The Role of ICT Actors and Networks in Development: The Case Study of a Wireless Project in Nepal

Abstract

The role of ICT actors in the formation and extension of ICT4D projects is important. The actors through their extended network and aligned interest can enhance the effectiveness of the project which in turn enables socioeconomic development opportunities. However, few studies have been conducted to understand the role of these central players. The objective of this paper, therefore, is to address this knowledge gap by conducting a qualitative case study in the Myagdi district in the mountain region of Nepal. In this study we explored the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP) and examined how an activist started it from one mountain village and gradually extended across more than 150 villages. The formation and extension of information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects goes through different phases of identification of relevant ICT actors, roles, negotiations, and their interest alignment. To understand the various phases, we employed Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and explored how a social activist, in the midst of challenges, initiates the wireless project to facilitate educational and healthcare services to the mountain regions. In continuum, the study found how the activist identified relevant actors and enrolled them to form a network of aligned interest. The study also identified several challenges such as high illiteracy rate, over dependency on focal actor, and poor physical infrastructure that may impede the network building process. Furthermore, we identify some implications for research and practice based on insights from the case study.


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Quantitative Research Methods Seminar with Professor Detmar Straub

In this session, I discussed the chapter 7 from the following book:

Author information:

Dr. Eugene F. Stone-Romero Professor Department of Management College of Business The University of Texas at San Antonio Phone: 210.458.5901 Fax: 210.458.5783 E-mail: eugene.romero@utsa.edu	Book Title: Research Methods in Organizational Behavior.
http://faculty.business.utsa.edu/eromero/	Chapter 7: Empirical Research Strategies

Abstract:

This chapter is about the research strategies we can employ to understand and explain some phenomenon of interest. The strategies are contingent on research purpose. The research purpose can be different based on research settings (natural vs. simulated), generalizability (particular vs. general), control over independent and nuisance variable, artifacts such as subjective influence on the outcome of study, differing degree of contact between the researcher and the system being studied, strength and range of studied variable (e.g. higher in natural setup than contrived setting), and types of costs (high vs. low). Afterward, as shown in the following table, the chapter discusses comparison between different dimensions and research strategies, such as laboratory experiment, simulation, field experiment, field study, sample survey, and case study. Finally, suggests that the choice of research strategy should be guided by the purpose of the research, the resources available to the researcher, other considerations, such as internal and external validity, ethical and legal issues, etc.

Rated Dimension	Laboratory Experiment	Simulation	Field Experiment	Field Study	Sample Survey	Case Study
COST: Initial  Setup Marginal Cost per subject	M L	L-H L-H	M-H M	M-H M	H L-H	L-H L-H
VARIABLES: Strength of independent variable Range of variables Potential to manipulate independent variables	L L H	L-M M M-H	M M M	H H N	H H N	H L-H N
CONTROL: Potential for testing causal hypothesis Potential for study to change researcher Potential for controlling confounding variables	H L H	M-H L M-H	M M L-M	L M L	L L L	N H N
ARTIFACTS: Potential for experimenter expectancy effects Potential for demand characteristics Potential for evaluation apprehension	H H H	M M M-H	M-H M-H M-H	M M M	L L L	H H H
SETTING: Naturalness of setting Degree to which behavior is setting-dependent	L H	M-H L-M	H H	H H	H L	H H
GENERALIZABILITY: Applicability of study’s results to different populations	L-H	L-H	L	L	H	N

  N: None,         L: Low,            M: Moderate,              H: High

Critique of the material:

From the perspective of an interdisciplinary research area like ICT4D, I found it difficult to establish a causal relation, for instance, the relation of x (some technology) causes y (some kind of development) is elusive. The problem in ICT4D domain is a kind of circular loops. For instance, it is difficult to say whether x causes y or y causes x. Therefore, experimental studies seem less reliable for this kind of interdisciplinary and complex studies. In addition, it is very difficult to get an ideal condition for variable measurement. Generally, positivist approaches fall into New-Newtonian paradigm. Where, the phenomena under study are somehow controllable, predictable, and generalizable. On the contrary, realities of subject in real world are contextual, complex, diverse, dynamic, uncontrollable, and unpredictable (Robert Chambers, 2010), interfered by many nuisance variables. Therefore, it is difficult to affirm that some particular paradigm or methodology is dominant in interdisciplinary (ICT4D) research domain.

