Investigating the link between ICT intervention and human development using the capability approach: A case study of the computerised electricity management system

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was awarded by Brunel UniversityThere has been an increasing amount of investment in Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) interventions in developing countries under the premise of accelerating the process of social, economic and political development. These interventions are usually driven by the symbolic power of ICTs which signify progress and upon which the governments of developing countries try to draw to modernise the functioning of the state and to further enhance public service delivery to citizens. However, in this thesis it is argued that the actions and events that lead to the design and implementation of ICT4D tend to be politically motivated because ICT4D are simply interventions used by powerful actors and institutions to achieve their goals. These powerful actors include international donor agencies, politicians, top bureaucrats and private entities. In addition, it is argued that, due to these politically motivated agendas, ICT4D projects tend to be implemented in a top-down fashion and within an economic development perspective that appears to isolate the concerns of the country itself and the wellbeing of its citizens. In an attempt to try and redress social exclusion and imbalance, the capability approach drawn from the work of Amartya Sen (1999) stresses the enhancement of human capabilities and the moral aspects of development. Theoretically, the study is based on the key concepts of Sen’s Capability Approach. However, Lukes’s (1974) concepts of power are also drawn upon to address the limitation of the capability approach in addressing the concept of power. The research questions guiding this thesis are as follows: (1) How do the underlying motivations of different actors drive the design and implementation of ICT4D initiatives in developing countries? (2) How can researchers usefully conceptualise the relationship between ICT and development given the complexities in which ICT4D initiatives are undertaken? What conceptual framework could help theorise the complex relationship between ICT and development? Epistemologically, the study was conducted by following an interpretive research approach. The research was carried out in two states of Nigeria, Abuja and Plateau, and took place during the period of 2010-2011. The case-study centres on the initiation and implementation of the Computerised Electricity Management System (CEMS). Empirically, data collection techniques include 65 individual interviews, field observations and document analysis. The following are key findings of this thesis: ICT4D interventions are a complex process shaped at two levels. At the international level, they are shaped by donor agendas such as privatisation, and at the national or local level they are shaped by political and private interests. These agendas and interest are driven by powerful actors such as international donor agencies that often impose such interventions as a condition of aid, politicians who often use such interventions as campaign tools, and other top public and private actors who often use such interventions for personal gain. Hence, the beneficiaries of these projects usually have no say in the design of ICT4D projects but are rather forced to accept these interventions. Corruption is a major obstacle that hinders the expected ICT4D contributions in terms of individual opportunities and freedoms of living better lives inscribed in ICT4D interventions. Corruption exists as a “network” involving different actors present at three levels of ICT4D projects, namely the design, implementation and usage stages. Viewed from this perspective, the findings of this study show that international donor agencies, politicians, public bureaucrats and private entities are equally responsible for promoting corrupt practices in the context of ICT4D interventions. Theoretically, this thesis progresses the operationalisation of the capability approach (CA) by encapsulating the central aspect of the approach and Lukes’s (1974) concept of power. This is an innovative way of operationalising the capability approach by addressing its limitations in explaining the notion of power; the study thereby contributes to the field of IS using the capability approach and expanding the scope of theoretical analysis of contemporary ICT4D studies. Practically, to make the relationship between ICT and development more effective in meeting broader development goals, it is necessary for government policies to move beyond the mere provision of technology to also concentrate on the cultural, institutional, social and political aspects in ensuring the effective use of ICT resources, which should serve to improve people’s opportunity to participate more in social, political and economic activities

An Evaluation of Information Systems Students Internship Programs in Developing Countries: A Capability Perspective

In this paper Sen’s notion of capabilities served as a theoretical lens for assessing the effectiveness of internship programs for IS students and their contributions to human development. We use the key elements of the capability approach to focus on the developmental impact. We based our evaluation on IS students industrial work scheme in Nigeria. Our analysis shows that, even though the scheme has been designed to provide better opportunities for students in terms of practical education and employment, the lack of conversion factors makes the program contextually problematic. The study concludes with some recommendations for policy makers advancing an agenda for the improvement of IS education and internships programs for students in tertiary institutions

Assessing eLearning systems success in Nigeria: an application of the DeLone and McLean Information Systems Success Model

Aim/Purpose: This study is based on the DeLone and McLean's Information Systems Success (D & M ISS) model, which was modified to determine the success factors re-sponsible for the acceptance of an e-learning system called Canvas by students of a Nigerian University. Background: The adoption of eLearning has been under studied within the context of devel-oping countries. There have been calls in the literature for further research from a developing country perspective. This study attempts to fill this knowledge gap by investigating the factors responsible for students' adoption of eLearning in a Nigerian University. Methodology: The study was built on the premise that system quality (SQ), service quality (ServQ) and information quality (IQ) are determinants of behavioral intention to use Canvas and user satisfaction of Canvas, both of which in turn influence the actual usage of Canvas. Responses from 366 students were analyzed with AMOS 22 using structural equation model (SEM) to test the relationships be-tween the constructs of the proposed model. Contribution: The study contributes to the research gap about the paucity of studies in the adoption of eLearning in developing countries that have placed emphasis on the use of eLearning systems or on the software quality attributes of the sys-tems under investigation. Findings: The results partially supported the effect of the quality antecedents on behav-ioral intention and user satisfaction of students. There was full support for the relationship between behavioral intention and user satisfaction of students on their actual usage of Canvas. Recommendations for Practitioners: The level of significance of the constructs identified in the study will guide the formulation of strategies and methods that could further enhance the adoption of eLearning systems in developing countries, specifically Nigeria. Recommendation for Researchers: Theoretically, the study contributes to the body of knowledge on eLearning adoption by empirically validating the DeLone and McLean model in a different context, specifically sub-Saharan Africa. Future Research: Future research could investigate the factors that influence instructors' behav-ioral intentions to use eLearning applications and also the effect that the in-structors have on students' adoption of eLearning

