Showing papers in "EJISDC: The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries in 2004"

E-Government for Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges

Abstract: 1. INTRODUCTION The explosion of digital connectivity, the significant improvements in communication and information technologies and the enforced global competition are revolutionizing the way business is performed and the way organizations compete. A new, complex and rapidly changing economic order has emerged based on disruptive innovation, discontinuities, abrupt and seditious change. In this new landscape, knowledge constitutes the most important factor, while learning, which emerges through cooperation, together with the increased reliability and trust, is the most important process (Lundvall and Johnson, 1994). The competitive survival and ongoing sustenance of an organisation primarily depend on its ability to redefine and adopt continuously goals, purposes and its way of doing things (Malhotra, 2001). These trends suggest that private and public organizations have to reinvent themselves through 'continuous non-linear innovation' in order to sustain themselves and achieve strategic competitive advantage. The extant literature highlights the great potential of ICT tools for operational efficiency, cost reduction, quality of services, convenience, innovation and learning in private and public sectors. However, scholarly investigations have focused primarily on the effects and outcomes of ICTs (Information & Communication Technology) for the private sector. The public sector has been sidelined because it tends to lag behind in the process of technology adoption and business reinvention. Only recently has the public sector come to recognize the potential importance of ICT and e-business models as a means of improving the quality and responsiveness of the services they provide to their citizens, expanding the reach and accessibility of their services and public infrastructure and allowing citizens to experience a faster and more transparent form of access to government services. The initiatives of government agencies and departments to use ICT tools and applications, Internet and mobile devices to support good governance, strengthen existing relationships and build new partnerships within civil society, are known as eGovernment initiatives. As with e-commerce, eGovernment represents the introduction of a great wave of technological innovation as well as government reinvention. It represents a tremendous impetus to move forward in the 21 st century with higher quality, cost effective government services and a better relationship between citizens and government (Fang, 2002). Many government agencies in developed countries have taken progressive steps toward the web and ICT use, adding coherence to all local activities on the Internet, widening local access and skills, opening up interactive services for local debates, and increasing the participation of citizens on promotion and management …

Evaluating the Developmental Impact of E-Governance Initiatives: An Exploratory Framework

Abstract: India is faced with a large number of challenges that are typical of developing countries. The Indian government has for the past 3 decades widely acknowledged that expanded use of ICT in the public sector can offer important benefits such as improved planning and monitoring mechanisms, cost savings through rationalisation, and more effective administration and delivery of certain public services. Today, wide ranges of e-governance projects are being implemented in different parts of the country including projects aimed at reaching areas and people that had traditionally not been connected to the outside world. This paper uses Sen?s notion of capabilities as an evaluative space for e-governance assessment. Such an emphasis demands a change in the way e-governance is assessed. The capabilities framework allows us to focus on the developmental impact of such projects. We base our evaluation on the FRIENDS and AKSHAYA e-governance projects in the South Indian state of Kerala.

The Effect of Online Community on Offline Community in Saudi Arabia

Abstract: There is a radical transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia. The Saudis are poised on the edge of a significant new social landscape. Called the Internet, this new frontier includes not only the creation of new forms of private communication, like electronic mail and chat, but also online public discussion areas, which for the first time enable communication between males and females in this gender-segregated society. This paper has been written as a result of a study conducted in Saudi Arabia during 2001 - 2002. The purpose of the study was to understand how online communities in Saudi Arabia are affecting offline communities. The results of the study indicate that participants, in addition to gaining self-confidence, became open-minded in their thinking, more aware of the personal characteristics of individuals within their society and less inhibited about the opposite gender. On the negative side, participants neglected their family commitments, became less shy and some became confused about some aspects of their culture and religion. After a brief introduction about the Internet in Saudi Arabia and its culture, the paper examines online communities in the literature. It then discusses the conceptual and methodological aspects of the study. This includes how data were collected and analysed. A discussion of the results of the study follows. Next, an examination of the findings in relation to the literature is provided. Finally, the conclusions drawn from this study are presented.

