017

Existing literature argues that taking a holistic approach to disaster management is important for organizations in building resilience. Theoretical underpinnings to achieve a holistic understanding, however, is lacking. This article applies the notion of an ecosystem as a holistic lens to understand complex disaster management. The paper reports two case studies from Japan and Nepal to illustrate how an ecosystem works during a disaster. The theoretical framework of information ecology is used in analyzing the cases. Based on the findings, the study shows three interconnected mechanisms that can build resilience of an ecosystem in a disaster management context, namely (1) coevolution, (2) …

How the AIS can Improve its Contributions to the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals: Towards A Framework for Scaling Collaborations and Evaluating…

2021

In March, 2020, the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the information systems (IS) higher education community (along with the rest of the world) profoundly. Higher education institutes across the world had to quickly shift to online courses. In some cases, faculty had to transition their courses in only days. In response, the Communications of the Association for Information Systems launched a special issue on COVID-19, learning, pedagogy, and educational systems to provide a forum for IS faculty around the world to share effective practices and opinions regarding the long-term consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on IS education. This paper serves as the editorial f…

Exploring the Link between ICT and Development in the Context of Developing Countries : A Literature Review

2014

Published version of an article in the journal: Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. Also available from the publisher at: http://www.ejisdc.org/ojs2/index.php/ejisdc/article/view/1332. Open Access The article contributes to the ongoing discussion on relating information and communication technology (ICT) to development (D). The quest to relate ICT to D is a topic of open deliberation and critical scrutiny in ICT4D research communities. To enhance the understanding in this regard, we conducted a literature review. The review examines 80 articles to identify various development theories and the role of technologies in the development process. While scanning the …

A Novel Framework of an Expert System by integrating Capability Approach and BRB to Evaluate E-Government Services

2015

Capability approach is hard to operationalize and capabilities are sometimes difficult to reduce into the individual level. We describe our approach to solve these problems paired with an adequate ICT infrastructure and believe that the impact of concrete eGovernment services will become more visible and available. Citizens can inspect it, professionals can target their re-engineering on failure cases, learn from best cases, and researchers can compare different types of eGovernment. The solving of operationalisation will also strengthen the capability approach, by extending its scope from macro theory towards more easy application on the institutional and organizational levels. Validerad; …

Familiarity with digital twin totality: Exploring the relation and perception of affordances through a Heideggerian perspective

2022

The concept of affordances has become central in information systems literature. However, existing perspectives fall short in providing details on the relational aspect of affordances, which can influence actors' perception of them. To increase granularity and specificity in this regard, researchers have suggested that it be supplemented with other concepts or theories. In this article, we argue that the Heideggerian concepts of ‘familiarity’ and ‘referential totality’ are well suited for increasing our understanding of the relational aspects of affordances in information systems research. To explore this idea, we conducted a case study of a project concerning the development of a digital t…

Understanding ICT in ICT4D : An Affordance Perspective

2017

Understanding the role of ICT for development is at the core of ICT4D research. However, prevailing research in this field most often focuses on access or readiness of a technology, or on the outcomes of the technology use. Less attention has been paid to understand the mechanism of the technology use that leads to the outcomes. The question of why ICT in a development context sometimes work and sometimes does not work still remains a subject of enquiry. To enhance our understanding in this regard, we propose to use the concept of affordances to unfold the “black boxed” nature of ICT. We revisited a case from Kenya to illustrate the application of affordances in a ICT4D context. The finding…

When Is an Affordance? Outlining Four Stances

2016

Part 3: Exploring Affect and Affordance; International audience; Affordance has emerged as a core concept in information systems (IS) research during the last decade. This relational concept is applied to understand and theorize the relationship between the social and the technical. In the works of the concept originator James Gibson, the relation was mainly portrayed as an ever-existing fact between the natural environment and an animal. In contrast, IS research focuses on relationships in-the-making between artificial things and human beings. In the IS context, we have identified vagueness in temporal and relational ontology: when do affordances exist and between whom or what? In this pap…

Information Ecology as a holistic lens to understand ICTD initiatives

2016

Techno-centric initiatives to bridge the digital divide, such as One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been criticized for not taking a holistic approach. This has led to limited success in areas such as providing quality education in developing countries. In this paper, we offer a premise for a holistic understanding by borrowing from the field of information ecology. To illustrate our premise, we applied the theoretical lens of information ecology to analyze a case study of Open Learning Exchange (OLE) which has been described as one of the few successes in implementing OLPC. Based on our analysis, we posit that information ecology is a suitable and appropriate lens to interpret and understand…

Trajectory of Affordances: Insights from a case of telemedicine in Nepal

2017

Although Affordance Theory has become increasingly influential in the Information Systems (IS) literature, the exact process through which the affordances of IT are actualised is less studied. In t ...

Critical realism and ICT4D: editorial introduction to the special issue of EJISDC

2018

The Role of ICT Actors and Networks in Development: The Case Study of a Wireless Project in Nepal

2011

The role of ICT actors in the formation and extension of ICT4D projects is important. The actors through their extended network and aligned interest can enhance the effectiveness of the project which in turn enables socioeconomic development opportunities. However, few studies have been conducted to understand the role of these central players. The objective of this paper, therefore, is to address this knowledge gap by conducting a qualitative case study in the Myagdi district in the mountain region of Nepal. In this study we explored the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP) and examined how an activist started it from one mountain village and gradually extended across more than 150 vil…

The Role of Mediators in Transforming and Translating Information Quality: A Case of Quality Assurance in a Norwegian Hospital Trust

2019

Big Data Analytics Affordances for Social Innovation: A Theoretical Framework

2021

This paper proposes a theoretical framework to identify the mechanisms by which actors perceive the affordances of big data analytics (BDA) and how institutional voids and supports enable or hinder the actualisation of those perceived affordances. In doing so, we contribute to identifying the missing link needed to understand the social innovation process in relation to BDA. The framework paves the ground towards understanding the institutionalization process of social innovation and its implications for research and practice.

