Design Theory for Societal Digital Transformation: The Case of Digital Global Health

2023 | Journal of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Braa, Jørn; Sahay, Sundeep; Monteiro, Eric

Abstract: With societal challenges, including but not limited to human development, equit ... Expand

Abstract: With societal challenges, including but not limited to human development, equity, social justice, and climate change, societal-level digital transformation (SDT) is of imminent relevance and theoretical interest. While building on local-level efforts, societal-level transformation is a nonlinear extension of the local level. Unfortunately, academic discourse on digital transformation has largely left SDT unaccounted for. Drawing on more than 25 years of intensive, interventionist research engagement with the digital transformation of public healthcare information management and delivery in more than 80 countries in the Global South, we contribute to theorizing SDT in the form of a design theory consisting of six interconnected design principles. These design principles articulate the interplay and tensions of accommodating over time increased diversity and flexibility in digital solutions, while simultaneously connecting local, national, and regional/ global efforts. inception in three townships in post-apartheid South Africa, different versions and configurations of the DHIS have been adopted by more than 80 countriesincluding all but two African countries south of the Sahara, Norway, and other "developed" countriesthrough the efforts of universities, ministries of health, international organizations, funding, and various other agencies. Its ambition highlights the concerns of equity, inclusiveness, and ideology-that is, making design "that matters" (Bødker & Kyng, 2018) for society.According to Markus and Rowe (2021), the study of SDT to date remains underresearched (cf. also Vial, 2019), despite its tremendous significance in the different facets of social life globally. This mirrors the general critique that Jørn Braa is a professor at the University of Oslo, Norway, where he has spent much of his professional career initiating, cultivating, and promoting interventionist research on and around the DHIS2/ HISP efforts. He is the "father" of the project. His work has been published in outlets including the MIS Quarterly, The Information Society, Information Technology for Development, and in books.Sundeep Sahay is a professor at the University of Oslo, Norway and for the last couple of decades has been engaged in the DHIS2/ HISP project, with a main focus on Asia in general and India in particular. His work has been published in outlets including MIS Quarterly, Information and Organization, Information Systems Research, and in books.Eric Monteiro is a professor at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and an adjunct professor at the University of Oslo. He has a long-term, low-intensity engagement with DHIS2/ HISP spanning more than two decades. His work has been published in outlets including MIS Quarterly, European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, and a recent book. Collapse

Topics: public good digital transformation digital innovation information management health information system

Methods: design theory synthesis theory development theoretical contribution longitudinal research

Crowdwork, digital liminality and the enactment of culturally recognised alternatives to Western precarity: beyond epistemological terra nullius

2022 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 6

Authors: Elbanna, Amany; Idowu, Ayomikun

Abstract: Research on crowdwork in developing countries considers it precarious. This repr ... Expand

Abstract: Research on crowdwork in developing countries considers it precarious. This reproduces its Western conceptualisation assuming that crowdworkers in developing countries imitate their Western counterparts, without close examination of their experiences and responses to work conditions. This study breaks this epistemological terra nullius to pursue an in-depth examination of workers’ lived experience in a developing country and provide a non-Western perspective. It questions how crowdworkers experience and respond to crowdwork and adopts an inductive approach in examining crowdworkers in Nigeria. Unlike the work precarity thesis, we find that crowdworkers in Nigeria transition and transform crowdwork into long-term employment, drawing on their own cultural heritage, social norms and traditions. Through the lens of the indigenous theory of liminality, we conceptualise crowdwork as liminal digital work and uncover three phases in this transformation process. The study concludes that the agency of workers, their culture and their own context play important roles in their experience of crowdwork. This demonstrates that the in-depth examination of the phenomenon in developing countries could destabilise the dominant knowledge, decoupling it from its origin of production and exposing and examining its implicit and explicit assumptions, and hence advance theorisation. Collapse

Topics: crowdsourcing WhatsApp platform worker IT work digital platform

Methods: qualitative interview qualitative coding theory development theoretical contribution triangulation

How the Structures Provided by Social Media Enable Collaborative Outcomes: A Study of Service Co-creation in Nonprofits

2022 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Namisango, Fatuma; Kang, Kyeong; Beydoun, Ghassan

Abstract: This paper explains how social media drives organization-public collaborative ou ... Expand

Abstract: This paper explains how social media drives organization-public collaborative outcomes such as social media-enabled service co-creation in non-profit organizations (nonprofits). We assume a technology affordances perspective to identify social media structures enacted through discovering functional affordances, managing constraints through privacy preferences, and constructing meaning and values, We explain how these structures relate to service co-creation. We surveyed 73 nonprofits on social media and collected 289 usable responses. We apply structural equation modeling to analyze the data. Our findings suggest that symbolic constructed meaning and values together with the organization’s privacy preferences on social media are positively related to socialization, visibility, and information sharing affordances. Unlike information sharing, socialization and visibility affordances are, in turn, positively related to service co-creation. This study advances our theoretical understanding of how social technology structures produce collaborative outcomes and offers practical insights into the cumulative value of social media. Collapse

Topics: social media participatory design affordance privacy information exchange

Methods: design methodology survey structural equation modeling theoretical contribution statistical hypothesis test

Theories: theory of affordance

Is Usage a Reflection of Usability?

