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

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…

The role of social networking services in eParticipation

Published version of a chapter published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 5694, 46-55. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03781-8_5 A serious problem in eParticipation projects is citizen engagement – citizens do not necessarily become more willing to participate simply because net-services are provided for them. Most forms of eParticipation in democratic contexts are, however, dependent on citizen engagement, interaction and social networking because democratic systems favour the interests of larger groups of citizens – the more voices behind a political proposition, the greater its chances of success. In this context of challenges the study of s…

From the blogosphere into the parliament: The role of digital technologies in organizing social movements

Abstract In this paper, we present a process model exploring the roles played by digital technologies (DTs) in the organization of collective action (CA) of social movements (SMs) at different points in their lifecycles. The process model, which is based on an exploratory case study of the Italian Five Star Movement, relates the environmental conditions to the working logic, structure and use of DTs at three different stages of the SMs. We explain how these choices are adopted at each stage to address internal and environmental challenges and how they create further challenges to be addressed to pass to the next stage. We further explore the dynamics between the logic of connective and coll…

E-government in Tanzania: Current Status and Future Challenges

Article from the book: Electronic Government. Also available from SpringerLink: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33489-4_17 The public sector plays an important role in the economic growth and development of developing countries. The application of modern Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may help improve the public sector by contributing to new services and processes that address citizens as well as government-to-government services, involve citizens more directly in decisions being made, and contribute to streamlining work processes and standardizations needed to develop a well-functioning public sector. Research focusing on E-government in developing countries is still …

The Genre System Lens on E-Democracy

Published version of an article published in Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, 20 (2), 51-82. Also available from the publisher at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/sjis/vol20/iss2/3 E-Democracy aims at enhancing citizen involvement in societal communication and decision making. However, the very ideals of democracy vary while reports of e-democracy in use have often left them undiscussed. Moreover, theoretical works on the potential of information technology (IT) for democratization have often viewed IT as a “black box”, and assumed that technology should create an impact as such. Hence, there is a dearth of research on the interplay between models of e-democracy and actual IT artefacts …

On the evolution of e-Government: The user imperative

Published version of a chapter published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 2739, 139-143. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/10929179_25 This paper focuses the need for more research on user involvement and the investigation of stakeholders in e-Government initiatives. An investigation of existing work revealed a lack of research on those topics. As e-Government evolves and users mature, the value of their input can increase. The paper discusses the need and potential benefits of this approach. Finally, we suggest that existing stakeholder theory is investigated for adaptation into e-Government settings in order to map the complex body of interrelated stakeh…

A holistic perspective on the theoretical foundations for ICT4D research

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…

Exploring Public Sector’s Roles in Collaborative Consumption – A Research Agenda

Part 2: Digital Collaboration and Social Media; International audience; Motivated by the growing significance of sharing economy within our society, we here discuss which role the public sector may have within collaborative consumption (CC). CC refers to a business model grounded on peer-to-peer based sharing of goods and services through community-based online services. While public sector to a large extent has transformed from formalised bureaucratic structures into more hybrid organisations, focusing on the co-creation between public and private stakeholders, public sector’s role within the sharing economy is still in need for further investigation. We reflect on the need for studying ho…

Citizens AND HYdrology (CANDHY) : conceptualizing a transdisciplinary framework for citizen science addressing hydrological challenges

Widely available digital technologies are empowering citizens who are increasingly well informed and involved in numerous water, climate, and environmental challenges. Citizen science can serve many different purposes, from the "pleasure of doing science" to complementing observations, increasing scientific literacy, and supporting collaborative behaviour to solve specific water management problems. Still, procedures on how to incorporate citizens' knowledge effectively to inform policy and decision-making are lagging behind. Moreover, general conceptual frameworks are unavailable, preventing the widespread uptake of citizen science approaches for more participatory cross-sectorial water go…

Introduction to Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICTD) Minitrack: Contributing to Human Development and Social Justice

This minitrack explores opportunities to use Information and communication technologies to promote human development and social justice. In the early days this field began with radio and television as tools to help improve the lives of marginalized communities, but this has now become a global movement of people using computers, the internet, and mobile devices to help human development. Information technologies have become more accessible, more used, and more relevant than ever in the lives of people around the world. A growing body of scholars and researchers work to understand, design, evaluate and critique ICTD interventions, which can bring numerous benefits as well as unanticipated ne…