Analyzing the Concept of Affordances in Information Systems

2016

The affordance concept has penetrated the Information Systems (IS) scholarship as a lens for theorizing the relationship between technology and its users. However, what exactly is it that the researchers are trying to capture when they use this concept? For this essay, we carefully read IS literature to reveal underlying assumptions behind this lens and how it has been adopted. This article reveals three assumptions: 1) whether affordances are identified as intended prior use or emerging in action, 2) whether affordances are functional or non-functional, and 3) whether affordances are potential or actual. We dig into these assumptions and suggest alternatives for further enquiry.

Participation in ICT Development Interventions: Who and How?

2016

The aim of participatory development (PD) in the context of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development (ICT4D) is to empower underprivileged communities and disadvantaged segments of the stakeholders. The literature on ICT4D is replete with empirical evidence showing that ICT interventions often fail since they are often externally initiated, with very limited involvement from the affected (Heeks, 2002). Clearly, the principles and concepts of PD are relevant to ICT4D. However, we should not consider PD a panacea but need to understand the caveats and processes by which PD happens. Questions to ask include: What are the various challenges in PD? Who are the relev…

Ecosystem of Social Media Listening Practices for Crisis Management

2021

The benefits of using social media data as a source of information are recognized by both practice and research in crisis management. However, the existing understanding on the matter is fragmented, it oscillates between techno-determinisms and socio-determinisms, which does not provide a holistic picture. In this paper we argue that to better adapt social media data use practices, an ecosystem perspective is needed. In doing so, we conducted a systematic literature review and identified the various entities and their interrelationships that configure the practices of social media listening for crisis management. Then, we summarize our findings by proposing a conceptual ecosystem of practic…

Social capital in enabling quality health care: The case of a telemedicine project in Nepal

2018

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can play a crucial role in meeting multifaceted developmental challenges such as providing access to quality health care in developing countries. Init ...

Understanding the role of ICT and study circles in enabling economic opportunities: Lessons learned from an educational project in Kenya

2019

In this paper, we explore how the combination of Informa-tion and Communication Technologies (ICT) and self-organised study circles improves rural communities' abilityto enhance their economic oppo ...

Demystifying the Possibilities of ICT4D in the Mountain Regions of Nepal

2011

Author's version of a chapter in the book: Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2011.142 Despite the substantial investments in ICT4D projects in developing countries, the benefits are yet to be realised by the majority of remote communities. Inaccessibility to ICT has widened educational, healthcare, information, and communication gaps between urban and remote communities. This paper focuses on an interpretive case study in Nepal to widen our understanding of how locally-initiated ICT4D projects may help to narrow these gaps. The study utilises the Assets Pentagon Model to identify …

Four steps to identify mechanisms of ICT4D: A critical realism-based methodology

2018

Building educational capabilities through information technology in developing countries

2014

There is one aspect of globalization of IT work that appears only in fleeting glimpses in the mainstream IS literature and is sidelined in the discourse in general. If global IT work is painted mainly as outsourcing IT-infused work from developed countries to poorer countries (euphemistically referred to as "low income countries"), shouldn't the development of capabilities in these very same less-developed countries be a vital cog? Simply put, if these countries do not have a capable workforce, IT work, or any other work for that matter, cannot be outsourced to these countries. The question then is how can capabilities be developed in developing countries? In this research-in-progress paper…

Introducing Internet-based services in the mountain areas of Nepal: An asset pentagon perspective

2012

Published version of an article from the journal: Information Technologies & International Development. Also available from the publisher: http://itidjournal.org/itid/article/view/916 Information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects can only be considered successful if they lead to some kind of individual, social, or economic development. The beneªts of introducing ICT4D projects in developing countries are yet to be realized, particularly those introduced in mountainous and remote areas. Our study addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the Nepal Wireless Networking Project from the mountain areas in Nepal using the assets pentagon model (APM). The main contribut…

Exploring the link between ICT intervention and human development through a social capital lens : The case study of a wireless project in the mountai…

2012

Doctoral dissertation in information systems at the University of Agder, Kristiansand While it is generally accepted that information and communication technology (ICT) can lead to development, the process through which this may happen remains unclear. At the core of this debate is the very definition of the term ‘development’. In this thesis, I adopted Amartya Sen’s definition. According to Sen (1999), human development is built upon a particular capability approach. He inferred that human development is the enhancement of human capabilities (freedom of choice) in order that people can live a life which they value and have reasons to value. The capability approach has, however, been critic…

Big Data Analytics Affordances for Social Innovation: A Theoretical Framework

2021

This paper proposes a theoretical framework to identify the mechanisms by which actors perceive the affordances of big data analytics (BDA) and how institutional voids and supports enable or hinder the actualisation of those perceived affordances. In doing so, we contribute to identifying the missing link needed to understand the social innovation process in relation to BDA. The framework paves the ground towards understanding the institutionalization process of social innovation and its implications for research and practice.