Mobile, Financial Inclusion and Development: A Critical Review of Academic Literature

With the flagship success of m-Pesa, mobile devices have become an important tool to facilitate financial inclusion of the previously unbanked population in developing countries. Attempts to provide a landscape of academic research findings from a critical perspective has been rather scant. To fill this gap, this study conducts a systematic review of 54 academic research papers vis-à-vis the nexus of mobile, financial inclusion and development. The result shows that the extant literature addresses three major clusters of topics including delivery, environmental factors, and impact of mobile financial services. Still in the nascent stage of research, the topics covered in the literature indicate a skewed balance towards delivery-related issues in a technology-oriented perspective rather than their linkages to financial inclusion and broader socioeconomic development. The choice of research methods also shows a limited variety and depth. This research contributes to understanding the current research on mobile financial services for financial inclusion in developing countries, and finding out research gaps for future study

Understanding challenges in the use of information systems in aid management: Cases of Southeast Asian countries

Since the endorsement of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness in 2005, increasing attention has been paid by the development community on the significance of effective aid management and coordination. Amidst growing interest towards how information and communication technologies (ICTs) can be utilized to promote aid effectiveness, ICT-enabled aid management initiatives have proliferated. As we recognize scant previous work on the use of ICT in international aid governance. This study investigates the use of information systems in aid management and the challenges in their sustainability in the particular focus on Southeast Asian countries. In addressing these questions, we employ international relations (IR) constructivist lens and examine cases from Cambodia, Thailand, Indonesia, Viet Nam, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines. We find that, while localization of aid effectiveness norm has taken place across the countries, there were contrasting results in terms of sustainability of national information systems in aid management. We address socio-technical factors and attempt to analyze norm diffusion and its localization dynamics at the state level

Communication distortions in reporting about the implementation of Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System in Malawi

The paper presents a critical analysis of media reports about the implementation of an ICT Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector regulatory system called Consolidated ICT Regulatory Management System (CIRMS). The study draws upon Habermas’ Theory of Communicative Action to analyse media reports on CIRMS implementation using the case of Malawi. The findings showed that there were potential benefits for implementing the CIRMS to address challenges of regulating the ICT sector including supporting billing, revenue collection and quality of ICT services. However, there were also communication distortions on CIRMS in the media that affected the processes and decisions of implementing the system that had wider implications beyond the ICT sector regulator. The study contributes towards literature on implementation of ICT sector regulatory systems in the context of developing countries

A conceptual view of ICT in a socio-constructivist classroom

The proliferation of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in the classroom has brought about exciting opportunities for understanding and reasoning about teaching and learning within a technology-empowered environment. This paper first places ICTs in the classroom within the context of Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D). It then proceeds to present a conceptualisation of a school classroom in the context of the social constructivism theory and thereafter, overlays the presence of ICTs in the classroom as a function of this conceptualisation. Social constructivism is a learning theory that views learning and human development from a social interaction point of view, underpinned by the cognitive framework under which learners learn. We argue that framing the presence of ICTs within the said conceptualisation will enable for a better understanding of the impact ICTs have in the development of learners’ cognitive activity within a classroom setup. Ultimately, as part of ongoing research and amongst other objectives, we aim to develop some insights and methodologies that could be used to positively influence mindsets around the use of ICTs in the classroom to transcend developmental boundaries

The use of mobile apps to enhance SMEs in conditions of uncertainty: A case study from Lagos, Nigeria

While many cities are beginning to experience mass discontent from tough and declining economies, small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos continue to survive despite existing mass discontent brought about by corruption, economic recessions, poor infrastructure, unemployment, poverty, and insurgency in Nigeria. This paper develops a conceptual model to make sense of how SMEs in Lagos use mobile apps as a means of survival in conditions of uncertainty. Underpinned by pragmatic philosophy, the paper draws on the theory of dynamic capabilities (DC) to develop the conceptual model. Whereas the theory of DC asserts that business could compete favourably despite unpredictable business environments through continuous sensing and seizing of opportunities, it also suggests that constructs for measuring DCs vary across contexts. The study adopted a qualitative approach to identify the absorptive, adaptive, and innovative capabilities used by SMEs in Lagos with a view to identifying the role of mobile apps. The key findings suggest that SMEs in Lagos manifest a higher degree of adaptive capabilities compared with their absorptive and innovative capabilities. Specifically, the SMEs are primarily information seekers with a flexible approach to opportunity seeking. The SMEs leverage on adaptive capabilities mainly through customer feedback and referrals, and manifest absorptive capabilities through repackaging and repricing of their offerings. The findings further reveal how SMEs primarily satisfice, and that there is a gap for better contextually appropriate apps that meet the needs of these SMEs. The paper makes a contribution to DC theory in identifying capabilities in conditions of uncertainty in an African and developing context

