Victor Mbarika

Towards a model of consumer use of mobile information and communication technology in LDCs: the case of sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract. Using theories of technology acceptance and technology transfer, we identified factors affecting the use of mobile information and communication technology (mobile ICT) in the least developed countries (LDCs), specifically sub‐Saharan Africa. From a literature review, we developed a research model to describe factors that impact mobile ICT use and formulated a series of hypotheses about them. We then surveyed mobile ICT users in Kenya and Nigeria and created a structural model to examine our hypothesized relationships. Our findings indicate that access to mobile ICT, and cultural influences on mobile ICT diffusion, strongly influence individuals’ perceptions of the usefulness and ease of use of mobile ICT. Individuals’ perceptions about the reliability of mobile ICT influence use of these technologies significantly. The results suggest that, although extensive ICT diffusion (high mobile ICT levels per capita) may be necessary for seeding commercial and economic initiatives that depend heavily on mobile ICT, such as m‐commerce, it may not be sufficient. Firms conducting business in sub‐Saharan Africa need to pay attention to the factors that explain individual mobile ICT use because these factors will most likely determine the optimal market segmentation, business development and customer service strategies for leveraging m‐commerce operations in that region. For government units, the understanding of such factors would also be beneficial in aiding economic planning and commerce.

Telemedicine diffusion in a developing Country:The case of India (march 2004)

Telemedicine (health-care delivery where physicians examine distant patients using telecommunications technologies) has been heralded as one of several possible solutions to some of the medical dilemmas that face many developing countries. In this study, we examine the current state of telemedicine in a developing country, India. Telemedicine has brought a plethora of benefits to the populace of India, especially those living in rural and remote areas (constituting about 70% of Indias population). We discuss three Indian telemedicine implementation cases, consolidate lessons learned from the cases, and culminate with potential researchable critical success factors that account for the growth and modest successes of telemedicine in India.

Electronic Medical Records: A Review Comparing the Challenges in Developed and Developing Countries

Studies on the adaptation of electronic medical and personal health records in developing countries are scarce. There are sharp differences between barriers to adaptation and implementation in developing countries to that of developed countries. This paper examines the challenges faced by developing countries toward the development, progression and sustainability of electronic medical records. The paper also provides a review of implementation of varying types of electronic medical data management systems in developing countries.

Information infrastructure, governance, and socio-economic development in developing countries

There is growing interest in the role and contribution of national information infrastructure (NII) to the quality of governance and the socio-economic development of nation states. In this paper, we use publicly available archival data to explore the relationships among NII, governance, and socio-economic development in developing countries. Results substantiate a significant relationship between NII and governance, and NII and socio-economic development. The findings suggest that NII have the capacity to contribute to country development, both directly (via impacts on socio-economic development) and indirectly (via its impacts on governance, which in turn influences socio-economic development).

Identification of factors that lead to perceived learning improvements for female students

Past research has shown that females have more negative attitudes toward engineering and technology than do males. These negative attitudes may explain the decreasing number of females choosing technical careers. Past studies have shown that a change in learning environments and the methods by which learning takes place might foster a change in this situation. A multimedia case study incorporating a real-world engineering and technical problem faced by a power plant was developed in order to provide a new learning environment for engineering and business students. This research investigates whether the use of this material by female and male students led to differences in perceived higher level cognitive skills and, if so, seeks to identify the factors that cause the difference. The results suggest that when designing new learning environments, it is important for the female students to be challenged and have opportunities both to learn by themselves and to learn from others. These results have implications for teaching programs, such as the provision of opportunities for group learning, especially for female students.

Rethinking Information and Communications Technology Policy Focus on Internet versus Teledensity Diffusion for Africa's Least Developed Countries

The digital divide between the West and Africa seems to be drawing closer for many northern and southern African countries in terms of information and communications technology. These countries are experiencing tremendous growth in use of computers, Internet connectivity, wireless communications and many other related technologies. However, the same is not true for Africas Least Developed Countries (LDCs) that are still greatly behind other regions of the world in terms of the level of basic telecommunications infrastructure such as teledensity (number of main telephone lines for every one hundred inhabitants). While it is true that Africas LDCs have some Internet presence, it seems to be limited only to the urban elite. These countries may therefore not be in the position to exploit most of the benefits the Internet can offer. This study suggests a sound teledensity infrastructure as the precursor to the diffusion of various information and communications technologies. Furthermore this study proposes a set of strategies that Africas LDCs should consider as steps to improve growth of their teledensity.

IT Education and Workforce Participation: A New Era for Women in Kenya?

While Sub-Saharan African women have historically assumed the roles of both housewives and subsistence farmers, they have had few opportunities to participate in the modern economies of the region. However, this trend is changing with the exponential growth of information and communications technologies (ICT), giving many Sub-Sahara African women access to computers, the Internet, and other related technologies. Based on the work of a four-member research team from Kenya and the United States, this article examines the integration of female college students into the formal ICT work sector in Kenya. We do so by examining major bottlenecks and enablers to such integration from historical and contemporary perspectives. Using an interpretive approach, we conducted 32 interviews with women in an ICT program offered by a university in Kenya. Our findings indicate that women were highly optimistic, embracing ICT as a practical mechanism for achieving entry into the labor market. However, they perceived significant structural barriers, such as public policies that failed to facilitate the development of the ICT sector, gender discrimination by employers, and training that provided them with insufficient technical skills to enable them to effectively perform in the workplace. These findings largely confirm the gendered perspectives found in similar studies conducted in other countries. However, what appear as global perspectives are informed by the local causes.

Growth of Teledensity in Least Developed Countries: Need for a Mitigated Euphoria

While having the lowest number of main telephone lines for every 100 inhabitants (teledensity) over the last decade, the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), have the highest average pre-tax operator profitability in the world. Many LDCs have already opened their terminal equipment markets to competition and some have also done this with data and value-added services. LDCs are greatly behind other regions of the world in terms of their levels of teledensity. This paper combines research from academic and major international organizational literature to examine and synthesize the current understanding of teledensity development in LDCs. The obstacles to growth of teledensity are discussed, and the importance and opportunities for growth of teledensity to solve priority problems and to realize sustainable development in LDCs are examined. Specifically, the framework and findings suggest that various policy, economical, financial, managerial, organizational, technological, political and geographical factors are important determinants for growth of teledensity in LDCs. While it is time for a mitigated euphoria vis-A -vis the poor state of teledensity in these countries, this study suggests a variety of strategies to advance teledensity in LDCs.

An empirical examination of antecedents and consequences of IT governance in US hospitals

Intense pressure to control costs and improve patient care quality is driving hospitals to increasingly look to information technology (IT) for solutions. As IT investment and IT capability have grown in hospitals, the need to manage IT resources aggressively has also increased. The rise in complexity and sophistication of the IT capability in hospitals has also increased the importance of IT governance in these organizations. Yet, there is limited empirical data about the antecedents and consequences of IT governance. We draw upon extant literature related to power and politics and capability management to propose, operationalize, and empirically examine a nomological model that explains and predicts IT governance and its ensuing impact on risk management and IT contribution to hospital performance. We empirically tests our hypotheses based on survey data gathered from 164 CIOs of US hospitals. The results have implications for hospitals’ readiness and predisposition for IT governance, as their structural and relational mechanisms can affect IT governance and, indirectly, IT value creation. A contribution of this study is that it is one of the first to empirically examine antecedents to IT governance and its impact on IT performance in a high-velocity environment that is riddled with technological turbulence.

Cyberspace across sub-Saharan Africa

Moving from technological desert toward emergent sustainable growth.