Understanding the use of mobile phones in the agricultural sector in rural Indonesia: using the capability approach as lens

This study aims to investigate the use of mobile phones in the agricultural sector and its possible contributions to development of developing countries, with special reference to Indonesia. In our interpretive work, the capability approach is used as a lens, and the study is informed by data from interviews with various actors and field observations. The paper unearths the pattern of use of mobile phones among farmers in their professional network and shows that ownership and use of mobile phones varies, depending on the farmers' location in the network hierarchy. The study further unveils that the conversion factors play a significant role in order to realise achievement (functionings) fr…

Four Strategies of Social Media Use Among Indonesian Politicians

Part 14: Current Issues; International audience; This study aims at unveiling strategies based on the patterned use of social media by politicians. Using an interpretive case study involving Indonesian politicians from national, provincial, and district level parliaments, the study identifies four strategies: nominal, instrumental, manipulative, and genuine. The selected strategy is reflected by internal and external affordances of social media perceived by the politicians, and influenced by a variety of constraints. These include poor Internet connection, limited capabilities of politicians, low ICT literacy among constituents, security issues, personal attack, unsupportive regulation, and…

Institutional entrepreneurs: The driving force in institutionalization of public systems in developing countries

PurposeWhile institutional theory is used widely in the information system (IS) literature to study implementation of systems, the actual process of institutionalization has received less attention. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature by using three concepts drawn from the theory, namely, institutional isomorphism, institutional logic and institutional entrepreneurship, and the interplay between them to explore the role of the dominant institutional entrepreneur in the institutionalization of a public system, as an instance of e‐government initiatives.Design/methodology/approachIn an interpretive case study, this study examined the institutionalization process…

Tensions in Information System Artefacts: Explaining Land Information Systems’ Sub-optimal Impact in Indonesia

Part 14: Current Issues; International audience; Despite the advancement of more integrated land information systems (LIS), conflicts and disputes over land in Indonesia remain. Our study seeks to explain this situation. Using an interpretive case study conducted in Eastern Indonesia and framed within the concepts of information system (IS) artefacts, we find that tensions within and between information, technology, and social artefacts help to explain the sub-optimal LIS impacts. Inconsistent information, unsuitable technology, and conflicting social arrangements are examples of such tensions. Unless the tensions are properly resolved, LIS use cannot fulfil its potential for more appropria…

Affordances and effects of introducing social media within eParticipation-Findings from government-initiated Indonesian project

The current state of research on eGovernment in developing countries: A literature review

Published version of a chapter in the book: Electronic Government. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33489-4_1 This paper reports a review of literature on eGovernment in the context of developing countries published between 2005 and 2010. The insights emerging from this review may guide researchers in their continued investigation of eGovernment implementation, especially in the context of developing countries. From a review of 108 papers, the study found some substantive changes in the field of eGovernment research. These included increased adoption of interpretive paradigm and increased use of theories in the research. Some future research directio…

Land Information Systems for Development (LIS4D): A Neglected Area within ICT4D Research?

The lack of accurate information about land and land ownership is a major challenge for developing countries. Despite the important role of information systems (IS) in overcoming such weaknesses, the research area of land information systems has been scattered within IS, as well as within the area of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D). Based on a literature review research contributions are synthesized into four main perspectives, namely Development, eGovernment, Geographical information systems (GIS) and Land law, policy, and administration. These perspectives form the basis for the suggested conceptualization of the land information systems for development …

E-Government Challenges and the Role of Political Leadership in Indonesia:  The Case of Sragen

In general, developing countries are lagging behind in e-government adoption compared to developed countries. Within Indonesia, there is a huge disparity in e- government implementation between districts. This study presents e-government challenges and the role of political leadership in the rural district of Sragen, one of the leading districts in implementing e-government in the country. The study focuses on the supply-side of e- government, and categorises the challenges in three main areas; management, infrastructure, and human factors. Initiatives taken to deal with these challenges are presented and strong political leadership is found to play an important role.

Translating the Idea of the eGovernment One-Stop-Shop in Indonesia

Article from the Book:Information and Communication Technology, Springer 2013. Also available on SpringerLink:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36818-9_1 This study aims to understand how the idea of an eGovernment one- stop-shop (OSS) has been translated into a new setting. Since the beginning of 2000, this idea has been implemented in a variety of ways by Indonesian local governments. Using an interpretive case study in the city of Yogyakarta, the study revealed that the specificity of each setting influences the translation process of the idea of OSS during its institutionalization. It also identified a set of editing rules used during the translation process. These include the editing…

Does a land information system resolve land conflicts?

The absence of accurate land management arguably results in land conflicts as well as uncontrolled land use and conversion. The adoption of a land information system (LIS) might remedy such problems. Our study in rural Eastern Indonesia found that land management is a complex system involving various stakeholders, including the side of the local people and the side of the government. To some extent, an LIS is already in place but the actualised affordances it offers are limited because the system is hindered by numerous conflicts over uncertified land.

Understanding eParticipation services in indonesian local government

Published version of a chapter in the book: Information and Communication Technology. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55032-4_32 This study aims at understanding how local government from a developing country, in this case Indonesia, implement and manage eParticipation services. In doing so, we combine institutional theory and stakeholder theory to build a sharper analytical lens. From an interpretive case study in the city of Yogyakarta, we reveal the institutionalization process of the services since their inception and identify major stakeholders and their salience. Based on our findings, we propose implications for practice and suggest implicati…

A Triple-Helix Model of Sustainable Government Information Infrastructure: Case Study of the eProcurement System in the Indonesian Public Sector

Lack of sustainability is one of the problems in information system (IS) implementation in developing countries, such as Indonesia. More specifically, this is the case in eGovernment implementation. Using an interpretive research stance in a case study of the eProcurement system in the public sector, the study reveals that the concept of information infrastructure (II) can be used to understand the sustainability issue. Findings suggest that applying the concept of II in IS development and implementation can improve the sustainability of an IS in the public sector, especially one that is used across government agencies and levels. The paper proposes a triple-helix model of a government II c…

Steering Institutionalization through Institutional Work: The Case of an eProcurement System in Indonesian Local Government

Corruption is arguably one of the main hindrances to development. In their effort to combat corruption, governments in developing countries turn to information technology to enhance transparency in decision making. However, implementation of an information system in this context is not straightforward. Premised upon institutional theory, this interpretive case study traces the role of institutional actors in the institutionalization of an eProcurement system in Indonesian local government. It draws on different streams of research on institutional work to develop an interpretive lens to understand what institutional actors do to steer the institutionalization process. It identifies a set of…

Themes of Research on eGovernment in Developing Countries: Current Map and Future Roadmap

This paper reports a literature review of eGovernment research in developing countries published between 2005 and 2010. From a review of 108 papers, the present study found that the papers could be mapped into five main research themes: design/implementation, adoption, impact, evaluation, and context. For each main theme, several sub-themes were identified. The research approaches used to investigate each theme were described. In addition to presenting the current landscape of eGovernment research, this paper also provides future research directions related to the empirical, theoretical, and methodological domains.

Affordances and Effects of Promoting eParticipation Through Social Media

Part 1: eParticipation and Social Media; International audience; A growing body of literature highlights the adoption of social media for eParticipation, focusing on the identification of processes and structures through which ICT supports the relationship between citizens, governments and public bodies. There is a need to better understand the role of technology in such initiatives. This paper addresses this issue by introducing the concept of affordance. We used a case study approach to investigate an Indonesian eParticipation projects from Bandung, identifying affordance perceptions, enabling and inhibiting factors, actualized affordances and affordances effects. From the use of social m…