The role of discourse in transforming digital infrastructures

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-242
Author(s):  
Egil Øvrelid ◽  
Bendik Bygstad
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Causal Relationship ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Digital Infrastructure ◽  
Theory Of Discourse

Radical shifts in large information technology programmes or digital infrastructures are unusual, but they do occur, usually as a consequence of problems or misalignment. What we know less about is the role of discourse in these shifts. Our interest in this article is to investigate the role of discourse when digitalisation programmes encounter problems. Building on Foucault’s theory of discourse, our research question is: what is the role of discourse in the transformation of digital infrastructures? Our research approach is a critical realist case study, discussing three cases from eHealth innovation. We use Foucault’s archaeological methodology to identify the emerging discursive formations when a programme encounters difficulties. This enables us to analyse the causal relationship between discursive formations and other mechanisms in the infrastructure. We offer two contributions: first, we outline a framework to understand the role of discursive formations in digital transformation; second, we propose a set of configurations to explain how contextual factors and causal mechanisms contingently lead to the transformation of a digital infrastructure.

The Quest for Advocates

2007 ◽  
pp. 224-245
Author(s):  
Harald Mahrer
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Developed Economies ◽  
The World ◽  
Research Findings ◽  
Multiple Case

Throughout the world, democratic countries, whether old, new, or in transition, are facing innovations in communications and information technology. Especially within developed economies, the challenge toward e-democracy through the digital transformation of democratic institutions has become increasingly evident. With the identification of the notion of the “middleman paradox,” recent research findings have added a new dimension to existing theories on the hesitant evolution of e-democracy, which clearly identifies politicians as an inhibiting factor. Consequently, the research in this chapter attempts to explore further this newly discovered phenomenon by presenting theoretical and empirical evidence. The findings of a multiple case study carried out in all 25 EU member countries, based on an adopted exploratory research design are presented. These findings give more detailed insights on the nature of the middleman paradox and on the ambiguous role of politicians in the further evolution of e-democracy.

scholarly journals Lesson study as a research approach: a case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Jansen ◽  
Marie-Christine P.J. Knippels ◽  
Wouter R. van Joolingen
Keyword(s):  
Lesson Study ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Focal Points ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reasoning Strategies ◽  
Model Based

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the merits of lesson study (LS) as a research approach for research in (science) education. A lesson was developed to introduce students to model-based reasoning: a higher order thinking skill that is seen as one of the major reasoning strategies in science.Design/methodology/approachParticipants of the LS team were three secondary school teachers and two educational researchers. Additionally, one participant fulfilled both roles. Both qualitative and quantitative data were used to investigate the effect of the developed lesson on students and to formulate focal points for using the LS as a research approach.FindingsThe developed lesson successfully familiarized students with model-based reasoning. Three main focal points were formulated for using LS as a research approach: (1) make sure that the teachers support the research question that the researchers bring into the LS cycle, (2) take into account that the lesson is supposed to answer a research question that might cause extra stress for the teachers in an LS team and (3) state the role of both researchers and teachers in an LS team clearly at the beginning of the LS cycle.Originality/valueThis study aims to investigate whether LS can be used as a research approach by the educational research community.

The Role of Mobile Money in Moderating Financial Exclusion: A Tanzanian Experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deogratius Joseph Mhella
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Financial Institutions ◽  
Banking Sector ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Microfinance Institutions ◽  
Mobile Money ◽  
Access To Credit ◽  
Financial Exclusion

Prior to the advent of mobile money, the banking sector in most of the developing countries excluded certain segments of the population. The excluded populations were deemed as a risk to the banking sector. The banking sector did not work with cash stripped and the financially disenfranchised people. Financial exclusion persisted to incredibly higher levels. Those excluded did not have: bank accounts, savings in financial institutions, access to credit, loan and insurance services. The advent of mobile money moderated the very factors of financial exclusion that the banks failed to resolve. This paper explains how mobile money moderates the factors of financial exclusion that the banks and microfinance institutions have always failed to moderate. The paper seeks to answer the following research question: 'How has mobile money moderated the factors of financial exclusion that other financial institutions failed to resolve between 1960 and 2008? Tanzania has been chosen as a case study to show how mobile has succeeded in moderating financial exclusion in the period after 2008.

Digital forensics and evolving cyber law: case of BIMSTEC countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 744-752
Author(s):  
Sisira Dharmasri Jayasekara ◽  
Iroshini Abeysekara
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Digital Forensics ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Global Context ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Legal Frameworks ◽  
Work Done

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of digital forensics in an evolving environment of cyber laws giving attention to Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries, comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan, in a dynamic global context. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a case study approach to discuss the digital forensics and cyber laws of BIMSTEC countries. The objective of the study was expected to be achieved by referring to decided cases in different jurisdictions. Cyber laws of BIMSTEC countries were studied for the purpose of this study. Findings The analysis revealed that BIMSTEC countries are required to amend legislation to support the growth of information technology. Most of the legislation are 10-15 years old and have not been amended to resolve issues on cyber jurisdictions. Research limitations/implications This study was limited to the members of the BIMSTEC. Originality/value This paper is an original work done by the authors who have discussed the issues of conducting investigations with respect to digital crimes in a rapidly changing environment of information technology and deficient legal frameworks.