Empowerment in their hands: use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are reported to hold a lot of promise for sustainable development, poverty reduction and the empowerment of marginalized groups, such as women and minorities in developing countries. This paper discusses the relationship between women’s empowerment and ICTs, by investigating the promise of empowerment associated with the use of WhatsApp by women in Nigeria. It draws upon Sen’s Capability Approach (CA) to explore some implications of the use of WhatsApp mobile application on human development. We employed Sen's five instrumental freedoms to evaluate how WhatsApp has empowered women by concentrating on the opportunities provided for expanding their freedom to participate in social, economic and political activities. Our analysis shows that WhatsApp can contribute to the empowerment of women by enabling their freedoms to participate in developmental activities; however some contextual factors impede the ability of the women to take full advantage of these developmental opportunities that WhatsApp offers. The paper concludes with some implications for policymakers advancing an agenda for "ICTs for Development”

Evaluating the Effect of ICTs on Development Using the Capability Approach: The case of the Nigerian Pre-paid Electricity Billing

In recent years, there has been vast investment on ICT initiatives in developing countries for social, economic and political development. Yet, the impact of these investments on development is difficult to determine. The reason for this is partly because “development” itself is an extremely debated notion, and a clear engagement with it demands a familiarity with the development theories, as well as willingness to engage explicitly with other research disciplines (Walsham & Thompson, 2010); or partly due to a lack of assessment guidance (Bhatnagar & Singh, 2010)

ICT AND EMPOWERMENT TO PARTICIPATE: A CAPABILITY APPROACH

Under which conditions can ICT4D initiatives empower poor communities of developing countries? In thispaper we evaluate the promise of development associated with the introduction of an ICT initiative in Nigeria.We employ the basic concepts of the Sen’s capability approach to understand how the introduction of prepaidelectricity billing system has empowered people to participate in accessing electricity supply. Our analysisillustrates that various activities resulting from the introduction of the system allow for the participation of bothconsumers and electricity workers, and in order for them to be empowered to participate in each of the activities,different resources are required. We conclude with some implications for policy makers advancing an agendafor ‘ICTs for Development’

The Impact of ICT Investments on Development Using the Capability Approach: The case of the Nigerian Pre-paid Electricity Billing System

Most existing ICT for development (ICT4D) literature tends to focus mainly on design, transfer and implementation issues. There is limited focus on the impact of ICT projects on development and little concrete analysis of these initiatives in terms of their long-term developmental impact. In this paper, we use Sen’s notion of capabilities as an evaluative space for ICT project assessment. We employed the freedom concepts of the capability approach to focus on the developmental impact of such projects. We based our evaluation on the Pre-paid Electricity Billing system in Nigeria. Our analysis shows that the pre-paid system failed to fully achieve its developmental potentials. The study concludes with some implications for policy makers advancing an agenda for” ICTs for Development.

Emergency Online Teaching and Learning in a Nigerian Private University: An Activity Theory Perspective

The purpose of this study is to investigate the challenges of emergency online teaching and learning adopted in a Nigerian private university due to the suspension of face-to- face learning, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Activity theory was used to examine the elements that make up the activity, that is, the virtual learning environment, as well as their associated relationships in order to reveal existing and potential tensions within the activity. Data used for the analysis of this case study was obtained by observation of the online class sessions, student responses to an online survey, emails (requesting support) received by the instructional technology support team, and interviews with participants of the activity system. The findings show that majority of the challenges and contradictions observed were a result of a hurried decision to migrate to online learning in order to complete the academic semester. This brought about several issues with regards to the tools, rules, and roles within the activity system. The most significant contradiction observed was as a result of the influence of an external activity on the studied activity system. The study provides insights to policymakers in the education sector on the current barriers to online learning, especially in the Nigerian context

The Contribution of ICTs to Women Empowerment: A Capability Perspective

This paper examines the developmental impact of ICTs on African society by concentrating on the use of WhatsApp; a mobile social media platform. Specifically, we investigate the promise of empowerment associated with the use of WhatsApp by Women in the remote city of Kano, Nigeria. We employed the five instrumental freedoms of the capability approach to evaluate how WhatsApp has empowered women by concentrating on the opportunities provided for expanding their freedoms to participate in social, economic and political activities. Our analysis shows that WhatsApp can contribute to the empowerment of women by enabling their freedoms to participate in developmental activities, however some contextual factors impede the ability of the women to take full advantage of these developmental opportunities WhatsApp offers. The paper concludes with some implications for policy makers advancing an agenda for “ICTs for Development”

Social networking for membership engagement in nonprofit organisations: a trade union study

Similar to the majority of public authorities internationally, many non-profit organisations are considering using Web 2.0tools to establish online interactions with their members. However, such organisations encounter practical difficulties withassessing the impact of Web 2.0 tools and aligning them with the expectations of their audience. The limited availability ofrelevant empirical work provides the motivation to reflect on the findings of a research survey conducted with the membersof a Greek trade union organisation. Guided by the survey results, union officials are able to better consider an onlineengagement strategy. For example, contrasting preliminary expectations, most union members did anticipate benefits fromthe union’s presence on Facebook and appeared willing not to draw fixed boundaries between their personal and workinglife. The study illustrates how research and continuous monitoring can contribute to realising the value of networkingtechnologies within the naturally complicated socio-political environment of such organisations