This thesis deals with the issue of sustainable development and its relation to information and communicaton technologies in the business background. The whole concept is called Green ICT. The main aim of the thesis is to provide an insight into the legislative and contentual aspects of Green ICT and its relation to business informatics, suggesting several practices for use in small business. The first part defines all important legislative aspects and summarizes the view of Green ICT according to several authors and describes and compares the certificates of physical ICT. Next part is aimed to business environment and deals with the most frequently occuring barriers and motivation factors. The small and medium business is specified and the requirements of managing and monitoring the impact on the envirnoment is analyzed. Next part of the thesis analyzes defined areas of potential implementation of Green ICT and creates relevant practices to improve the power consumption and the impact on the environment, on the basis of available case studies and research findings For every practice, its potential technical solution, effects and risks are considered. These practices are then analyzed and appraised in terms of MMDIS methodics. The added value of the thesis is comprehensive description and analysis of individual practices of Green ICT from different points of view and analysis and comparison of available certifications of ICT devices.

The road of development through e-government is covered with deep potholes and dead ends. This is because Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) are adopted and e-government policies are developed with a blind focus on the ICT tools and with little reflection on the contribution of ICT to development (Heeks and Bailur, 2007, p. 243, Avgerou, 2009, p. 14). To assist with this reflection Information Systems (IS) researchers are increasingly calling for the development of local contextual theory or a framework in ICT for Development (ICT4D) (Avgerou, 2009, p. 14, Madon et al., 2007, Walsham, 2003, Walsham, 1997). This thesis responds to that call by investigating the role of e-government towards development within the South African context. The means of inquiry was a three year ethnographic immersion in a longitudinal research project. The aim of the longitudinal research project was to investigate how a specialised type of ICT (Group Support Systems) can enable interaction between government and citizens in attaining specific human rights. The research project centred on creating an awareness among the public in South Africa of a newly enacted Act, the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act No 3 of 2000 (PAJA). The rich data collected was analysed using Grounded Theory, resulting in a substantive theory that suggests that within the South African context e-government could contribute to development if it is used to facilitate policy implementation within the spirit of Ubuntu. The thesis delineates the journey up to the emergence of the substantive theory. The substantive theory has important implications for IS theory and IS practice. For IS theory, the substantive theory demonstrates that research on ICT4D in Africa could usefully be undertaken by following an action research strategy within a critical-interpretive paradigm. The substantive theory also suggests the importance of taking into account the contextual collaborative nature of African culture in the spirit of Ubuntu when conducting such research. For practice, the substantive theory proposes a potential framework where ICT could provide the collaborative environment or shared space in the spirit of Ubuntu for policy implementation towards development. Checked against implementation requirements on the South African policy on entrepreneurship, the substantive theory framework proves to be equally valuable. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Informatics / unrestricted

The application of information and communication technology (ICT) in socioeconomic development often referred to as “ICT for development” (ICT4D) is an increasingly relevant concern both academically as well as within development organisations on all levels.   This master thesis project has explored opportunities, constraints and challenges to designing and implementing mobile phone based ICT services for an organisation working with sustainable agricultural development in West Bengal, India. Through a participatory design process with smallholding farmers a simple, low-cost platform for prototyping and implementing mobile phone based ICT services using interactive voice response as interaction modality was developed. It was found that even inexperienced and illiterate users were able to understand and make use of such services with minimal training. On the basis of services deployed on this platform, context specific constraints and opportunities were identified as well as the appropriateness of the ICT design evaluated. Finally, use of participation was critically reviewed and found to be a necessary element of ICT design in this context yet requiring a high level of reflexivity and contextual understanding from the researcher or designer in order to contribute to development goals. / Användning av informations och kommunikationsteknologi (ICT) för socioekonomisk utveckling ofta kallat ”ICT for development” (ICT4D) är i allt högre grad en relevant fråga både akademiskt och inom utvecklingsorganisationer på alla nivåer. Detta exjobb utforskade möjligheter, begränsningar och utmaningar för introduktionen av mobilbaserade ICT-tjänster åt en organisation som arbetar med hållbar jordbruksutveckling i Västbengalen i Indien. Genom en deltagande designprocess med småskaliga bönder så utvecklades en enkel, billig plattform för att skapa prototyper och implementera mobiltjänster som använder sig av ”Interactive Voice Response” som interaktionsmodalitet. Även personer med begränsad erfarenhet av ICT samt begränsad läs- och skrivkunnighet kunde förstå och använda tjänster utvecklade på plattformen med minimal träning. Med grund i tjänster utvecklade på denna plattform så utvärderades lämpligheten för ICT i den lokala kontexten och flera kontext-specifika begränsningar och utmaningar identifierades. Slutligen så utvärderades ”deltagande” i design processen metodologiskt och fanns vara ett nödvändigt element av ICT-design i denna kontext samtidigt som det kräver en hög grad av reflexivitet och kontext-specifik förståelse från forskaren eller designern för att kunna bidra till utvecklingsmål.