Review of Research on Culture and ICT: Insights from the Arab World

Most published research on information and communication technology (ICT) application has been in the context of advanced economies of the world, particularly western countries, viz. Europe and North America. Research on ICT impact on socio-economic development has been primarily focused on eastern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Relatively little research has been published on ICT in the Arab world. But better appreciation of the role of Arab culture on ICT use may help in providing guidance for more successful implementation of ICT in the future. To help ascertain this role we reviewed the literature between 2003 and 2016 focusing on ICT implementation in Arabic speaking countries

Social Capital in enabling quality healthcare: The case of a telemedicine project in Nepal

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can play a crucial role in meeting multifaceted developmental challenges such as providing access to quality healthcare in developing countries. Initiatives such as telemedicine have been vital in bringing healthcare to marginalized groups in remote areas of such countries. While the implementation and effects of telemedicine projects have been studied in the literature, the actual mechanisms and conditions that facilitate the process has seldom been addressed. In this paper, we present an interpretive case study of a telemedicine project in a remote mountainous region of Nepal. Our findings indicate that it was the action of a group of focal actors who leveraged a supportive social capital that resulted in successfully bringing in quality healthcare to marginalized groups in these remote villages. Our findings reveal social capital as a facilitating condition through which ICT can play a crucial role in meeting developmental challenges such as quality health care

Rumor Clarification, Digital Platform, and Stock Movement

Stock return is influenced by information release, dissemination, and acceptance. Rumor clarification is supposed to reduce asymmetric information and abnormal stock return. In this research, we extracted 4134 rumor-clarification pairs from 687,429 postings in social media, and quantified the language used in these messages, along with online firm behaviors, to study the effect of clarifications on stock returns. Our findings include (1) the digitalized rumor clarification messages affect the abnormal returns of the relevant stocks; (2) Such influence can be quantified and measured by the emotion polarity of rumor clarification; (3) Firm’s online clarification behaviors may have no influence on abnormal returns except for the total response number of rumor clarification for a listed company. In particular, investors prefer to trust the clarifications from the companies with frequent online interactive engagements

Quality of Life Explorer Prototype to Address Socio-economic Problems: A Design Science Approach

This study develops a visualization Proof of Concept that is aimed at improving the quality of life for the city in the South-Eastern part of US as a case study. Using design science research method, we create interactive visual maps called the quality of life explorer (QoLE) for improving the livelihood of residents of the city under study. We then used analytics techniques to customize the map and enhance its visualization and interactivity capabilities in a way that is simple to understand and use. Furthermore, the QoLE website has a built-in capability that allows report generation as well as increase interactivity of Map and data distribution tables. The outcome of this study will help the city authorities and residents to better visualize the data in a smarter and realistic way so that they can make informed decisions in redeveloping their city. More specifically, the study outcomes will help the City authorities and stakeholders integrate the disparate data into a centralized location for easy accessibility and use for decision making

The efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors in anaplastic lymphoma kinase-positive non-small cell lung cancer

Background Despite recent advances in treating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs), their role in ALK-positive NSCLC patients is unclear. We investigated the efficacy of ICIs in patients with ALK-positive NSCLC. Methods Between 2011 and 2018, a total of 14 ALK-positive NSCLC patients treated with ICIs were evaluated retrospectively. Clinicopathologic features including age, PD-L1 expression, and treatment outcomes were analyzed. RNA expression level and cytolytic activity by ALK positivity were analyzed using The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and National Cancer Center Research Institute (NCCRI) data sets. Results A total of 13 patients (92.9%) received ALK inhibitors. Patients received a median of three (range 2-8) courses of therapy. The study included nine patients (64.3%) who were PD-L1-high (>50%) and four (28.6%) who were PD-L1-low (<50%). The objective response rate was 14.3% (2/14). The median progression-free survival time was 2.18 months (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13 months-not reached [NR]). The median overall survival time was 5.67 months (95% CI 3.00 months-NR). RNA expression levels of CD274 were similar between the ALK-positive and negative groups in both TCGA and NCCRI datasets. RNA levels of CD8A in both TCGA and NCCRI data sets were nonsignificantly lower in the ALK-positive group. Cytolytic activity scores including interferon-gamma-related response were lower in the ALK-positive group in the NCCRI but not TCGA dataset. Conclusions Despite high PD-L1-positive rates, ICIs show limited efficacy in ALK-positive NSCLC. Decreased interferon-gamma-related response may underlie these findings.