Informal Savings and Credit Institutions in the Urban Areas: The Case of Cooperative Credit Unions

Less developed countries are usually characterized by a dualistic financial system: the formal and informal credit system. One form of the latter is the Cooperative Credit Union (CCU), which at present finds shelter in the private and government offices as well as in public markets. Analysis presented in this paper points to the fact that the ten sample CCUs have performed well without government subsidies. Without regulation, they are more likely to introduce more innovations. However, to successfully develop a cooperative, a concerted effort should be developed among leaders.informal financial sectors, credit unions, credit program, credit market, savings

VCU Media Lab

We propose the establishment of a VCU Media Lab – a professional creative media technology unit whose mission is to support the development, design, production and delivery of innovative media, multimedia, computer-based instruction, publications and tools in support of VCU education, research and marketing initiatives. This centrally administered, budgeted and resourced facility will acknowledge, refine, focus and expand media services that are currently being provided at VCU in a decentralized manner

Philanthropy of Community Instrument 2: Measuring and Valuation of Assets (PMVA).

This is one of several instruments which have been developed to deepen the practice of grantmakers, using the lens of philanthropy of community (PoC). It is useful for measurement and validation of community assets

Feasibility and Sustainability Model for Identity Management

National Identity projects and providing such identification to citizens in various countries around the globe has captured attention of late. Although the perceived benefits are numerous, nonetheless the challenges and bottlenecks for a successful rollout are many. The objective of this paper is to put forward the drivers and inhibitors for adopting a common identity management system across various organizations and to suggest a model for determining the feasibility and sustainability of such a system. The paper develops on TAM for proposing a model for identifying the drivers and inhibitors of managing such an identity management exercise. This paper highlights various factors affecting successful implementation of an identity management system and investigates the impact of these factors. The model suggested in this paper would allow organizations and policy makers to determine the critical factors for the implementation of an identity management system in large scale.

Exploring the democratic potential of online social networking: The scope and limitations of e-participation

Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Information Systems.The availability and promise of social networking technologies with their perceived open philosophy has increasingly inspired citizens around the world to participate in political activity on the Web. Recent examples range from opposing public policies, such as government funding cuts, to organizing revolutionary social movements, such as those in the Middle East and North Africa. Although online spaces create remarkable opportunities for various forms of political action, there are concerns over the power of existing institutions to control and even censor such interaction spaces. The objective of this article is to draw together different insights on the online engagement phenomenon, highlighting both its potential and limitations as a mechanism for fostering democratic debate and influencing policy making. We examine recent examples from Europe, the Middle East and Latin America. Finally, we summarize the implications of our work and outline directions for further research

Heinz Endowments 2009 Annual Report

Contains president's message, foundation history, 2009 grants list, financial summary, and list of board members and staff

Community and contribution: factors motivating students to participate in an extra-curricular learning activity and implications for learning

The human desire to join and participate in communities can be seen as an attempt to satisfy some of our universal human needs (Diener & Ryan, 2009; Maslow, 1954). The theory of communities of practice (Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998) been widely used to explain how and why humans participate in multiple communities, and a key requirement of a community of practice (CoP) is that members engage in ‘joint activities and discussions’. In the current age where social media tools have facilitated the exponential growth of online communities, the term CoP is often used to describe a group of people engaging in online discussion. In the context of online learning, the use of CoP theory can often lead to online discussion being interpreted as a joint activity. This paper argues that the concept of a joint activity as something other than online discussion has been neglected, and that while online discussion may account for the presence of an online community, evidence of joint activities beyond the simple discussion of ideas is required for the community to constitute a true CoP. Using activity theory, the authors investigated the factors motivating students on the Digital Design and Animation course at West Midlands University to participate in a non-formal learning activity involving the co-creation of a digital artifact. The authors believe that a greater understanding of the concept of joint activity, and of the link between co-creating an artifact and members’ shared emotional connection (McMillan & Chavis, 1986), has the potential to refocus our understanding and application of the theory of CoP in the networked era

ICT skills acquisition by older people: motivations for learning and barriers to progression

This paper reports findings from one strand of an extensive research project investigating digital engagement of older people and the risks to sustained usage of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The factors that motivate older people to learn about ICTs, the barriers they face in the learning process and with on-going ICT use are examined. Research methods included focus groups (28 ICT learners aged 50+); questionnaires and interviews with seven 50+ learners; three interviews with ICT tutors; and observation sessions in three different ICT learning and support environments in England and Scotland. Findings show that while learning to use ICTs to ease the mechanics of daily life (e.g. on-line shopping) was a motivating factor for some, the more powerful drivers tended to be those applications seen as enriching quality of life e.g. using ICTs to keeping in contact with family and friends and using ICTs in pursuit of passions and interests. The key barriers relate to fear of using a computer; learning suppo rt ; quality and provision of ICT training; cost of training and technology; memory problems, and technology barriers. Implications of these findings for service providers, ICT designers and policy makers are identified and discussed

Addressing the gender gap in federal law enforcement professions: The motivational attraction of women in computing

Nationwide, federal law enforcement agencies seek candidates with specialized skill sets and more advanced educational knowledge for employment. In view of this, it was proven, after much open source research into federal agencies\u27 qualification requirements, that those who possess a background in select areas, specifically computer science, have a better opportunity for employment with federal law enforcement agencies, particularly in the computing sector; although, in many cases, work experience can be substituted for a college degree [7]. For this reason, many women are not involved in, nor apply for, computing professions within federal law enforcement agencies. A significant step in encouraging women to pursue computing careers is to examine the reasons women, currently employed in federal law enforcement, have chosen a computer-related career path. Research that provides an analysis of the motivations that exist for women in becoming interested in computing professions, within federal law enforcement agencies, will help address the issue of equal representation for the underrepresented population of women in computing fields