Integrating Indigenous Knowledge and GIS for Participatory Natural Resource Management: State‐of‐the‐Practice

Abstract: Experience has shown that development efforts that ignore indigenous knowledge (IK), local systems of knowledge, and the local environment generally fail to achieve their desired objectives. IK systems are becoming extinct because of rapidly changing natural and social environments. A Geographic Information System provides a framework to document and store indigenous knowledge meaningfully. Participation by the local community in development initiatives is critical for achieving sound natural resource management to utilize the full potential of IK systems. The main premise of this paper is to review the literature available on the approach of integrating indigenous knowledge with Geographic Information Systems as a way of promoting participatory natural resource management and giving opportunity to the local community to participate in development programs and decisionmaking both as contributors and as users of knowledge.

ICT, Power and Developmental Discourse: A Critical Analysis

Abstract: This paper uses critical discourse analysis to demonstrate how information and communications technology (ICT) has become deeply involved in the conception and practice of socio-economic development within so-called less-developed countries (LDCs). A recent speech on ICT by the president of the World Bank Group is examined, which shows the role of the discourse surrounding such technologies in replicating and extending a markedly North American worldview into the developmental sphere. The ability of critical discourse analysis to expose the involvement of ICT in normalising a dominant set of political and economic assumptions confirms its usefulness as a tool within which to approach the critical study of information systems.

Negotiating Multiple Rationalities in the Process of Integrating the Information Systems of Disease Specific Health Programmes

Abstract: The topic of this paper is the integration of different information systems, and in our case study we analyse information systems in the Mozambican health care sector. The context is a health care sector reform that involves the integration of separate, stand-alone, or so-called vertical health programmes. These programmes are usually disease-specific, i.e. targeted towards malaria, HIV/AIDS, or other major diseases. The reporting and monitoring systems for the activities within these programmes are organised differently, in terms of which data elements are collected, to whom and how frequently they are reported etc., but in general they are all paper-based, at least at the peripheral level. The multitude of different systems places an unnecessary high workload on the health care personnel who do the initial data collection. However, the practical challenges related to the integration of the diverse information systems have not yet been the focus for the decision makers. Our aim with this paper is to describe some of the differences between the systems. Our claim is that these differences are not arbitrary. On the contrary, they may be significant indicators of different realities and different interests. Integration of these systems will thus not be a purely technical or practical issue, but will entail a political negotiation of interests. We employ the notions of multiple rationalities as a theoretical tool to discuss this issue. In particular we find tensions between rationalities ‘on the ground’, i.e. in the health care facilities, and ‘on the top’, among the policy makers, the government and the donor organisations.

Technology Leapfrogging in Thailand: Issues for the Support of eCommerce Infrastructure

Abstract: We look at the difficulties and benefits of the implementation of newest technology in Thailand by the method of leapfrogging. In the investigation we find that a variety of issues influence the uptake of a new technology; namely the extent of the cultural shift, Government support and initiatives and the take up of these initiatives by the education and private sector in terms of RD that is, telecommunications, Internet penetration & development, and technology Parks. We conclude with a recommendation to initiate a study of Information Technology education take-up in universities to support technology leapfrogging initiatives implemented by the Thai Government, identifying a number of questions that need to be addressed. Further, a strategy to encourage small communities and businesses through community education programs is suggested, including a pilot project recommendation to test the successful implementation of this strategy in a community in Chiang Mai Thailand, that would also document the issues identified, including Government and cultural impacts, in order to establish a model that could be replicated and implemented in communities at large throughout developing countries.

Ict and productivity of the manufacturing industries in iran

Abstract: This paper extends the existing evidence on the relationship between Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and productivity using data from the entire Iranian manufacturing sector (22 industries) over the period 1993?1999. Estimates of efficiency using panel data confirm the positive and significant impact of ICT investments on productivity. Our finding is consistent with the most recent literatures in the context of developed and a few middle-income developing countries. Human capital and increasing ICT capital are probably two determining factors in gaining the positive payoffs from ICT investments in Iran.

Evaluating Information Technology Investments in Developing Economies Using Activity-Based Costing

Abstract: Many firms in emerging economies invest in information technology primarily with the objective of protecting their cost advantages. This paper presents a framework for evaluating information technology investments by integrating the value chain model with activity-based costing. The proposed four-step approach is illustrated with a numerical example of a hypothetical manufacturing company seeking improvements in its cost structure.

