Imagined Facebook: An exploratory study of non-users’ perceptions of social media in Rural Zambia

2016 ◽  
Vol 19 (7) ◽  
pp. 1092-1108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Wyche ◽  
Eric PS Baumer

This article describes an exploratory study of Facebook non-users living in rural Zambia. Drawing on evidence from 37 group interviews with mobile phone owners, we discovered that the majority of our participants were aware of, or ‘imagined’ Facebook, despite never having seen or used the site. Our analysis of how participants perceive Facebook suggests that they are interested in the communication and income-generating possibilities access to the site may provide, but that barriers prevent them from acting on these interests. This study contributes to social media research by making visible the experiences of a population whose non-use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) results from economic, infrastructural, and linguistic sources, as well as from other, hitherto less-explored areas. We discuss the practical significance of these findings, offer future research suggestions, and comment on what our respondents have not yet imagined about Facebook.

Author(s):  
Katherine M. Chudoba ◽  
Mary Beth Watson-Manheim ◽  
Kevin Crowston ◽  
Chei Sian Lee

Meetings are a common occurrence in contemporary organizations. The authors’ exploratory study at Intel, an innovative global technology company, suggests that meetings are evolving beyond their familiar definition as the pervasive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) changes work practices associated with meetings. Drawing on data gathered from interviews prompted by entries in the employees’ electronic calendar system, the authors examine the multiple ways in which meetings build and reflect work in the organization and derive propositions to guide future research. Specifically, the authors identify four aspects of meetings that reflect work in the 21st century: meetings are integral to work in team-centered organizations, tension between group and personal objectives, discontinuities, and ICT support for fragmented work environment.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 15-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine M. Chudoba ◽  
Mary Beth Watson-Manheim ◽  
Kevin Crowston ◽  
Chei Sian Lee

Meetings are a common occurrence in contemporary organizations. The authors’ exploratory study at Intel, an innovative global technology company, suggests that meetings are evolving beyond their familiar definition as the pervasive use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) changes work practices associated with meetings. Drawing on data gathered from interviews prompted by entries in the employees’ electronic calendar system, the authors examine the multiple ways in which meetings build and reflect work in the organization and derive propositions to guide future research. Specifically, the authors identify four aspects of meetings that reflect work in the 21st century: meetings are integral to work in team-centered organizations, tension between group and personal objectives, discontinuities, and ICT support for fragmented work environment.


Author(s):  
Tomas Brusell

When modern technology permeates every corner of life, there are ignited more and more hopes among the disabled to be compensated for the loss of mobility and participation in normal life, and with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), Exoskeleton Technologies and truly hands free technologies (HMI), it's possible for the disabled to be included in the social and pedagogic spheres, especially via computers and smartphones with social media apps and digital instruments for Augmented Reality (AR) .In this paper a nouvel HMI technology is presented with relevance for the inclusion of disabled in every day life with specific focus on the future development of "smart cities" and "smart homes".


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 273-295
Author(s):  
Elisa Mohanty ◽  
Anindya Jayanta Mishra

Purpose The widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has had a significant effect on various groups and communities of people including micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and their owners/managers. The current study aims to analyze recent literature regarding adoption of ICTs by MSMEs. Further, it tries to locate gender within this broader context of diffusion of ICTs among MSMEs. Design/methodology/approach Using the thematic analysis approach, the research articles pertaining to six leading journals on ICTs, gender and entrepreneurship published during the time period from 2011 to 2019 are reviewed. Findings The literature selected for the study has been discussed under two primary categories, viz. “adoption of information and communication technologies for development (ICT4D) for business purposes” and “insights on gender in ICT4D use by MSMEs.” Research limitations/implications The context-dependent nature of ICT use can enable future entrepreneurs to assess the scope of specific ICTs in given areas of operation. The gendered nature of ICTs helps to evaluate as well as question the empowerment potential of ICTs. The study emphasizes the need to account for historical specificities and transnational linkages in understanding access, adoption and use of ICT4D by women MSME entrepreneurs. Originality/value The study bridges together literature on ICT4D use by MSMEs and the role of gender in ICT-mediated entrepreneurial environments. While unraveling the interplay of power dynamics in such environments, the scope for future research in terms of tapping into the content of information exchanges and exploring the implications of “dark side of internet” for women MSME entrepreneurs is also indicated.


