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Digital Development for Low-hanging Fruits? Exploring the Root Causes of Digital Exclusion in ICT4D
No full textDigital development, or ICT for development (ICT4D), promises to employ digital technologies in pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, at the same time, the use of technologies in development often excludes vulnerable groups and thereby increases social inequalities, which undermines one of the SDGs\u27 most central principles. In light of this paradox, this paper explores some of the core drivers leading to exclusion in digital development. While much of the existing research on digital inequalities focuses on user-side barriers, this study shifts attention to structural issues on the supply side. Through expert interviews with digital development professionals, this study explores the assumptions, perceptions and priorities that shape how digital development projects are conceived and designed. The findings reveal a number of structural fallacies that drive exclusion in digital development, such as a tech-first mindset, favouring novelty over accessibility, a focus on scale rather than equity, and selective awareness. These dynamics illustrate that digital exclusion is not an incidental outcome but an embedded feature of decision-making processes in digital development
The Beneficial Role of Farmers\u27 Digital Economy Participation in Reducing Chemical Fertilizer Use: Evidence from China
No full textIn the pursuit of sustainable agricultural development, reducing the use of chemical fertilizer has become a central goal. In China, the excessive use of chemical fertilizers by farmers is largely driven by information asymmetries and cognitive biases. The digital economy, with its facilitation of the dissemination of information and technological support, is increasingly regarded as a key tool for promoting agricultural green development. This study uses an endogenous switching regression model and a spatial econometric model to rigorously evaluate the impact of farmers\u27 digital economy participation on their chemical fertilizer usage. Our results show that farmers\u27 engagement in the digital economy significantly contributes to chemical fertilizer usage reduction, mediated through three primary channels: adopting advanced fertilization techniques, heightening environmental awareness, and enhancing fertilizer management through social supervision. Moreover, our analysis reveals notable spatial spillover effects of farmers’ digital economy participation at both village and township levels
The DX4D Illusion: Results from a Stakeholder Survey on Digital Transformation for Development
No full textDigital transformation is a buzz term in the development sector, but we have heard little or nothing as yet from individual stakeholders. This paper provides an original contribution by presenting results from a survey and workshop held with a range of digital development stakeholders drawn from the government, NGOs, the private sector, international development agencies, and research organisations. Guided by debates and issues within existing literature, the survey asked about stakeholder understandings, views, and future research priorities regarding digital transformation for development (DX4D). It found mainly incremental interpretations of transformation when respondents were asked about DX4D definitions, examples, and challenges. That worldview is clearly out of sync with metamorphic meanings of transformation. Yet, when pushed, stakeholders could differentiate transformative from incremental applications of digital technologies in development, and we found some evidence of pressure to apply the label of transformation to non-transformational initiatives. At the same time, there was clear interest in more DX4D-related evidence and guidance, with a research agenda that includes best-practice guidelines, measurement of impact, and investigation of political economy
How Do Star Contributors Influence the Quality and Popularity of Artifacts in Online Collaboration Communities?
No full textOnline collaboration communities (OCCs) enable geographically distributed individuals, groups, and organizations to self-organize and contribute to community-owned artifacts. The significance of these artifacts has been underscored by recent advancements in large language models, which leverage community content for training sophisticated models across diverse domains, including productivity, healthcare, and education. This study investigates star contributors—individuals making disproportionately large contributions to focal OCC artifacts. Drawing on theories of collective action and strategic interactions, we hypothesize a curvilinear relationship between star contributors’ contributions and both artifact quality and popularity. Utilizing data from over 21,000 open-source software projects between 2015 and 2019, we find: (1) an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of star contributors and artifact quality, (2) an inverted U-shaped relationship between the number of star contributors and artifact popularity, (3) that a higher proportion of star contributors’ contributions enhances artifact quality but not popularity, and (4) that environmental dynamism moderates the relationship between the number of star contributors and both artifact quality and popularity. This research advances the conceptualization of star contributors, offering a more nuanced understanding aligned with the fluid boundaries of OCCs compared to traditional core-periphery models. A key implication is that while star contributors positively impact artifact quality and popularity, an excessive proportion of their contributions negatively affects artifact quality
Affordance-Based Pathway Model of Social Inclusion: A Case Study of Virtual Worlds and People With Lifelong Disability
No full textWhile technology can magnify existing inequalities by excluding marginalized groups in society, paradoxically, it can also serve as a means for them to move from isolation to inclusion. In this paper, we report a study illustrating how individuals belonging to one marginalized group—people with lifelong disabilities (PWLD)—used technology to navigate this path. Our study was part of an initiative by the Norwegian government exploring how PWLD can attain social inclusion (SI) through the use of virtual worlds (VW), specifically Second Life. Using a conceptualization of SI specific to PWLD, which consists of two interrelated domains—interpersonal relations and community participation—we trace how the actualization of affordances in VW enabled PWLD to achieve SI. This outcome was built upon the realization of five interrelated affordances: communicability, mobility, personalizability, engageability, and self-actualizability. Based on these insights, we demonstrate the role of VW affordances in achieving SI and propose a model titled the affordance-based pathway model of social inclusion. We contribute to the discourse on the theory of affordances by extending the role of facilitating conditions. Specifically, the outcomes achieved by the actualization of certain affordances can serve as facilitating conditions that support the perception and eventual actualization of other affordances