Tensions in Online Communities: The Case of a Mass Size eParticipation Initiative

Part 4: Critical Reflections; International audience; While Online Communities (OCs) are increasingly used to involve people in organizations and societies, few studies focus on how OC influence political decision making within eParticipation initiatives. This issue is explored through an interpretive case-study of the Italian Five Star Movement (M5S), a mass-size eParticipation political initiative recently founded by private citizens. The use of OCs is a common strategy to involve groups of people to easily connect on-line, cooperating on common and shared interests. We here focus on understanding the internal and external forces influencing on the OCs, to better understand how to manage …

Understanding the dynamics in e-Participation initiatives: Looking through the genre and stakeholder lenses

Accepted version of an article published in the journal: Government Information Quarterly. Also available from the publisher at: http//dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2010.10.005 Conventionally, e-Participation initiatives are considered to be successful only if users use these services. While the growing body of e-Participation literature has listed and studied challenges and barriers to achieving this end, conceptual clarity on why such projects are considered as failures is yet to be achieved. We argue that this is due to the inadequate understanding of the complex stakeholder dynamics of an e-Participation project. In this paper, we seek to address this knowledge gap by proposing that using St…

The support for different democracy models by the use of a web-based discussionboard

Published version of a chapter published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 3183, 23-26. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-30078-6_4 Different initiatives are initiated to utilize ICT to maintain and develop democracy. Democracy models are developed to explain differences between different democracies. This paper reports from a case study where a web-based discussion board is developed and implemented. The findings indicate that politicians and citizens add support to different democracy models by their contributions to the web-based discussion board. Contributions from the citizens add stronger support for the neo-republican model where as politic…

Social Media as Public Sphere: A Stakeholder Perspective

Purpose This paper aims to examine major stakeholders’ communication preferences in eParticipation initiatives and discuss how this affects the public sphere. Despite the potential of social media, it has proven difficult to get people actively involved in the decision-making processes. There is a need for more research on how stakeholders manage and use social media to communicate. Design/methodology/approach The study was conducted as a qualitative case study. Data sources include interviews, social media content, document analysis and field notes. Findings Communication preferences of stakeholders vary according to their salience level. Stakeholders with higher salience are less likely …

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

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 …

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…

The public sector's roles in the sharing economy and the implications for public values

Abstract Motivated by the growing significance of the sharing economy, we discuss the roles the public sector may play within the sharing economy and the corresponding implications for public values. The sharing economy represents a transformative agent for the public sector within the current landscape of digital transformation. While the public sector has so far acted mainly as a regulatory body in the sharing economy, we here discuss implications for other roles the public sector may take on, including the roles of customer, service provider, and platform provider. Framed within the context of the public value ideals (professional, efficiency, service, and engagement), we examine the opp…

Choosing the Right Medium for Municipal eParticipation Based on Stakeholder Expectations

Published version of a chapter in the book: Electronic Participation. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-33250-0_3 This paper examines the expectations and communication needs of relevant stakeholder groups for municipal eParticipation in a small Norwegian municipality. We identified relevant stakeholder groups with the municipality, and asked them about their communication preferences through a combined Delphi study and survey approach. The findings show that information about local issues, information about issues relevant for the individual stakeholder, and dialogue on business’ needs and employment are the three most important communication needs. …

eParticipation:Designing and Managing Political Discussion Forums

Author's version of an article published in Social Science Computer Review, 2010, 28 (4), 403-426. Also available from the publisher: http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0894439309341626 eParticipation is the extension and transformation of participation in political deliberation and decision-making processes through information and communication technologies (ICTs). The most commonly found examples of eParticipation systems are political discussion forums. Although much of the discussion of these technologies is conducted in the eGovernment and eDemocracy literature, political discussion forums present a distinct set of design and management challenges, which relate directly to information systems c…