An Electronic Commerce Initiative in Regional Sri Lanka: The Vision for the Central Province Electronic Commerce Portal

Abstract: This paper presents the findings from the first stage of a preliminary study which assessed the potential for an electronic commerce portal in Sri Lanka?s Central Province. Sri Lanka is an island state of contrasts in terms of its electronic commerce and overall ICT capability. In the Capital of Colombo, ICT and electronic commerce capability are relatively sophisticated while in regional Sri Lanka even the most basic ICT infrastructure is almost non-existent and/or non-reliable. The proposed electronic commerce portal in Central Province is well aligned with the key strategic objectives of the E-Sri Lanka Initiative. The portal will be a resource enabler and facilitator for the adoption of electronic commerce by SMEs and MEs. It is also envisaged that the portal will facilitate the development of regional ICT capability as well as providing significant benefits to general community. This paper concludes with an outline of the infrastructure and implementation plan for the proposed electronic commerce portal in Central Province.

Challenges to information systems implementation and organisational change management : insights from the health sector in Ecuador

Abstract: Major challenges remain in Latin American countries experiencing Healthcare Reform. Among these challenges, the implementation of decentralised organisation and management seems to be a central problem. Besides top-down, prescribed initiatives for reorganisation such as decentralised organisational structures, the organisational challenge of implementing information systems and strengthening the management capacity of district health providers and district health authorities remains neglected, or at least undervalued. The objective of this paper is to illustrate a substantive process theory of IS implementation, situated within the context of a case study. The case study is based on a national information systems initiative to support the decentralisation and modernisation of management functions in health districts of the Ministry of Public Health in Ecuador.

Adoption of electronic commerce by organizations in India : strategic and environmental imperatives

Abstract: In recent years many developing nations have been exposed to significant external changes such as economic deregulation and globalization. Evidence suggests that this has resulted in the adoption of EC by organizations in these countries. It is important to understand the strategic and environmental imperatives for EC adoption. Such understanding is required for anticipating necessary changes in EC adoption, to keep in tune with the impending and emerging changes in the environment. It is also needed for formulating business strategies in alignment with the organization?s IS strategies and IT capabilities, and for addressing managerial challenges in EC adoption. This paper is based on a study of EC adoption in eighteen companies from eleven industries in India. It is aimed at examining the different factors, related to strategic and environmental imperatives, which lead to the adoption of EC by organizations in developing countries. The results, based on interviews with close to a hundred people in these organizations indicate that there are broadly three conditions under which an organization adopts EC. These are related to the external environment, organizational performance and specific internal management compulsions. Each of these conditions describes a specific aspect of EC adoption and leads to imperatives for changes in processes and products. These imperatives in turn, result in the adoption of EC in different critical organizational processes. This study is one of the first detailed empirical studies on EC adoption in Indian organizations.

The Role of Information Technology Policies in Promoting Social and Economic Development: The Case of the State of Andhra Pradesh, India

Abstract: An examination of the information technology policies of the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, from 1994 to 2002, reveals the promotion of the three sectors of the information technology industry, technical higher education institutions, and electronic government to attain economic and social development. These three sectors have contributed towards generating and increasing employment and technical education opportunities, and ushered in efficient government services. However, diverse social groups in the state with different levels of skills, access, and education cannot benefit equally from these sectors. Therefore future information technology policies, and the development goals of the state itself, need to be reconstructed and redesigned to generate broader inclusion and participation of underprivileged social groups.

