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.

Formation and Failure of an E‐Marketplace Pioneer in a Developing Country

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand the formation and failure of an e-marketplace pioneer in a developing country. Much of the research on e-marketplaces focuses on the developed world. Within the limited literature on the developing world, the dominant focus has been on user adoption and related constraints. Little research thus exists on how e-marketplaces are formed and whether they succeed or fail. This study therefore follows qualitative interpretive case study methodology to investigate the formation and failure of an e-marketplace pioneer in a developing country. The findings show that the e-marketplace was formed without a clear e-business model and without enough attention to the developing country environment. The failure was subsequently caused by inability to generate revenue and failure to renew domain name license. The paper advises potential entrepreneurs to pay attention to their local environment and develop e-business models with appropriate revenue options to guide their e-marketplace initiatives.

Digital Innovation and Taxi Services: The Case of Uru in Ghana

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand how ridesharing as a form of digital innovation in taxi services creates affordances and constraints for riders and drivers in a developing country. Extant studies on digital innovation and taxi services primarily have focused on digital innovation for ridesharing in the taxi industry. However, less is known about how digital innovation for ridesharing in taxi services creates affordances and constraints for drivers and riders. This study, therefore, follows an interpretive case study as a methodology and affordance theory as a lens to understand ridesharing in Ghana. The findings show three digital technology affordances that cause riders and drivers to use digital innovation in taxi services for ridesharing. These are security affordance with riders and drivers background information, automatic billing affordance for affordable transportation, and ubiquitous service affordance with anywhere and anytime service in the cities. The study finally provides concluding thoughts.

Social Construction of Open Source Application for Student Records: The Case of Cape Coast University

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand the development and use of open source software (OSS) for higher education (HE) administration in a developing country. Research on OSS in developing country HE has thus far focused on teaching and learning. Less attention has been paid to the area of administration. This lack of attention may be due to the back-office nature of the administration function, which makes it less obvious to academics. Nevertheless, HE administration provides significant support for efficient and effective teaching and learning and thus requires equal research attention. To extend the OSS research in developing country HE to the administration domain, this study focuses on the development and use of OSS for student records administration in a higher education institution (HEI) in the developing country context of Ghana. The research question motivating the study concerns why and how a developing country HEI developed an OSS for administration, how the various interest groups shaped the software and how the software shaped them in return. The study follows social construction of technology (SCOT) as a theoretical lens and qualitative, interpretive case study approach to trace the experience of the University of Cape Coast (UCC) in Ghana in developing and using OSS for student records administration. The findings provide rich insight into the various interest groups who shaped the software and how it shaped them in return.

Evaluation of a national digital location infrastructure: Stakeholders’ perspectives in Ghana

Abstract: This paper seeks to understand how different stakeholder groups evaluate national digital location infrastructure in a developing country of Ghana. Information Systems literature has discussed the digital infrastructure phenomenon extensively, however, little is known about evaluating the performance of digital infrastructures. To address this gap, this paper employs a qualitative interpretive case study methodology to understand how different stakeholder groups evaluate performance of a national digital location infrastructure implemented in Ghana. Findings show how effective evaluation of digital infrastructure can be achieved through independent analysis of stakeholders’ interests and their corresponding interpretation of the success or failure of national digital location infrastructures. The study also shows that meeting stakeholder groups’ expectations is not enough grounds for national digital infrastructures to gain favorable evaluation. The findings have implication for policy, practice, and research.

Institutional Effects on National Health Insurance Digital Platform Development and Use: The Case of Ghana

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to understand institutional effects on digital platform development and use for national health insurance in a developing country. Information systems research on digital platforms for the health sector has focused more on healthcare. Less research exists on health insurance. This study, therefore, addresses the research gap by focusing on digital platform for national health insurance service in a developing country. The study employs qualitative, interpretive case study as methodology and institutional theory as analytical lens to investigate regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional effects on digital platform development and use for national health insurance in Ghana. The findings show the institutional enablers as: (1) health-seeking culture; (2) mobile network penetration and use; and (3) appropriate laws and regulations. Conversely, the constraints are (1) Unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) functionality; and (2) extended family system.

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.