Information and Communication Technology for Development and Bridging the Digital Divide: A Holistic Stepwise Approach to building Knowledge-based economies and technological artifact.

Abstract

This dissertation explores the development of knowledge-based economies and their technological artifacts using a holistic perspective that takes into account three interlinked aspects -- socioeconomic, technological and behavioral. The dissertations primary objective is to provide a framework for developing information and communication technologies which provide more optimized policies and technological artifacts for countries that want to bridge the digital divide. It does this in two phases: the first phase deals with developing a holistic stepwise development framework called the Information and Communication Technology Development Framework. This explores all relative constraints and develops a conceptual framework based on these constraints. It then uses this conceptual framework to develop a conceptual hierarchical pyramid on the relative importance of each aspect and its constraints in developing an ICT policy or its artifacts in a state. In the second phase the dissertation empirically explores the framework in two areas of information and communication technology for development -- social commerce and e-government -- using both a panel data analysis and a factor analysis. My findings suggest that context is essential and critical in developing policies on information and communication technology and technological artifacts. Further, the relative importance of the socioeconomic, technological and behavioral aspects differs across countries and on the basis of income levels. Hence, exploring the development of information and communication technology following a stepwise developmental approach is both critical and informative in understanding the criteria for developing optimized and efficient policies on information and communication technology and technological artifacts. These policies and artifacts can be used as tools for developing improved information and communication policies for a state or even for empowering a group of people.<br/> <br/> <br/> <br/>