As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and social enterprises become drivers of economic growth, the nexus provides opportunities for new models of business to bring benefits to communities in developing countries. Recognising the complex dynamics and range of actors in this diverse and emerging sector, this study chooses to document the external influences, use and impact of ICT on social enterprises. The problem investigated is the potential gap between the rhetoric of the 'promise of e-business' versus the dynamics of enactment and impacts of ICT in practice in the social enterprise sector. The methodology consists of a mixed-method data collection strategy to triangulate data sources from a diverse cross-section of organisations in the social enterprise sector in Cambodia. These include a cross-sectional survey, interviews, observations, document analysis and review of artefacts. It is unclear whether the Cambodian social enterprise sector represents a unique case or is representative of other countries. Regardless, the rich dynamics of the sector and the current lack of understanding of ICT use by this sector in developing countries per se warrant such a study. It fills a significant gap in the field of ICT and development by providing an in-depth overview of the social enterprise sector in one developing country, which may also be applicable in other developing country contexts. The research maps the e-business status of Cambodian social enterprises along a continuum from precursor activity to fully integrated e-services. It finds that Cambodian social enterprises believe ICT adds value to their operation; however access to affordable and reliable local ICT resources is an important factor determining long-term uptake. It also shows that external support is seen as vital to the success of ICT uptake by social enterprises in Cambodia. Donors have the most significant influence on social enterprises' framing of ICT, whilst NGOs, associations and the private sector are also important institutional players in shaping understanding and uptake of ICT. The main contribution of the research is to identify the real development impact of ICT use by social enterprises by measuring the role of ICTs in achieving their goals. Its major finding is that social and business missions are inextricably linked within these organisations, so to measure one in isolation of the other denies the new paradigm that social enterprises present. The most active sub-sector explored that best reflects this unique value proposition is the emerging social outsourcing potential of the IT services sub-sector. The handicraft and processing sub-sectors have yet to fully engage and use ICT to their maximum benefit. The outlook for these sub-sectors is likely to require further support to best harness the potential that ICT can bring developing countries.

Several studies suggest that the diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in developing countries (DCs) can help such countries achieve national development goals - especially if accompanied by appropriate government policies designed to regulate and promote the use and the diffusion of ICTs in the national context. Over the past few years 'ICT policy' has thus become something worthy of academic attention, in particular in the ambit of ICT-for-development (ICT4D) literature. Scholarly studies on the subject have so far focused however primarily on policy content, and have often been prescriptive and/or evaluative in nature. Relatively less attention has been paid instead to the processes by which ICT policy is made in DCs - a lacuna reflected also in the relative scarcity, in the realm of ICT4D literature, of detailed theoretical frameworks with which to study ICT policymaking practice in DCs. This study intends to help fill this lacuna, by proposing an innovative framework for the analysis of ICT policy processes in DCs, and subjecting such a framework to a first 'proof of concept', through its application to a particular case (ICT policymaking in Uganda). In recognition of the importance of the cognitive aspects of policy practice, the framework proposed is interpretive in nature, and is organised around three 'movements', or steps: an analysis of the linguistic and non-linguistic constructs employed by policy actors to articulate discourse on ICT policymaking; an analysis of the key discourses around ICT policy constructed by policy actors in specific settings; and an analysis of the composition and the strength of the 'alliances', or coalitions, of actors that construct and propagate specific discourses in such settings. The ultimate purpose of this type of analysis is to understand how specific discourses on, or 'versions' of the ICT policy process gain particular purchase and acceptance in given national settings, thereby providing ICT policy actors with elements for reflection on the practices they are involved in. The framework proposed is particularly innovative in that integrates elements derived from mainstream political science and policy analysis literature - thus going some way in solidifying theorization in the ambit of ICT4D research. The study draws conclusions at two levels: at case level, findings indicate that Ugandan discourse around ICT policymaking appears to be constrained by the existence of a powerful, overall political discourse that defines ICT policy as necessarily 'participative'; at the level of theory and method, findings suggest that the framework proposed appears to be a viable and useful one for research on ICT policymaking practice in DCs.