Having said that we cannot disregard the quantitative tradition, especially when funding institutions are more lured by numbers rather than descriptions. Again as chapter suggests trade-off is important. My personal experience with research strategies is that we cannot depend on single paradigm, theory, or methodology particularly in the context of interdisciplinary research. I believe in adaptive pluralism. The trade-off in the wider sense, including theories, methods, and techniques. For instance, survey can be used with qualitative case studies to better understand and explain the complex phenomena. Similarly, experimental studies with other complementary methods can be used to understand the student learning behavior before and after ICT intervention, for example.

In sum, I always found it bit lopsided to discuss either quantitative ‘OR’ qualitative methods, but instead of ‘AND’. There is a call for mixed method approaches; likewise, top journals should keep a positive outlook towards the mixed methods.

Key questions for discussions: 

·         As per this chapter, we always need to make compromises either with control of variables or naturalness of settings. Does this compromise mean that infidelity between research findings and the reality will always remain?

·   How to choose a better research strategy, considering the tension between resource constraints, such as time, funding, knowledge, supervision, publication, etc., and research interest?

·   How to justify our research strategy and findings in between these dilemmas of understanding, explaining, innovating, or predicting the phenomena?

·      What is the take for interdisciplinary research like ICT4D from this session? There is an epistemological challenge because the realities of subjects in the ICT4D researches are local, complex, diverse, dynamic, uncontrollable, and unpredictable.

Summary: 11th IFIP WG 9.4 Conference, May (22-25), Kathmandu, Nepal

Information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) is a well established research area in both academia and practice. The question of whether ICT is useful for developing world is answered with big ‘YES’. However, the process by which ICT may foster development, in the context of developing countries still remains a much debated issue. Academics and practitioners are attempting to understand and stimulate the development process that specifically emerges from technology diffusion.

The idea of IFIP WG 9.4 conference, chaired by Professor Maung Sein, University of Agder, and co-chaired by Dr. G. Harindranath, Royal Holloway, and Dr. Bjørn Furuholt, University of Agder, in Kathmandu with the theme partners for development: ICT actors and actions was to draw special attention to the role played by multiple actors – public and private, activists and entrepreneurs as well as other kinds of intermediaries – within ICT4D processes and their associated impacts on socioeconomic development. The conference provided a space for articulating a variety of approaches and views from these different types of actors in relation to ICT and national development. Nepal, the host country for this year’s conference, presented a unique opportunity to engage with such actors given the growing significance of ICT in this landlocked, mountainous, and developing country.

The conference was attended by the collectives of IS scholars, researchers, ICT entrepreneurs, social activists, IT experts, healthcare champions, and government officials. The objective of this conference was to exchange our knowledge and experience from both academia and practice. Therefore, the discussions in the conference was oriented towards how the ICT intervention can enable (or disable) people to access healthcare, education, commerce, and government services, in addition, to identify future research possibilities in ICT4D areas and the role of IFIP WG 9.4 in promoting these possibilities.

The conference heated up with a pre-conference debate and discussions. The discussion was centered on the landscape of ICT4D and the potential for the IFIP 9.4 group. Three experienced practitioners and academics in the field, Rahul De, Sundeep Sahay, and Renata Lèbre La Rovere, presented their thought provocative position papers. The papers raised ICT4D research issues, such as corruption, caste, trust, coordination, and visibility. IS researchers and scholars, such as Leiser Silva, Roger Harris, and Shirin Madon also wrote short position papers even though they were unable to attend the conference. All discussants in the pre-conference discussion agreed that institutional, social, political, and cultural aspects are fundamental for implementation and adoption of ICT. Likewise, local participation and local knowledge are essential for ICT4D projects to achieve their objectives. Mutual informing between academia and practice, and the role of IFIP WG 9.4 platform were other important issues discussed during the pre-conference.

The conference started with a keynote speech by Dr. Mahabir Pun, Magsaysay award winner and the team leader of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project. He shared his experiences of the wireless project. He described how he started the wireless project from a simple idea of connecting mountain villages to internet. He used social networking and media, and the collective action inside and outside the mountain communities. The project succeeds to connect more than 135 remote villages through internet connection since then. The project started with the objective to provide better education and healthcare services to the remote communities using ICT. For this purpose, he stated, the wireless project is working together with different other champions such as OLE Nepal, thamel.com, NREN, Gandaki Boarding School, Kathmandu University, and Kathmandu Model Hospital. He explained the implementation of ICT services in Nangi village is just an example that can be replicated to other rural areas. In his presentation, he stated that most of the ICT4D projects fail because they lack understanding of local context; and, do not develop local contents. He added, lack of income generation activities is also a main challenge in the ICT4D projects. For this purpose, the wireless project is working with www.thamel.com and other partners to promote ecommerce and ecotourism activities. Dr. Pun stated that appointing medical expertise in rural areas is very difficult. Therefore, telemedicine can work as a magic stick to virtually bring that expertise in the remote places.

