The influence of community characteristics towards telecentres success

Telecentres are physical spaces that provide public access to information and communication technology particularly the Internet for educational, personal, social, and economic development. This paper will closely look into the characteristics of the community that influence the success of telecentres. Although there are a number of influential factors in regards to community characteristics, the emphasis will be on groups and networks factor. Survey was conducted to collect data from users regarding their use of telecentres. In the questionnaire, apart from the users’ profiles, items related to the groups and networks were also included.Sampling was done based on a population comprising of telecentres implemented by state governments, non-governmental organizations, and private sectors. The findings suggest that there are some indications showing certain self belonging, as consequences to the usages of telecentres, to a group and establishing networks which can contribute to the success of telecentres

Youth and telecentres in community building in rural Peninsular Malaysia

This paper aims to investigate the factors that affect telecentres in community building in the perspective of youth in rural Peninsular Malaysia. The perspective of youth on developing a model for telecentres in community building is important as: 1) youth are at the forefront of adoption of new technology, 2) youth as a group are the highest number of users of telecentres, and 3) youth are tasked with the responsibility of building up the community in the near future. This paper employed a cross-sectional survey method to achieve the study objectives. Data collected were from 313 youth randomly selected from the users of Medan Info Desa (MID) and Program Internet Desa (PID) telecentres in rural Peninsular Malaysia. The results of the Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analyses show that the proposed model explains 47% variability on the influence that telecentres have in community building from the point of view of youth. Furthermore, all independent variables including information, telecentre and community characteristics were significantly related to the influence telecentres have in community building; characteristics related to information form the more powerful predictor. Possible measures that the government and donor agencies can implement as implied from these findings are also discussed

Telecentre functionality in South Africa: re-enabling the community ICT access environment

Despite the availability and capabilities of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in low and middle-income countries, the use of these constantly evolving tools remains limited for the majority of resource-poor citizens. This is especially the case for internet-based tools. In South Africa, an upper middle-income country, the percentage of the population categorised as individual 'internet users' increased from 5.4 percent in 2000 to just 18.0 percent in 2010 (ITU, 2011). In order to overcome these low percentages, government intervention is frequently adopted, especially in rural areas, where it is not profitable for telecommunication operators to build infrastructure as a means to promote the uptake of internet use in poorer communities (USAASA, 2009: 47). In South Africa and elsewhere, government sponsored telecentres are a common non-profit mode of delivery, however there is much evidence of recurring problems (Gomez et al., 2012). Telecentres have many structural components (human, political and technical) which need to support each other in order to create a functional telecentre (Benjamin, 2001a; Heeks, 2002; Proenza, 2002). The failure of one or more of these components, as detailed by Roman & Colle (2002), Hulbert & Snyman (2007), and Parkinson (2005) can render telecentres non-functional. Such failures continue to plague the delivery of Public Access Computing (PAC) services in South Africa and elsewhere; and in the light of the growth of smartphones, it could be argued that telecentres are not a meaningful mode through which internet access can be delivered (Chigona et al., 2011; Gomez et al., 2012). However, ICT4D has lacked a robust theoretical base (Flor, 2012; Urquhart et al., 2008) and the literature has been dominated by a rather 'structuralist' and supply-side approach with less attention to individual agency and the demand-side. By considering how elements of agency and structure combine in relation to ICTs, the Choice Framework (CF) developed by Kleine (2010) is a step forward. This approach facilitates the analyses of people's varied ability to empower themselves and improve their quality of life (QoL). Using this Framework, this article analyses the operational experiences of telecentre provision of computer and internet access, alongside user experiences that reveal how telecentre and other structural issues interact with the characteristics of users and their various sets of resources. Based on this analysis, we suggest that PACs should remain a part of the ICT debate, although we question the business model that has come to dominate their operation.International Bibliography of Social Science

A Modified of the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) from Users' Perspective of Telecentre in Nigeria