This thesis is focused on the issue of ensuring sustainable development through ICT, especially focusing on the subsequent use of the theoretical knowledge in the implementation of Green ICT practices in small and medium-sized companies in the Czech Republic (SME). This work aims to achieve five specific side objectives, which are: Theoretical anchoring the Green ICT in relation to SME, the analysis of the potential impact of ICT on environmental sustainability, analysis of the available methodologies and ways of implementation of Green ICT and principles of sustainability, rating of Green ICT steps from different perspectives in order to select appropriate steps for the implementation and subsequent determination of methodical progress with implementing the most Green ICT steps into practice. Reaching these milestones is subsequently indicated achieve the main objective of the paper, which is a specification of a methodological framework for the selection and evaluation of appropriate Green ICT steps and a procedure for its subsequent implementation in practice. The primary tool for achieving the objectives of this paper is analysis of available and adequate current information resources focusing on the Green ICT and sustainable development, which is complemented by the author's expert reviews of Green ICT steps. This paper is possible to divide into two parts. The first part is contents of thoroughly analysis of information sources and based on them is subsequently implemented theoretical grasp of Green ICT. The second part is then specified own benefit of the paper through analysis and evaluation of Green ICT steps, accompanied by their methodology implementation.

Access, use and ownership of mobile phones is increasing rapidly in Tanzania, as in the rest of Africa. It is estimated that a staggering 97% of the population are able to access a mobile phone, according to a study carried out by the Centre for Economic Policy Research and Vodafone. The growing number of people using mobile phones has led to optimism and speculation regarding its effect on economic and social development. Expectations from mobile phones are high and it has already been coined as Africa’s PC. Expectations are further fuelled by sensationalist headlines in the media such as, Mobile phones join war on African poverty, The mobile revolution sweeps across Africa or Cell phones the latest tool in Africa's fight against HIV and is shaping the discourse on mobile phones for development (M4D). This study was carried out between January and March 2010 in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania and funded by SPIDER, The Swedish Program for ICT in Developing Regions and commissioned by Femina HIP (Health Information Project) a Tanzanian multimedia civil society initiative that expressed desire for research to be conducted on mobile phones and SMS (Short Messages Service) in Tanzania. This paper contains data from three group interviews and one quantitative survey that was completed by 97 youths. The empirical material gathered is discussed in relation to empowerment and participation, two concepts that have become mainstreamed in development theory and practice and in communication for development. The paper is structured as following. The first chapter provides the aim and purpose of the study as well as its delimitations. The second chapter discusses mobile phones for development while critically looking at the M4D and ICT4D discourse. Also incorporated in this chapter is an example of a mobile phone project that was started in Bangladesh in the late 1990s and is used as an example to represent the empowerment narrative in M4D. A short discussion on this sentiment will conclude the second part. In the third chapter I present my theory. I take a critical look at empowerment and participation, two concepts that have gained, one can say, a moral authority that effectively hides power relations amongst participants, facilitators and donors in development projects. In the fourth chapter I discuss my methodology and how I gathered my material. In the fifth part I present my data and in the last chapter I analyse the empirical material by applying the framework of participation and empowerment. I also discuss what an organisation such as Femina HIP could gain from incorporating mobile phones into their communication strategy.