2021 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Kyomuhangi-Manyindo, Eldred; Kiconco, Rebecca; Ayeni, Foluso; Mbarika, Victor

Abstract: In Ugandan public universities, the usage of learning management digital platfo ... Expand

Abstract: In Ugandan public universities, the usage of learning management digital platforms is low, and we conjecture that this could be a usability problem. Extant literature posits that the users, tasks, and environment analysis are key in designing and developing platforms from the inception stage to the final product launch. The integration of the above factors enables developers to ensure the usability of digital technology. We undertake a user contextual analysis of learning management digital platforms in Ugandan public universities focusing on users, their tasks and environment, and how these factors impact usability. An experimental design will be used to test hypotheses, and subsequent recommendations will be drawn. Collapse

Topics: usability user experience task complexity user centered design communication service infrastructure

Methods: experiment statistical hypothesis test survey experimental design

Digital identity as a platform for improving refugee management

2021 | Information Systems Journal | Citations: 14

Authors: Madon, Shirin; Schoemaker, Emrys

Abstract: Digital platforms are restructuring how many companies and industries function, ... Expand

Abstract: Digital platforms are restructuring how many companies and industries function, including humanitarian organisations that operate in complex environments and serve vulnerable populations. To date, however, there has been limited study of their use in humanitarian and particularly refugee contexts. This paper seeks to address this gap by drawing on the concept of platformisation to study the opportunities and challenges arising from UNHCR's transition from a closed transactional system to an open innovation platform focusing on core processes of identification, value creation and platform governance that are relevant for refugee management and protection. Our empirical study captures the perspectives of the UNHCR, organisational stakeholders and refugees in the world's largest refugee camp in Northern Uganda with regards to UNHCR's strategy towards platform openness. We find that UNHCR's data transformation strategy introduces the potential for increasing institutional value in the form of more effective service delivery to refugees. However, these technological opportunities do not necessarily translate to greater value if they do not mesh with current work practices, incentives and activities of service provider organisations and refugees. Our study helps identify opportunities to address these constraints, primarily through improving understanding of the emergent governance-related tensions that exist for digital platforms for development and surfacing existing issues of exclusion and vulnerability. We conclude with insights for the broader theorisation of identification platforms and with recommendations for policies and practices that together might help realise the potential value creation introduced through the platformisation of identification systems. Collapse

Topics: digital platform innovation management value creation social identity digital innovation

Methods: case study qualitative interview data transformation theory development archival research

Theories: theory of affordance

Appropriation of accounting information system use under the new IFRS: Impacts on accounting process performance

2021 | Information & Management | Citations: 1

Authors: Nguyen, Trang; Chen, Jengchung Victor; Nguyen, Thu Phuong Ha

Abstract: The newly issued International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have signifi ... Expand

Abstract: The newly issued International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) have significantly transformed the ac­ counting process and the accounting information system (AIS). Confronting the changes in information tech­ nologies (IT), using the AIS appropriately is crucial to derive accurate information from which to process business transactions and report information in compliance with the new IFRS. Built on adaptive structuration theory (AST), this study is aimed toward investigating how accounting regulatory changes influence AIS use, which consequently affects accounting process performance. Data are collected through a questionnaire survey of 250 accountants from 36 countries currently using the IFRS as their accounting standards. The results show that perceived system restrictiveness, IT professional support, and accountant’s self-efficacy significantly explain faithfulness of appropriation (FOA) whereas perceived effectiveness of controls on IT use does not. FOA in­ fluences exploitive and exploratory task adaptations, which subsequently predict accounting process perfor­ mance under the new IFRS. This study enriches the AST literature and contributes to both the accounting and IT domains. Our findings provide organizations with new insights into how to maintain the efficiency of accounting practice and business operations under the new IFRS. Collapse

Topics: accounting self efficacy information system use IT workforce Facebook

Methods: survey partial least squares regression parametric test ANOVA statistical hypothesis test

Theories: structuration theory adaptive structuration theory

Exploring the Multi-Level Digital Divide in Mobile Phone Adoption: A Comparison of Developing Nations

2021 | Information Systems Frontiers | Citations: 0

Authors: Vimalkumar, M.; Singh, Jang Bahadur; Sharma, Sujeet Kumar

Abstract: Mobile phones are the most accessible information and communication technology t ... Expand