Telecentres are physical space that provides public access to information and communication technology to some members of underserved communities. Recent studies have shown that the initiative is spreading among developing countries. A telecentre offers cost-effective means of bridging access to Computer and Internet. Identifying the factors that influence its acceptance represents a fundamental challenge to its successful implementation. Primarily, among numerous benefits of telecentres include digital literacy and employment generation. However, despite these benefits limited studies have been conducted to examine its acceptance in Nigeria. Moreover, it is doubtful whether prior information technology acceptance models can be effectively used to examine its acceptance. Questions also arise if there are other factors that influence its acceptance. The objective of this study was to determine the factors that influence the acceptance of telecentres based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and the Use of Technology (UTAUT). The proposed model of telecentre acceptance consists of nine latent variables, namely, seven exogenous variables and two endogenous variables. A total of 375 questionnaires were distributed through a survey to respondents in six telecentres located in the three zones in Nigeria, out of which 203 questionnaires were returned, representing 54% response rate. A Structural Equation Modelling was used to investigate the causal and moderating relationships between the latent variables. The results showed four core determinants of Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Management Effectiveness and Program Effectiveness significantly influence intention towards telecentre acceptance. Two core determinants, Behavioural Intention and Facilitating Conditions, were found to significantly determine User Acceptance. Gender, age and ethnicity were found to moderate the relationships between the latent variables. Based on the result obtained, a model of acceptance known as a modified UTAUT based telecentre model is proposed. The findings have implications both for future research and practice of telecentre development and implementation

The role of stakeholders and their relationships in the sustainability of telecentres

Purpose This paper aims to examine the role of stakeholders and their relationships in the sustainability of telecentres in Vietnam through the lens of stakeholder theory. Design/methodology/approach This study methodologically adopted a qualitative case study to identify stakeholders that have been involved in telecentres in Vietnam. It then categorizes those stakeholders’ salience through the lens of stakeholder identification and salience theory. Secondary data and interviews were used as data sources for the present paper. Findings The authors identify six main stakeholders that have been involved in telecentres, including the government, entrepreneurs, international donors, telecommunications providers, civil society organisations and individual community members/users. Among these stakeholders, the government, entrepreneurs and users belong to definitive stakeholders, which have the greatest impact on the sustainability of telecentres in comparison to other groups of stakeholders (e.g. dominant, dependent and dormant stakeholders). Moreover, the authors propose a model to identify the relationships of stakeholders towards the sustainability of telecentres. In particular, the authors indicate that each group of stakeholders has its own role in contributing to sustainable telecentres and they also influence others in either direct or indirect ways. Originality/value This study provides an additional approach for managers to make judgments in prioritizing the interests of some of their stakeholders while still maintaining a level of satisfaction among other stakeholders. For example, stakeholders that should be of the highest concern to the sustainability of telecentres are the government, entrepreneurs and users, while civil society organisations can be maintained in lower priority to other stakeholders. In addition, we propose the model of interactions and relationships of stakeholders, which can be seen as a starting point for a study on the roles of stakeholders in sustainability not only in telecentres, but also in other fields, such as digital transformation, cyber security and e-government.©2023 Emerald Publishing Limited. This manuscript version is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution–NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY–NC 4.0) license, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

The perspective of stakeholders regarding access to ICT in rural communities of uMgungundlovu District Municipality.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.Understanding stakeholders’ perspectives regarding access to information and communication technology (ICT) is a critical aspect of ICT for Development (ICT4D). The rural communities of uMgungundlovu District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa were studied to investigate the current means of accessing information using ICT; the factors that affect access to ICT in the rural communities; the literacy level and technological skills of local communities and the stakeholders. The challenges that have the potential to undermine the implementation of ICTs were also identified. The study used a sequential mixed methods design that entailed the collection of qualitative data subsequent to the quantitative data collection to address the research questions. A non-proportional stratified sampling technique to collect data from 61 stakeholders was utilised. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data from 26 councillors, 5 municipal managers, 5 corporate services mangers, and 5 ICT managers, while semi-structured interviews were used to collect qualitative data from 20 ward committee members. The quantitative data was analysed using SPSS statistical software and the qualitative data was analysed with thematic content analysis. The findings of the study from the rural stakeholders’ perspectives revealed that radio was used the most to access information followed by word-of-mouth, cellular phone, newspaper, community gatherings, while TV, letter writing and internet had the lowest usage. On the other hand municipal managers recognise the need for ICT for the economic advancement of the region, which requires the adoption of suitable ICT policies and their annual review. Furthermore municipal managers understood that current information on the municipality website and access to the municipality website were important. Almost all of the Ward committee members had knowledge of Community based digital hubs and all of them wanted the Community based digital hub (CBDH) to be established in their communities. The perspective of the committee Ward members on the technological and computer literacy levels of their respective communities shows an even distribution between the community members with knowledge of CBDH and those without. The communities are not trained to use communication tools but their perception on youth training with respect to the use of communication tools were significantly different, since some of the youths have undergone some level of computer training on account of the schools they attended. The greatest challenge to the establishment of community-based digital hubs (CBDH) was lack of availability of land, followed by lack of electricity, shortage of skilled people to manage the CBDH, maintenance of the structure, difficulty of permission to build the CBDH and comunal land conflicts. Recommendations based on the findings of the study are presented, while further research should focus on the factors and challenges that influence access to ICT in rural communities in South Africa from the perspectives of rural community members