Government Architecture: Concepts, Use and Impact

Part 3: Service Design and Improvement; International audience; Government architecture (GA) is a relatively young discipline in which concepts are slowly emerging. Often terms and concepts are used in various ways and there is no uniform agreement on these concepts. Further, the relationship between GA, benefits and public value creation is unclear. In this paper we unravel and define GA concepts that are often used by governments. Although GA is used in different ways there are common concepts. GA practice in two different countries, the Netherlands and Norway, indicates that although the Netherlands clearly has more experience with GA than Norway, both countries employ similar concepts. …

Democracy Squared: Designing On-Line Political Communities to Accommodate Conflicting Interests

Published version of an article published in Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems, 17 (2), 133-168. Also available from the publisher at: http://aisel.aisnet.org/sjis/vol17/iss2/5. On-line political communities, such as the Norwegian site Demokratitorget (Democracy Square), are often designed according to a set of un-reflected assumptions about the political interests of their potential members. In political science, democracy is not taken as given in this way, but can be represented by different models which characterize different relationships between politicians and the citizens they represent. This paper uses quantitative and qualitative content analysis to analyze the communicat…

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

Stakeholder theory for the E -government context: Framing a value-oriented normative core

Despite substantial investments in ICT in the public sector over the past decades, it has been hard to achieve consistent benefits. One reason for the difficulties is the gap between the expectations of key stakeholders (such as governments, businesses and citizens) and project outcomes. Though normative, descriptive and instrumental aspects of stakeholder theory have been influential in explaining stakeholder interests and relationships in the management field, e-Government researchers have rather neglected the normative core of the theory. We show how value theory can improve normative foundations in this area to provide a focused analysis of four e-Government projects. We use a multiple …

From the Blogosphere into Real Politics: The Use of ICT by the Five Star Movement

Research on ICT and the public discourse often focuses on how ICT can be used to increase citizen participation in political decision-making processes. The Italian Five Star Movement (5SM) represents a novel approach to using ICT to include citizens, and a big challenge for the traditional political actors. The 5SM was initiated outside the established political systems, with the use of Internet tools as cornerstones to promote political actions based on the directly expressed will of citizens. In this paper, based on an exploratory case study approach and informed by the introduction of E-Democracy models, we investigate the role of ICT in various phases of the 5SM, from its birth through …

Motivation and Consequences of Internet and Mobile Phone Usage among the Urban Poor in Kampala, Uganda

The Internet and mobile phones are rapidly diffusing throughout communities, and it is important to understand what people are actually doing with their access to these technologies. This study seeks to improve our understanding of the motivational factors and social and economic consequences of such use among the urban poor, which is examined through the Diffusion of Innovations Theory (DoI) and the Capability Approach (CA). The combined theoretical perspective was introduced to explore findings of an explorative case study conducted among the urban poor in Kampala, Uganda, where Internet access was found to be low due to high illiteracy and associated costs. On the other hand, mobile phon…

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

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 …

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 …

Design for social media engagement: Insights from elderly care assistance

Abstract This paper explores an alternative view of design as an emergent process of engagement and learning, as opposed to the traditional view of systems design as a problem-solving tool. We focus on digitally enabled elderly support networks as an innovative approach to the design of elderly care assistance through social media. Our research project is conducted in the context of an Italian health-care institution and provides the empirical backdrop illustrating the ensemble artefact, the four design principles and the pragmatic outcomes of personalized elderly care interventions. These contributions add both practical and theoretical guidance and learning regarding social-media engageme…

Opportunities and challenges of digitized discretionary practices: a public service worker perspective

Abstract Public service workers exercise discretionary power during policy implementation. Due to an immense diffusion of information and communications technology (ICT) in public service provision, they are increasingly exposed to reforms aiming at more efficient and fair decision-making. Whereas extant literature has found that ICT can both enable and constrain public service workers' ability to exercise discretion, we know less about underlying explanations for these inconclusive findings. This paper addresses this research gap by exploring how and why public service workers react to digitized discretionary practices. We draw upon institutional logics to show the underlying consideration…

The role telecentres play in providing e-government services in rural areas

Municipalities ‘Like’ Facebook: The Use of Social Media in Local Municipalities

The use of Facebook in local municipalities has grown dramatically over the last few years. Local municipalities enter social media to meet people where they already are, in order to inform, discuss and receive feedback. The use of such services is rarely an integrated part of the municipalities’ communication strategies, and more knowledge is needed to explore how local municipalities could use such services to their benefit. This chapter contributes to this area of research by, based on current literature, classifying municipalities’ use of social media into six thematic areas. The explanatory potential is illustrated by conducting a qualitative case study in which a local municipality’s …