Abstract: Mobile phones are the most accessible information and communication technology today, and they serve as the gateway to high-speed internet for large populations in developing economies. However, despite the progress, there remains a persistent disparity in mobile phone usage among users, and between users and non-users, in developing countries. However, the literature on the digital divide has paid limited attention to the multi-level nature of this gap in mobile phone adoption and use, particularly in developing countries. This research paper provides a comparative analysis of this divide in mobile phone usage in eight developing nations from Africa and Asia. Broadly, the study categorises individuals into three groups: mobile phone non-users, mobile phone users who do not use internet applications and mobile phone users who use applications that need internet access. The disparity between these users was analysed using micro-level survey data from each country. The study results show that the nature of the divide varies across countries and that the influence of socio-demographic factors is not consistent. Further, we find that there is a larger digital divide in terms of mobile phone usage in Asian countries when compared to African countries. The study recommends that policymakers and international agencies exercise caution while developing one-size-fits-all cross-country policies to address the multi-level digital divide. Collapse

Topics: mobile phone digital divide internet technology information system use technology adoption

Methods: survey multinomial logistic regression descriptive statistic literature study cross sectional research

Theories: social cognitive theory

The role of digital information use on student performance and collaboration in marginal universities

2020 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 2

Authors: Bawack, Ransome Epie; Kala Kamdjoug, Jean Robert

Abstract: Using technology to facilitate learning in universities and other higher educati ... Expand

Abstract: Using technology to facilitate learning in universities and other higher education institutions (HEIs) has become common practice due to its ability to reduce barriers related to time and space in traditional learning environments. However, current literature mostly focuses on the use of the technology and not on the use of the information it conveys. Also, very few studies focus on technology adoption in universities and HEIs in developing countries, especially those in Africa. Thus, we propose a model that explains the changing information behaviors of students in this digital age and the effect this has on their learning outcomes. We collected questionnaire data from 303 students and analyzed the data using structural equation modelling partial least squares (SEM-PLS). We found that our proposed model explains 60.2 % of student satisfaction, 24.2 % of academic performance, 24.1 % of information sharing, and 19.8 % of their information exchange behavior. This study confirms that the use of digital information and its antecedent factors have significant effects on the college experience of students. This has several implications for information systems research and practice, especially in the design and assessment of technology use in learning environments. Collapse

Topics: information exchange information system use knowledge representation information management personality

Methods: conceptual modelling survey focus group ontological modelling partial least squares regression

Oppositional Logics and the Antecedents of Hybridization: A Country-Level Study of the Diffusion of Islamic Banking Windows, 1975–2017

2020 | Organization Science | Citations: 0

Authors: Boone, Christophe; Özcan, Serden

Abstract: Little is known about when and where hybrid organizations diffuse. We argue that ... Expand

Abstract: Little is known about when and where hybrid organizations diffuse. We argue that neo-institutional perspectives, which stress the constraining role of market categories and institutional logics, have to be complemented with demand-side perspectives that stress the enabling force of economic incentives to explain the origins of hybrids. We develop theory to predict the country-level diffusion of hybrid forms in Islamic banking in the 1975–2017 period, during which many conventional banks invaded the domain of Islamic banking by starting to sell Islamic banking services, or so-called “Islamic windows.” Our findings underscore the relevance of simultaneously studying the impact of constraining and enabling forces. Consistent with neo-institutional theory, we find strong evidence that a lack of constitutive legitimacy of the window form—only in countries where Muslims make up a large share of the population—and the ideological polarization of local audiences reify the ideological boundaries between the oppositional banking logics, which in turn hampers the diffusion of windows in the focal country. At the same time, however, it appears that the failure of local credit markets and country-level economic globalization, the latter even more in countries with a Muslim majority, provide potent economic incentives for the diffusion of windows. By stressing the role of utilitarian incentives and material exchange as drivers of hybridization, we bridge the gap between neo-institutional and more rationalist approaches of institutional change. Collapse

Topics: database system website digital media social identity

Methods: hazard function descriptive statistic robustness check regression analysis method likelihood-ratio test

Theories: institutional theory dominant logic

Gamifying knowledge sharing in humanitarian organisations: a design science journey

2020 | European Journal of Information Systems | Citations: 16

Authors: Holzer, Adrian; Kocher, Bruno; Bendahan, Samuel; Vonèche Cardia, Isabelle; Mazuze, Jorge; Gillet, Denis

Abstract: Humanitarian organisations provide invaluable work to improve the lives of indiv ... Expand

Abstract: Humanitarian organisations provide invaluable work to improve the lives of individuals impacted by natural and anthropogenic hazards. While humanitarian organisations are highly knowledge intensive, they often fail to manage knowledge effectively. Providing adequate incentives to foster knowledge sharing on a knowledge management system is a challenge for many organisations. It is especially important in the humanitarian context where organisational efficiency leads to saving more lives. We argue that gamification (i.e., the integration of game-like features, such as points or badges in non-game systems) is a viable solution to address the lack of knowledge sharing often encountered. To do so, we embark on a design science journey with Doctors Without Borders to investigate how gamification within (e.g., using a personal profile) and outside (e.g., using a connected ambient object) a knowledge management system can improve knowledge sharing. Our findings demonstrate that well-designed gamification can increase engagement and knowledge sharing, in particular for altruistic individuals. Collapse

Topics: gamification knowledge sharing knowledge management social media crowdsourcing

Methods: survey design science experiment field study design artifact