Prominent speaker and participant, Geoff Walsham, Emeritus Professor of Management Studies (Information Systems) and one of the initiators of ICT4D research, talked about early beginnings and future opportunities in ICT4D research. He explained how some research elements in ICT4D research are still common from the inception of IFIP WG9.4 conferences to date. The important elements are contextual understanding, and participatory designing, for instance, inclusion of local people and indigenous development. He also mentioned that ICT is one of the necessary elements in development process, but not the sufficient. Then, he directed our attention towards future challenges and opportunities in ICT4D research domains. He expressed that ICT4D research is becoming a more multidisciplinary by nature, and IS scholars need to derive knowledge and expertise from various other disciplines. However, at the same time, he mentioned that the opportunities for doing action research and exploring new methodologies and technologies also opened new doors to IS scholars. He also advocated that academic theories can be useful to conduct empirical case studies vis-à-vis practice. Finally, he appealed the conference participants to consider the ethical agenda, thus permitting the least advantaged to share in the benefits that so many people in the world now take for granted.

In addition to Keynote speeches in the conference were panel debates, papers and posters presentations, and demonstrations. Total 48 papers and 5 demo/posters, in addition, a set of 4 ‘Nepal Showcase’ posters and 6 IPID posters were presented in the conference. Authors of submitted papers were from various developed and developing nations, such as South Africa, Norway, UK, India, Bangladesh, New Zealand, USA, Australia, Singapore, Brazil, Albania, Canada, Ireland, Malawi, Sweden, Thailand, Colombia, Ethiopia, Greece, Malaysia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Switzerland, Tajikistan, UAE, Vietnam and Nepal. Large number of contribution from all around the world provides some evidence that the IFIP9.4 group continue to remain relevant to the ICT4D audience. Paper sessions were oriented towards important ICT4D themes, such as contemporary research, theories, impact assessment, context, mobile for development (M4D), eGovernment, public internet access, open source software, mHealth, eHealth, and relevant ICT actors and their actions for national development.

There were three panels in the conference. These panels were chaired by Sundeep Sahay, professor, University of Oslo, Jacques Steyn, Head of School of IT Monash University, and Robert Davison, Editor-in-Chief, EJISDC. They raised proactive debates on practicing, teaching and publishing ICT4D research. The panel provided a good opportunity to bring various actors from academia and practice in a single platform. One of the panelists, Rabi Karmacharya, Executive director of OLENepal, emphasized on developing local contents for ICT4D project sustainability. Dr. Dhital, an initiator of telemedicine project in Nepal, suggested telemedicine can provide virtual doctors to the remote places. Likewise, panelists from academia focused on applying action research to promote mutual informing between academia and practice.

One of the attractions of IFIP WG9.4 conference was IPID session. Where, postgraduate students presented their research works and raised challenging questions during their presentation. The aim of the session was to support postgraduate students in their research in a creative and friendly atmosphere where they can discuss and help each other. The session was helpful for postgraduates to share their experiences in the ICT4D field in order to gain more knowledge on how ICT use for development can be improved. The session was co-chaired and facilitated by Chrisanthi Avgerou, Professor, LSE, and Gudrun Wicander, IPID chair.

Overall, the conference concluded with the end-note that technology is a means of generating information which can be used to enhance the capabilities or freedom of underprivileged people to improve and lead their lives which they value. Having said that, we need to understand local context, need to develop local contents, need to involve indigenous actors, and need to conduct more action research. And, IFIP WG9.4 conference can serve as a central platform to exchange information, knowledge, and experience from ICT4D research and practice.

Demystifying the Possibilities of ICT4D in the Mountain Regions of Nepal

Despite the substantial investments in ICT4D projects in developing countries, the benefits are yet to be realised by the majority of remote communities. Inaccessibility to ICT has widened educational, healthcare, information, and communication gaps between urban and remote communities. This paper focuses on an interpretive case study in Nepal to widen our understanding of how locally-initiated ICT4D projects may help to narrow these gaps. The study utilises the Assets Pentagon Model to identify the strengths and challenges of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project in the mountain areas, and to identify implications for research and practice based on insights from the case.

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