Software Outsourcing in Vietnam: A Case Study of a Locally Operating Pioneer

Abstract: This paper explores the following question of key interest to researchers and practitioners concerned with offshore IS outsourcing in developing countries: How are potential offshore partners operating in developing nations to mature to be considered more attractive to suitors? Indeed, for firms located in what Carmel (2003) refers to as Tier Four, or less developed IS producing and exporting nations, an advancement to become a strategic partner challenges conventional wisdom and theoretical expectations. However our work has identified a firm that has become a strategic partner despite being headquartered in a Tier Four country. In exploring this question and examining our exemplar firm, the paper makes three key contributions: First, the contemporary context for offshore outsourcing in a Tier Four nation (Vietnam) is explored, illustrating the nation's advantages as well as key challenges that limit expansion. Second, against this backdrop we offer a case study of a successful strategic partner that has emerged despite being headquartered in a Tier Four nation. A theory-grounded analysis of the firm, Glass Egg Digital Media, provides a lens for identifying success factors that enable firms in developing nations to emerge as strategic technology outsourcing partners. Finally, we end by exploring how existing models for considering firm attitudes toward offshore outsourcing can be expanded and we highlight potential areas for future research. Our work demonstrates the important interplay of firm, industry, and national factors in enabling a firm operating in a Tier-Four nation to make the leap to strategic partner.

Software Export Strategies for Developing Countries: A Caribbean Perspective

Abstract: The globalization of the software industry is seen to be driven in part by skill shortages in industrialised economies, the movement of software development practices away from centralised to more distributed modes and the spread of information and communication technologies to less developed economies, where skilled labour is available at lower costs. As such, a software export industry is sometimes seen as a means by which some non-industrialised countries can create competitive advantage. While many studies have explored the software-exporting strategies used by the more successful of these countries, little research has been done in other locations that lack some of the basic resources deemed necessary for success in this area. This paper describes two Caribbean software-outsourcing ventures in order to explore possible software-export strategies available within such atypical contexts. The role of government and degree of integration of the software outsourcer into the local context are found to feature significantly.

ICT Clusters as a Way to Materialize a National System of Innovation: Malaysia's Multimedia Super Corridor Flagships

Abstract: Developing countries have realised the need to develop the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector to compete in an environment of increasing globalisation and also the emergence of the knowledge based economy. But given the limited resources, one approach seems to be popular among many countries is the ?cluster? based approach for industrial development This paper seeks to highlight one such effort viz. Malaysia?s Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) Cluster with its Flagships approach. The MSC is presented in the paper as a physical manifestation of the NSI, to illustrate how a policy driven - cluster based regional development approach has helped to further national innovative performance and competitiveness.

Communication practices as functions, rituals and symbols: challenges for computerization of paper-based information systems

Abstract: Communication within organizations is more than functional transmission of information between different actors. Communication practices are also composed of ritualistic and symbolic aspects, together building a relation between context and practice. This paper discusses communication practices within and among different levels of the health information system in Mozambique and efforts to implement ICTs to support these paper-based practices. The analysis builds on a case study, based on participatory observations and interviews revealing these different aspects of communication practice. Applying our analytical lens, we describe the ongoing communication practice as shaping and shaped by the context.

Trends of convergence and divergence in the information economy: lessons for developing countries

Abstract: Over the last decade, uneven developments and growth in information, communication and technology (ICT) infrastructure, human capital and innovation in the developed and developing countries have led to uneven competitive position across these economies. In this paper, we examine the trends pertaining to the above-mentioned indicators for selected developed and developing countries. Results from the empirical analysis showed countries that have invested heavily into ICT infrastructure, human capital and innovation tend to have higher productivity levels. The empirical evidence also showed that the gap between the developed and developing countries have increased over the seven years from 1995 to 2001. This study also examined the type of policies pertaining to the above-mentioned factors in the more developed and highly competitive economies. Results from this empirical analysis will serve as lessons for developing countries to catch-up with the more evolved economies.

A Framework for MIS Curriculum Interdisciplinarity: A Vietnamese University Case

Abstract: The traditional approach to Management Information Systems (MIS) curricula development is technology-oriented, but MIS in nature is interdisciplinary. Interdisciplinary programs can be rewarding for faculty as they can expand research and teaching capabilities into new areas. Students find that such programs also enrich the curriculum. However, the cost and the hurdles for developing interdisciplinary courses and curricula are substantial. A systems approach to building an interdisciplinary MIS curriculum is needed. We use Heinz Heckhousen?s six-level framework to understand MIS as an interdisciplinary field and propose implementation strategies for creating an interdisciplinary MIS curriculum. Finally, a case of MIS curriculum development using the proposed framework and implementation strategies at a Vietnamese university is analyzed.