An investigation on individual empowerment of telecentres users : A case study of three Pusat Internet Desa (PIDS) in Northern States of Malaysia

Community informatics is an area that focuses on the implementation and application of information technology in communities. Empowerment as an important concept used in assessing the impact of technology within organizations and communities. The potential of empowering the communities is through the development of telecentres that provide a platform for acquiring various skills and knowledge. Nevertheless, previous studies indicated various problems in engaging community when using the telecentre. In addition, most of these studies were concentrating on the operational aspects of the telecentre rather than the users. Thus, the objectives of this study are to describe how psychological empowerment constructs such as intrapersonal, interactional, and behavioural reflect empowerment of Pusat Internet Desa (PID) users and propose a telecentre users empowerment model. This study had applied the psychological empowerment (PE) theory introduced by Zimmerman in 1998 to examine the empowerment outcome of the telecentres implementation. The study was conducted using qualitative investigation of the multiple-case study of PIDs. Data was obtained from the users through openended questionnaires and face-to-face interview. Observation was also carried out on the users’ behaviours and PID activities, while documentation reviews were performed based on the PID annual reports and bulletins. Data analysis was done using interpretation technique. The findings reveal that all factors; perceived control, self-efficacy, competence, motivation, critical awareness, decision making skill, problem solving skill, and coping and participation; show positive feedback except for leadership skill. This indicates that telecentre establishments can help in empowering the rural community in Malaysia. In addition, it is confirmed that the Zimmerman empowerment theory can be applied in the information systems environment. This study contributes to the development of a telecentre user psychological empowerment model. Moreover, it also contributes to the information systems body of knowledge particularly in the area of community informatics as well as to the telecentre establishment policies

Developing smart ICT in rural communities in Malaysia through the establishment of telecenters

The adoption of information and communication technology (ICT) is among the primary agendas of the Malaysian government to raise the national economy and to transform its populace to be more technologically oriented. The rapid expansion of ICT in the process of rural development is evident both locally and globally. In line with national aspirations, the government addressed the challenge of ICT through a programme in which telecentres were set up in rural communities. The cyberworld was introduced to the countryside through telecentres which offered online facilities, world exposure and learning to the rural population with the aim of narrowing the digital gap between the rural and the urban folk. Studies have shown that urbanisation of rural areas through the setting up of telecentres produces a positive impact; there is holistic development that nurtures a technology-savvy generation. Hence, this study examines the impact of the telecentre programme on the development of rural areas through the implementation of Smart ICT

The use of multipurpose community telecentres and their services in Malawi: the case of Lupaso Community Telecentre

Telecentres aim to bridge digital divides between rural and urban communities. In many developing countries, like Malawi, the assumption is that once telecentres are established, people will adopt them. The purpose of the study was to examine the factors influencing the use of telecentres in rural areas of developing countries by means of a case study of Lupaso Community Telecentre, in a remote region of Malawi. Following the example of a study of public computing facilities in Cape Town (Chigona & Licker 2008), the study employed Rogers' Diffusion of Innovation (DOI) theory as a theoretical frame. Data were gathered through a mix of methodologies: questionnaires, interviews, observation, and records analysis. The study reveals that a large majority of users view the telecentre as an empowering project and are satisfied with its services. They perceive it to be improving human skills, helping the economy and strengthening the social capital of the surrounding community. However, it seems that the telecentre benefits only a small percentage of the community. Access is uneven. One surprising finding is that the centre's Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) are not the chief attraction. The factors that negatively impact on the use of the ICTs are lack of internet searching skills, frequent electricity blackouts, lack of local content, and fees charged. To fulfil their mission, it is recommended that telecentres in developing communities enhance their services with information literacy and literacy education programmes.DHE