University as a vehicle to achieve social innovation and development: repositioning the role of the university in the society

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwando Mdleleni
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Social Innovation ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Western Cape ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the role of university in promoting, generating and sustaining social innovation (SI). It aimed to understand how higher education institutions have extended their contribution beyond the traditional function of teaching and research to perform in socio-economic problem-solving. It looks at the kinds of contributions which universities potentially make to SI processes, and the effects that this has on the direction and magnitude of SI, and by implication social development. This was done by drawing lessons from a SI project that the University of the Western Cape has been involved in, i.e. Zenzeleni Networks Project. Design/methodology/approach To address the research question with this framework, the author adopted an exploratory research design using a case study. This research is qualitative, exploratory and descriptive, based on a case study built with secondary data. Findings This paper submits that universities can potentially function as key role players in promoting SI initiatives and fostering social transformations. Universities contribute with different kinds of resources and inputs to foster new SI ideas. Originality/value The paper suggests that socially innovative university projects may contribute to community social sustainability maintaining social cohesion by increasing social capital and providing resources for the empowerment of the marginalised communities. In so doing, they contribute to overcome social exclusion and promote more sustainable forms of development at community level. More research is needed on how universities can build community networks with local community partners, who can use the insights of academic research to replicate interventions and move to scale.

scholarly journals Internal Audit Role in Digital Zakat Finance: Case Study at a Zakat Institution in Indonesia

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mulyaning Wulan ◽  
Hera Khairunnisa ◽  
Efri Syamsul Bahri
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Collection System ◽  
Literature Study ◽  
Digital Platforms ◽  
Bank Transfer ◽  
Study Techniques

This study aims to get information about: 1) How is the implementation of digital zakat finance in Indonesia?; 2) Why do zakat institutions need the Internal Audit role in the implementation of digital finance zakat?. This study is motivated by the development of zakat collection systems such as digital zakat finance system that uses a digital platform. Along with the development of technology, the role of internal audit is also expected to be expanded to the aspect of information technology audit. Internal audit division faces several challenges regarding digital zakat finance. Internal audit division has to ensure the zakat institution already mitigate the significant risk related to digital zakat finance. This study is limited to the audit aspect related to zakat collection system in BAZNAS that used digital platforms such as bank transfer collection system and collection system that collaborated with e-commerce. To achieve the study’s aims, this study uses qualitative methods with literature study techniques that are reinforced by interviews.

A Multiple Case Study on the Nature and Management of Shadow Information Technology

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephan Zimmermann ◽  
Christopher Rentrop ◽  
Carsten Felden
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Multiple Case Study ◽  
End User ◽  
It Department ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
It Departments ◽  
Shadow It

ABSTRACT In several organizations, business workgroups autonomously implement information technology (IT) outside the purview of the IT department. Shadow IT, evolving as a type of workaround from nontransparent and unapproved end-user computing (EUC), is a term used to refer to this phenomenon, which challenges norms relative to IT controllability. This report describes shadow IT based on case studies of three companies and investigates its management. In 62 percent of cases, companies decided to reengineer detected instances or reallocate related subtasks to their IT department. Considerations of risks and transaction cost economics with regard to specificity, uncertainty, and scope explain these actions and the resulting coordination of IT responsibilities between the business workgroups and IT departments. This turns shadow IT into controlled business-managed IT activities and enhances EUC management. The results contribute to the governance of IT task responsibilities and provide a way to formalize the role of workarounds in business workgroups.

Unified Communication Technologies at a Global Automotive Organization

2021 ◽  
pp. 2592-2608
Author(s):  
Anthony D. Bolton ◽  
Leila Goosen ◽  
Elmarie Kritzinger
Keyword(s):  
Internet Of Things ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Qualitative And Quantitative ◽  
Critical Realist ◽  
Realist Interpretation ◽  
Complex Technology

The purpose of the study was addressing the challenge of integrating and managing complex technology-oriented advancements regarding the developing Internet of Things and in the daily lives of people. The research question was: How does digital transformation implemented through Unified Communication and Collaboration (UC&C) technologies impact productivity and innovation within a global automotive organization? A framework for the implementation of UC&C was developed and implemented in one of the world's largest automotive organizations. Following development and implementation of the framework, qualitative and quantitative research were conducted, establishing observational and metric driven data support analysis. A critical realist interpretation of the authoritative research results suggested that digitally transformed UC&C technologies enhance employees' work practices. The study concluded that transformation delivered via a digital framework such as UC&C technologies can impact productivity and create opportunities for driving innovation within a global automotive organization.

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