Dans cette recherche, j’essaie de comprendre quelle est l’empreinte socioculturelle du processus d’appropriation des technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC), particulièrement du téléphone portable, par des agriculteurs de la Boucle du Mouhoun, au Burkina Faso. Privilégiant une approche socioculturelle et ayant comme hypothèse principale l’existence d’influences réciproques entre le processus de construction des usages des TIC et l’organisation socioculturelle des communautés locales, cette recherche explore les transformations des rapports de pouvoir, l’évolution des identités et des formes de communication au sein de ces communautés en lien avec l’usage des TIC. Les sources théoriques principales sont l’ethnométhodologie et la sociologie des associations ; je fais aussi référence à la sociologie des usages et à l’ethnologie des techniques. Fondée sur un travail empirique, ma réflexion est nourrie par des entretiens concernant des initiatives d’application des TIC au développement rural en Inde et en Afrique de l’Ouest, et, surtout, par un séjour de terrain de six mois au Burkina Faso. La méthode adoptée oriente les efforts de recherche vers la compréhension des réalités locales, en opposition à leur interprétation à partir de modèles extérieurs, d’où l’importance attribuée aux protocoles de réflexivité et de décentration. Au-delà d’orientations concrètes sur l’appropriation socioculturelle des TIC, l’apport le plus important de ma recherche est méthodologique. Je propose des stratégies d’approximations successives de la réalité spécifique à un terrain donné, particulièrement adaptées au cas de chercheurs étrangers à leur contexte d’étude. / In this research I try to understand the social and cultural imprint of the appropriation processes of information and communication technologies (ICT), particularly mobile phones, by farmers from the Boucle du Mouhoun region, in Burkina Faso. The main research hypothesis is the existence of reciprocal influences between the construction process of ICT uses and the social and cultural organization of local communities. With a social and cultural approach, this research explores changes in power relations, identities and forms of communication within these communities in relation to the use of ICT. The reasoning is supported by theoretical and empirical sources. On the one hand, I refer to the Sociology of uses, to the Ethnology of techniques, but mainly to the Ethnomethodology’s program and to the Actor network theory. On the other hand, I rely on visits to projects applying ICT for rural development in India and West Africa, and most importantly, on a six-month long fieldwork in Burkina Faso. The methodology adopted orientates research efforts towards understanding local realities instead of representing them with external patterns, hence reinforcing the importance attributed to reflexivity and decentring. Beyond practical conclusions on the social and cultural appropriation of ICT, the most important contribution of my research is methodological. I propose strategies to understand a specific field reality by successive approximations, particularly suited when the researcher is a foreigner to the context of the research.