Can E-Marketplaces Bridge the Digital Divide? An Analysis of Two Western Australian Cases

Abstract: In Australia, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly rural SMEs, are perceived as being on the wrong side of the digital divide. Government at local and state levels has taken a leading role in the development of electronic marketplaces with an aim of improving SME participation. Many government departments now either own or sponsor electronic marketplaces. The aims of government agencies in creating e-marketplaces are often motivated by regional economic development issues. Whilst government entities may think e-marketplaces are an effective channel for implementing government policy, a number of complications can arise from this model. Despite the community development motivation, a major argument for e-marketplace development being put forward is the economic one and this has contributed to a narrow view of the e-marketplace concept and one, which for the time being at least, is likely to restrict its impact. Government sponsored e-marketplaces should consider the value of on-line business networks to share knowledge and potentially increase levels of innovation. The findings have implications for government sponsored e-marketplace initiatives around the world.

Global IT Expenditure Growth: An Empirical Investigation Across Some Developing Nations

Abstract: Information technology (IT) expenditures in different developing nations of the world have been impressive but controversial lately. Research is needed to know how IT expenditures are growing in these nations. Do stages of IT development or price drops in IT infrastructure influence such growth? We intend to explore these issues with various growth models, using data from 14 nations (constrained by data availability) over a period of time. Our preliminary results show that previous IT expenditure growth models can be improved by including the impact of price and that a price drop in IT keeps the growth unabated. Preliminary evidence also suggests that developing nations are benefiting from a price drop.

A Conceptual Solution to eBusiness Models in Developing Countries: Post-Crisis Domestic Procurement Network to Facilitate Humanitarian Assistance

Abstract: E-business models vary between countries with different e-readiness; therefore developing countries should identify their own ways to do e-business. A developing country suffering from various crises may provide a niche market for doing e-business due to its specific demands. In many crisis-affected countries, demands for post-crisis humanitarian assistance are increasing and relevant domestic goods producers may become eligible suppliers for meeting such demands. However, there are missing links in the normal business cycle and these should be identified. This paper provides an analysis of demand and supply in a crisis-affected country in terms of post-crisis humanitarian assistance. It provides a conceptual solution to filling the gaps and strategic orientation towards implementation. Moreover, the conceptual solution suggested may have a fourfold effect on the countries? development.

Bridging the Digital Divide in Carribean Group Decision Making

Abstract: Caribbean organizations, like their counterparts in developed countries, engage in countless group decision meetings that require structuring mechanisms to help produce effective outcomes. However, no such meeting support was available to the breakout sessions at the January 2003 meeting of The United Nations information and communication technologies (UNICT) task force to discuss the digital divide as it affects Caribbean community and common market (CARICOM) countries. Whereas group support systems (GSS) have been widely discussed in the literature, there is no evidence of their use in the English-speaking Caribbean, a situation which may be classified as another instance of the digital divide. Against this backdrop, we examine the process of organizational decision-making within groups, the factors influencing group behaviors and interaction and the advantages and disadvantages of structuring mechanisms such as the technology-enabled GSS and the manual, nominal group technique (NGT). The paper concludes that it is desirable for Caribbean nations to acquire GSS technology to reap some of the benefits that other developing countries have experienced. However, despite its runner-up status (to GSS), NGT provides similar assistance to that offered by GSS, is implementation-friendly, inexpensive, and outperforms other manual techniques in creative decision-making; it is therefore a viable alternative for Caribbean nations struggling to bridge the digital divide.

The Role of Enterprise System Implementation in International Joint Venture Development: Exploring the Relationship

Abstract: In recent years, the rapid development in International Joint Ventures (IJV) has been a significant phenomenon under the global economy, especially in the developing countries. However, high failure rates and hence the huge investment risks make the promised advantages unpredictable. In this study, we explore the role of Enterprise System (ES) implementation in the journey of IJV development. We study the impacts of ES to IJV through a comparison study for their relationship that involves three scenarios: implementing ES prior to, parallel to, or after IJV operation. We then construct a generic framework for the optimal strategy based on findings from both ES and IJV literature. We also use a comparative case study approach to illustrate the value of this framework. We conclude our study with some discussions on possible extensions to innovation management as future research directions.