Bridging Systems Theory and Information Systems: A Framework for Designing Complex Information Systems
No full textInformation Systems (IS) is rooted in systems theory, which offers powerful concepts to address challenges of growing system complexity and non-systemic design approaches in information systems. Despite its systemic origins, systems theory remains a peripheral topic in IS. The study addresses this gap by introducing a comprehensive framework of 52 systems-theoretical concepts to guide the design of complex IS artifacts. We synthesize scattered systems knowledge from diverse disciplines to provide a unified level of abstraction for complex information system design. We apply the framework to a use case of business reputation systems to show how the systems lens informs the design of a novel, complex information system. We make three key contributions to the literature. First, the framework provides a common ground for interdisciplinary research in information system design. Second, it offers a unified level of abstraction grounded in systems theory that serves as a coherent basis for artifact design. Third, it demonstrates the potential of systems theory as a foundational justificatory knowledge base. Furthermore, we provide guidance on applying the framework across multiple modes of reasoning, alongside further application guidelines. The study thus serves as a bridge between the body of systems knowledge and contextual design in IS
Pathways to Empowerment: Cultivating Black Women’s Leadership in Information Systems Through Education, Access, and Inclusive Policy
No full textBlack women remain severely underrepresented in Information Systems (IS) education, practice, and leadership, reflecting the cumulative effects of intersecting structural, cultural, and individual barriers across the educational and professional pipeline. Despite IS’s socio-technical orientation and its potential alignment with values of social impact and organizational problem solving, Black women continue to be marginalized within the field, with consequences for equity, innovation, and decision-making. This paper presents a focused conceptual analysis that synthesizes interdisciplinary literature on underrepresentation in computing and applies the Individual Differences Theory of Gender and IT (IDTGIT) to the specific context of IS. Using an intersectional lens, we examine how environmental influences, individual identity factors, and individual influences interact to shape Black women’s pathways into, through, and beyond IS education and careers. Building on this analysis, we develop a theory-driven portfolio of IS-specific interventions spanning K–12 education, higher education, graduate pathways, and workplace advancement. These interventions address systemic access gaps, identity-based exclusion, and individual-level constraints, including skill development, confidence, and recognition. The paper contributes to IS scholarship by translating broader STEM findings into an IS-specific framework, operationalizing IDTGIT for intersectional analysis, and linking theory directly to actionable strategies. For IS educators, organizations, and policymakers, the proposed pathways offer coordinated, evidence-informed guidance for cultivating Black women’s participation and leadership in IS, strengthening the field’s socio-technical foundations and advancing inclusive innovation
AI in Ethiopia: Progress Analysis Technique and Recommendations for Implementing Sustainable Development
No full textThis study examines two artificial intelligence (AI) issues. First, we examine the sustainable development challenges and workarounds of AI and offer policy recommendations. We applied the “Strategy-as-Practice” framework and collected input from expert interviews and secondary sources. With this, we respond to three AI challenges: developing AI infrastructure and data management, developing an AI workforce and localized innovation, and building AI awareness and policy frameworks. Second, we propose a 2x3 framework that looks at the pros and cons of the three facets of AI—autonomy, learning, and inscrutability. This enables managers and policymakers to assess their institution’s or country’s AI progress, mapping what they are doing (pros) and what they are overlooking (cons) in the 2x3 framework. The study examines how these responses are shaped by the practices and involvement of both AI and non-AI practitioners. These insights contribute to the literature on Information Systems strategy, policy, responsible AI, and AI operationalization
Generative AI-Augmented Human Judgment: A Task-Technology Fit Perspective
No full textThis study examines how generative artificial intelligence can augment human judgment in assurance of learning assessments within business education, using the task-technology fit framework as a guiding lens. A case study in a college of business – where the Management Information Systems program served as a central unit in the assurance of learning cycle – compared generative artificial intelligence-driven evaluations of student writing with traditional faculty assessments. The results demonstrate that when mediated by human-based prompt engineering and moderated by human oversight, generative artificial intelligence markedly improves assessment efficiency and scoring consistency while providing more in-depth feedback without compromising evaluation accuracy. These findings indicate that generative artificial intelligence is most effective as a complement to rather than a replacement for human evaluators. The study extends task-technology fit theory to generative artificial intelligence-driven educational assessment and introduces a human-integrated, generative artificial intelligence-augmented theoretical model for assurance of learning assessments. In this model, human expertise acts as an iterative mediator (via prompt engineering) to strengthen task-technology alignment, while human oversight serves as a moderator ensuring contextual fidelity and output quality. Beyond its theoretical contribution, the study highlights practical implications for information systems educators and curriculum designers
Impact of Technological Resources, Capabilities and Contexts on Government Efficiency and e-Inclusion: An Analysis of Smart Cities
No full textLocal governments seek to create public value (PV). However, the increasing demand for public services due to the dynamism and complexity of cities has given rise to socio-technical problems, which have led to a re-evaluation of the application of technology to improve government efficiency (technology-based efficiency or Ef-GovT) and digital inclusion (e-INCL). This research aims to contribute to prior literature on public management by analysing how capabilities (CT), resources (RBT), and the technological context of the main urban actors -citizens and cities- impact Ef-GovT and e-INCL in smart cities (SC). In a study involving a sample of 264 SCs, different patterns (isomorphism) influencing Ef-GovT and e-INCL were identified, and the roles of RBTs, CTs, and contextual influences were validated. This research offers valuable practical implications for local governments by providing a model -MTP-R2CT- that facilitates ongoing evaluation of the efficacy of public policies about Ef-GovT and e-INCL, and ultimately, the generation of PV