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

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…

Designing Deliberation Systems

In a liberal democracy, the evolution of political agendas and formation of policy involves deliberation: serious consideration of political issues.  Modern day political participation is dependent on widespread deliberation supported by information and communication technologies, which also offer the potential to revitalize and transform citizen engagement in democracy.  Although the majority of web 2.0 systems enable these discourses to some extent, government institutions commission and manage specialized deliberation systems (information systems designed to support participative discourse) intended to promote citizen engagement.  The most common examples of these are political discussio…

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…

Towards a cumulative tradition in e-Government Research: Going beyond the Gs and Cs

Published version of a chapter published in Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 4656, 13-22. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-74444-3_2 The emerging research area of e-Government is gradually moving towards a level of maturity on the back of increasingly rigorous empirical research. Yet, there has been little theoretical progress and a cumulative tradition is not emerging. We argue that a principle reason for this is a lack of shared understanding about basic concepts and entities amongst scholars in the field. Specifically, the entities that form the bedrock of e-Government research, such as “Government” and “Citizen” are conceptualized at a very gen…

E-Government in Marketing a Country: A Strategy for Reducing Transaction Cost of Doing Business in Tanzania

Published version of an article in International Journal of Marketing Studies, 3(4), 2-16. Also available from the publisher at http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/ijms.v3n4p2 There are limited studies examining the role of Investment Promotion Agencies (IPA’s) and their respective marketing techniques used in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Using an exploratory case study approach, this article addresses this research gap by exploring the role of e-government as a promotion technique in eliminating barriers to FDI inflows in Tanzania; particularly barriers related to information accessibility and bureaucratic procedures facing foreign investors in acquiring relevant licenses and business…

Understanding TwitterTM Use among Parliament Representatives: A Genre Analysis

Published version of a chapter published in the book: Electronic Participation. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-23333-3_1 This article examines parliament representatives’ Twitter- contributions (tweets). First, the genre of communication approach is introduced to identify common characteristics and communication patterns. Second, the findings are analysed using various eDemocracy models and deliberative standards to identify to what extent these tweets could be characterized as part of a deliberative discussion. The tweets are mainly dominated by five communication purposes; providing links to information sources for other Twitter users, to inform …

The Current State of Social Media Research for eParticipation in Developing Countries: A Literature Review

While there is an increasing interest for conducting research on the importance of social media within the eParticipation area, more emphasis is still needed within the context of developing countries. We address this need by presenting a literature review on social media within eParticipation in developing countries, to add to the understanding of how these technologies influence the political environment. We discuss trends, contributions and challenges within this area, and propose a future research agenda. Furthermore, we propose a model of social media for eParticipation from a process view perspective to guide future research in this field.

Participation in ICT Development Interventions: Who and How?

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…

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

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

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 …

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…

Combining social media affordances for organising collective action

Internet-based information and foreign direct investment (FDI) location decision making: An information cost perspective

Published version of an article in the journal: African Journal of Business Management. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.5897/AJBM11.1203 Open Access Information and communication technology (ICT) is considered to play an important role to reduce information cost for potential foreign investors. While a growing body of literature has suggested such connections, conceptual clarity is yet to be achieved. This study introduces a conceptual framework based on the Information-theoretic approach and transaction cost perspective to explore how ICT may reduce information cost. To illustrate our proposed framework, we apply it to examine the role of Internet-based informati…

How, Why and with Whom Do Local Politicians Engage on Facebook?

