John Effah

Bio: John Effah is an academic researcher from University of Ghana. The author has contributed to research in topics: Developing country & Information system. The author has an hindex of 9, co-authored 60 publications receiving 513 citations. Previous affiliations of John Effah include University of Salford.

Does the use of a biometric system guarantee an acceptable election’s outcome? Evidence from Ghana’s 2012 election

Abstract: The article examines how the deployment of a biometric technology in Ghana’s 2012 election ended in confusion and put the legitimacy of the election outcome in jeopardy. Analysing data drawn from 1...

IT for the informal sector in developing countries: A broader perspective

Abstract: Although the informal sector's presence in the developed world is by no means meagre, the themes and issues related to information technology (IT) for this sector in the developing country contexts seem stark and deeply contrasted with those relating to the informal sector in developed countries. Solutions which attempt to exploit the potential of IT for the informal sector have thus far been either knee‐jerk, ad‐hoc, or have mimicked those targeted at the formal sector. However, technology tools available today can accelerate, catalyze, and go beyond the conventional straight‐jacketed technology, economic, and policy solutions for the informal sector. The papers in this special issue reflect this theme and attempt to present a glimpse of the possibilities for achieving and the challenges in effecting such solutions.

The rise and fall of a dot-com pioneer in a developing country

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the experiences of dot-com pioneers in developing countries to complement the experience of their counterparts from the developed world as documented in the dot-com boom and bust literature. Beginning from this literature, dot-com phenomenon in the developed world has attracted much research. However, despite some entrepreneurial attempts to promote the innovation in the developing world, less is known about dot-coms there. Design/methodology/approach – The study follows interpretive case study methodology and actor-network theory to understand the formation, initial success and final failure of a dot-com pioneer in the developing country of Ghana. Findings – The developing country dot-com pioneer transferred e-tail technology from the developed world. The under-developed infrastructure in the developing world forced the technology to be adapted to local context. The firm managed to succeed temporarily by engaging with actors from both the developed an...

Biometric technology for voter identification: The experience in Ghana

Abstract: Our study examines how and why Ghana's first attempt to use biometric technology for voter identification and verification in its 2012 general elections failed. We employ activity theory as the ana...

The Human Condition.

Abstract: Human beings are described by many spiritual traditions as ‘blind’ or ‘asleep’ or ‘in a dream.’ These terms refers to the limited attenuated state of consciousness of most human beings caught up in patterns of conditioned thought, feeling and perception, which prevent the development of our latent, higher spiritual possibilities. In the words of Idries Shah: “Man, like a sleepwalker who suddenly ‘comes to’ on some lonely road has in general no correct idea as to his origins or his destiny.” In some religious traditions, such as Christianity and Islam, the myth of the ‘Fall from the Garden of Eden’ symbolizes the loss of the primordial state through the veiling of higher consciousness. Other traditions use similar metaphors to describe the spiritual condition of humanity:

The iron cage revisited: Institutional isomorphism and collective rationality in organizational fields (Chinese Translation)

Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.