2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 519-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nubia Velasco ◽  
Juan-Pablo Moreno ◽  
Claudia Rebolledo

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the current state of logistics practices in healthcare organizations in Bogota, Colombia. Design/methodology/approach The assessment is based on case study research using open interviews, focused interviews, a questionnaire and direct observations as sources of evidence. Seven Colombian health care settings are analyzed: four public hospitals and three private clinics. Cross-case analysis allows the identification of patterns regarding supply management, inventory management, replenishment and use of information and communication technologies. Findings Manual procedures, poor planning, little recognition from top management and a lack of specialized personnel characterize the current situation. Innovative practices with a potential to improve the efficacy of logistics activities are rare, particularly in public hospitals. Research avenues Future research could replicate this study in other Colombian cities, in order to generalize the results to the whole country. It could also be interesting to document successful and less successful implementations of innovative logistics practices in Colombian hospitals to guide and promote their adoption. Research limitations/implications The small number of cases considered, and the fact that the research is concentrated in one city, limits the generalizability of the results. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first to explore the state of healthcare logistics practices in Colombia.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
FARZAN SHENAVARMASOULEH ◽  
Farid Ghareh Mohammadi ◽  
M. Hadi Amini ◽  
Hamid R. Arabnia

<div>A smart city can be seen as a framework, comprised of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). An intelligent network of connected devices that collect data with their sensors and transmit them using wireless and cloud technologies in order to communicate with other assets in the ecosystem plays a pivotal role in this framework. Maximizing the quality of life of citizens, making better use of available resources, cutting costs, and improving sustainability are the ultimate goals that a smart city is after. Hence, data collected from these connected devices will continuously get thoroughly analyzed to gain better insights into the services that are being offered across the city; with this goal in mind that they can be used to make the whole system more efficient.</div><div>Robots and physical machines are inseparable parts of a smart city. Embodied AI is the field of study that takes a deeper look into these and explores how they can fit into real-world environments. It focuses on learning through interaction with the surrounding environment, as opposed to Internet AI which tries to learn from static datasets. Embodied AI aims to train an agent that can See (Computer Vision), Talk (NLP), Navigate and Interact with its environment (Reinforcement Learning), and Reason (General Intelligence), all at the same time. Autonomous driving cars and personal companions are some of the examples that benefit from Embodied AI nowadays.</div><div>In this paper, we attempt to do a concise review of this field. We will go through its definitions, its characteristics, and its current achievements along with different algorithms, approaches, and solutions that are being used in different components of it (e.g. Vision, NLP, RL). We will then explore all the available simulators and 3D interactable databases that will make the research in this area feasible. Finally, we will address its challenges and identify its potentials for future research.</div>


This study aims to explore the environment, behaviour patterns, and use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for knowledge sharing (KS) practices by the professionals from different sectors in Bangladesh. This study employs the quantitative approach and a survey method. The findings show that the professionals held positive perceptions about KS practices and most of them believe that KS practices can enhance their professional efficiency. While most professionals found ICTs useful for KS, they faced technological problems in addition to communication and social problems in sharing knowledge.


Author(s):  
Gerald F. Davis ◽  
Eun Woo Kim

Organizations are increasingly subject to political demands from outside actors and their own members. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are enabling a flourishing of grassroots social innovations and demands for justice that challenge traditional top-down theories of change. Over the past twenty years, scholars have found that social movement theory provides a useful approach to understanding movements within organizations, movements that target organizations, and movements that create organizations and industries. We review this recent work and propose an account that can help guide future research on the increasingly prevalent tide of politicallyoriented movements within organizations. We conclude that this is an especially promising domain for future research aimed at informing practice.


Author(s):  
Petr Levchaev

The purpose of the study is to develop theoretical positions, methodological approaches and practical aspects of the formation of a system of digital business solutions and the network environment of the smart city infrastructure. In accordance with the intended purpose it is supposed to solve a series of staged objectives, namely: to systematize the evolution of information and communication technologies; to identify the peculiarities of the network character of modern business and social institutions, as well as the peculiarities of the information economy and market information products and services; to substantiate the basic principles and laws of the functioning of economic entities in the information and digital economy. The practical significance of the research lies in the development of a system of digital business solutions and the network environment of the smart city infrastructure in the context of the possibilities of their synergy and singular development.


Author(s):  
Julián Briz ◽  
José María Duran ◽  
Isabel Felipe ◽  
Teresa Briz

Agriculture is facing new challenges in rural and urban areas, and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) may play a significant role. In this chapter, there is a background description of the ICT sector in the interface of urban and rural communities within the framework of agriculture. It describes some case analyses focused in agronomy and social sciences. In agronomy, the focuses are environment, food production, and pollution. In socioeconomics, there is a brief identification of ICT applications such as the collaboration between the university and firms. Considering the heterogeneousness of the analysis, the future research directions include different methods of studies for ICT programs (house of quality, structural organization, and others).


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