Can Technology Facilitate Socio-economic Development? Evidence From A Micro-enterprise Context

Micro-enterprises have the potential to serve as the seedbed for economic development. Statistics reveal that in both developing countries and also within underserved regions in developed countries, these very small businesses are a ubiquitous form of business. Even if it is not the primary engine of growth, the micro-enterprise sector is very important for broad-based development, and for basic household economic survival. Yet many micro-enterprises are hindered from growing and functioning efficiently by an inability to use information technology effectively and traditional theories on technology adoption and use do not adequately explain the use of technology in the micro-enterprise context. In order to address this gap, this research investigated the effects of IT interventions in a micro-enterprise on development. This was carried out through an inductive analysis of qualitative data collected through action research methodology within an in-depth case study

Understanding the Impact of Information Technology in Nonprofits: Insights From a Multi-Case Analysis (Completed Research)

Nonprofits are key players in enabling information technology usage to support better livelihoods. Their activities offer non-profit earned income which in turn provides consistent cash flow to further the mission of the organization. However, the attainment and sustainability of such outcomes on a large scale are constrained due to a myriad of challenges, with one such being, that they may not have access to technology and/or the ability to develop technical capability. The goal of this study was to understand the impact of technology adoption and use through an action research approach in three nonprofit organizations in Western New York during a five-month timespan

An Approach to Building ICT Capabilities in Nonprofits

Over the years, the Digital Divide has focused primarily on the fear that specific groups of people will be left behind in an increasingly technical world. Less, however, has been said about the probability of an organizational digital divide, e.g., that nonprofits may not have access to developing technical capability. The fundamental belief is that nonprofits are at a disadvantage when it comes to adopting and maintaining current information technology systems due to a variety of challenges that they face. The goal of this study was to investigate and assess such adoption through a very systematic and contextualized approach. An action research methodology was used to investigate a nonprofit organization in Western New York during a five-month timespan. The contribution of this study is in applying a modified adaptation of the capabilities framework to understand the nature of the grass-root level impact within the nonprofit from the technology adoption and use

A LENS INTO INVESTIGATING PATIENT ENGAGEMENT USING HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Patient engagement and patient-provider communication is critical to improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. Most of the research in this area has focused on the adoption and use of health information technology from a provider’s point of view. There is hardly any research that puts the patient at the center of this issue. This paper places the patient at the center and discusses how health information technology tools may facilitate patient engagement. This is done by reviewing past research on patient engagement, and health information technology solutions. It then maps the issue of patient engagement to the Information Success model to provide a lens through which further research may be carried out to develop and evaluate technology solutions for improved patient engagement