Part 2: Social Media and E-Participation; International audience; This article focuses on how, why and with whom local politicians engage on Facebook. Based on a literature review of the public sphere, eParticipation and research related to social media, we propose a theoretical framework that identifies thematic areas integral to understanding the nature of political participation. The explanatory potential of our ‘ENGAGE’ model (Exchange, Narcissist, Gather, Accented, General and Expense) is exemplified by conducting a qualitative case study focusing on politicians in a local municipality in southern Norway. The findings indicate various uses of Facebook among the respondents, and a disso…

Reframing health care through social media

This teaching case presents the story of the Hospital Campus (HC) project and its effort to reframe health-care services for the elderly through the adoption of social media. In a world of global ageing, in which an increased number of elderly patients will be cared for by a shrinking number of workers, a primary challenge is how to use technology to provide better and more efficient services for the elderly. The HC campus project focuses on how to involve information technology-illiterate elderly patients and their social networks in the design and use of social media services to improve their quality of life. In describing the development of the project, we focus on the elderly patients’…

The shape of eParticipation:Characterizing an emerging research area

Author's version of an article published in Government Information Quarterly, 25 (2008), 400-428. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2007.04.007 The phenomenon of eParticipation is receiving increasing attention, demonstrated by recent technology implementations, experiments, government reports, and research programs. Understanding such an emerging field is a complex endeavor because there is no generally agreed upon definition of the field, no clear overview of the research disciplines or methods it draws upon, and because the boundaries of the field are undecided. Using conventional literature review techniques, we identify 131 scientific articles consid…

Exploring Collective Action Dynamics in Online Communities from a Critical Realist Perspective

Scholars have been increasingly studying Online Communities (OCs) for a variety of purposes, focusing on issues like individual motivation, knowledge sharing, and governance structure. Few studies focused on the entanglement among technology, people, and organizational structures that support working dynamics within OCs. This paper addresses this issue by exploring causal mechanisms sustaining the collective actions of OCs through a retroduction process. Based on the study of the OC of an Italian political movement, the Five Star Movement, the concept of affordance is involved to describe the generative mechanisms and new affordances are identified on collective action within OCs. Our work …

‘Gentlemen, all aboard!’ ICT and party politics: Reflections from a Mass-eParticipation experience

Abstract Information and Communication Technology (ICT) use is becoming an ever more popular way to involve citizens in political decision making. And yet, despite their recently increasing number, few eParticipation initiatives have achieved their intended aims. If nothing else, this shows that the internal processes, challenges and opportunities of using ICT to engage citizens in politics deserve further examination. The present paper attempts to undertake such an investigation by analysing Italy's Five Star Movement, a mass-eParticipation-based political organisation recently founded by private citizens. Using an interpretive case-study approach, this paper assesses the goals, participat…

Online Activities to Mobilize Smart Cities

From protest to parliament : The role of digital technologies within an online community

Our teaching case introduces the story of how the Italian Five Star Movement used digital technologies in the growth from a personal blog discussing politics back in 2005 to the most voted party in the Italian election in 2018, becoming part of the government. The Italian Five Star Movement is among the largest eParticipation initiatives globally. It is (almost) totally organized through the use of digital platforms. Members form online communities and are continuously invited to discuss and make decisions that end up into Italian politics. Adopting a chronological perspective, we describe the development of the Italian Five Star Movement, focusing on their use of digital technologies at va…

Introduction to the Minitrack on Information and Communication Technologies for Development: Contributing to Human Development and Social Justice

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Models of E-Democracy

Pulished article in Communications of the Association for Information Systems, 17 (1), 818-840. Also available from the publisher: http://aisel.aisnet.org/cais/vol17/iss1/37/ Several theories of E-Democracy have been presented, and implementations of and experiments in E-Democracy emerged. However, existing literature on the subject appears rather non-comprehensive, lacking an integrated basis, for gathering knowledge in the future. After an analysis of theories of E-Democracy versus implementations reported in related literature, we address the need for a model generally absent from contemporary theoretical literature: the Partisan model of E-Democracy. We aim to simplify the current "jung…

Elaborating the WARE Method for eParticipation Requirements

Published version of a chapter in the book Information Systems Developement, 2010, 785-792. Also available from the publisher at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/b137171_82 eParticipation systems are often directly targeted at citizens. However, as a group of potential users, citizens form a heterogeneous and unpredictable group, which makes requirements elicitation a challenging issue. Based on recently developed ideas for wide audience requirement engineering (WARE), this chapter discusses and elaborates a method for eliciting citizen requirements for eParticipation. The method elaboration was conducted in connection with a project in southern Norway, where young people’s requirements for becom…