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No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao_Agência-Barco-Aprovada.pdf: 4270624 bytes, checksum: cafe099ca1c9d7e52e77a38bea7575fc (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-11-19 / The challenge in offering public services infrastructure in less developed areas in Brazil, often furthest from the large urban centers, mobilizes society sectors in search of new and creative approaches that can reduce large interregional disparities. One of the shortcomings faced by some brazilians is the lack of access to the financial system, compromising their capacity of full insertion in the economy and making it more difficult to create and accumulate wealth, prevailing situation in Ilha de Marajó, in the state of Pará, which most of its sixteen municipalities presents low or very low Human Development Index (HDI). In order to change this reality, a traveling bank branch installed on a boat was designed in an innovative way, for the purpose of meeting the needs of the riverside people that lives in vast territorial extension, low population density, transportation difficulties and limited supply of information and communication technology (ICT). Thereby, through an exploratory and descriptive approach, this research aims to identify, from the ICT perspective, how the financial inclusion indicators are influenced by the Agência Barco (bank branch on a boat) in Ilha de Marajó. In addition to the theoretical study, empirical research was carried out by means of direct observation and semistructured interviews applied to users and employees of the Agência Barco (bank branch on a boat), over four days in two cities of Ilha de Marajó. Interviews content analysis techniques were applied in order to data analysis and identify financial inclusion elements, transposing the results to a heuristic model of dynamic infoinclusion (2iD), which was adapted to comprise inclusion financial constructs. The research outcome shows that the Agência Barco (bank branch on a boat) can provides the necessary access to financial services and products for Ilha de Marajó inhabitants, at the same time identifies opportunities to expand aspects related to financial education, enabling strengthen the dynamic components of the financial inclusion process, increasing awareness and, then, increasing demand for financial services and products. / O desafio de ofertar infraestrutura de serviços públicos nas regiões menos desenvolvidas do Brasil, geralmente mais afastadas dos grandes centros urbanos, mobiliza setores da sociedade na busca de abordagens novas e criativas que possam diminuir as grandes disparidades inter-regionais. Uma das carências vivenciadas por parte da população brasileira é a falta de acesso ao sistema financeiro, comprometendo a capacidade de plena participação dessas pessoas na economia, dificultando a geração e acúmulo de riqueza, situação essa presente na Ilha de Marajó, no estado do Pará, cuja maioria de seus dezesseis municípios apresenta Índice de Desenvolvimento Humano (IDH) baixo ou muito baixo. Para mudar essa realidade, uma iniciativa inovadora é a agência bancária itinerante instalada em barco, para atendimento a populações ribeirinhas de regiões com vasta extensão territorial, baixa densidade demográfica, dificuldades de transporte e limitações na oferta de tecnologia da informação e comunicação (TIC). Assim, essa pesquisa, com propósito exploratório e descritivo, tem como objetivo principal identificar, sob o ponto de vista das TIC, como os indicadores de inclusão financeira são influenciados pela atuação da Agência Barco na Ilha de Marajó. Além do estudo teórico, foi realizada investigação empírica, por meio de observação direta e entrevistas semiestruturadas com clientes e funcionários da Agência Barco, realizadas ao longo de quatro dias, em duas cidades da Ilha de Marajó. Para análise dos dados, foram aplicadas técnicas de análise de conteúdo às entrevistas, com objetivo de identificar a presença de elementos de inclusão financeira, transpondo os resultados para um modelo heurístico de infoinclusão dinâmica (2iD), o qual foi adaptado para contemplar constructos de inclusão financeira. O resultado da pesquisa demonstra que a Agência Barco consegue suprir as necessidades de acesso a serviços e produtos financeiros pela população da Ilha de Marajó, ao mesmo tempo em que se identifica oportunidades para ampliação de aspectos relacionados à educação financeira, possibilitando fortalecer os componentes dinâmicos do processo de inclusão financeira, com aumento da conscientização e consequente aumento da demanda por serviços e produtos financeiros.

This diploma thesis is focused on description, breakdown and objective analysis of available development indicators of the Information and Communication Technology market in the Czech Republic. In certain ways it relates to some prior theses prepared on the department of Information Technologies at The Prague University of Economics. The paper breakdowns period of last ten years, ideally years 1997 -- 2007, but in some parts the period is adjusted according to availability of statistical data. Also description of contemporary market situation and outline of trends is included to serve as future development estimation. Specific contribution of this work is analysis of data extracted from annual overview presented in Computerworld Top 100 by IDG Czech a.s. and data obtained from European Information Technology Observatory (EITO) yearbooks. Objective recognition of this data, their verification against information from different available sources and explanation by factual event provides comprehensive and independent view on particular influences which formed and affect Information and Communication Technology market in the Czech Republic. Whole paper and its individual chapters are as much as possible drafted as standalone parts and are seamlessly designated to overview dealt topic. Their objective is to provide summarized view of the topic with objective interpretation and comments. The most important from each part are basis for conclusion of the thesis. Conclusion provides the most important and interesting findings as well as future prospects considering areas of Information and Communication Technology market with great potential. Paper does not have the ambition of being isolated ultimative source of information about analyzed matters. It should be synoptical summary for anyone who wants to orientate oneself and as a good-quality source with references to external documents and other sources for those who want to deal with the problematics in more details.