Call Your Leader: Does the Mobile Phone Affect Policymaking?

The Impact ◽

The Village

This paper analyses the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on policymaking on an Indonesian Village level. In this study, I use data from different waves of the Indonesian Village Potential Statistics (Potensi Desa) to determine whether mobile phone signal strength affects village policies and civic engagement activities. The results indicate that villages with a strong signal are statistically more likely to possess the proper infrastructure and economic programs. Furthermore, mobile phones increase civic engagement, which is consistent with previous studies related to collective action or mass mobilisation. Using the plausibly exogenous variation of lightning strike intensity as the instrumental variable, this study suggests that higher mobile phone signal strength is positively associated with the policies implemented by the village head. This study also demonstrates that ICT has a stronger effect in rural areas. One possible explanation is that mobile phones improve the relative ability for rural people to interact with their leaders. Another potential answer is the fact that there are significant differences between rural village and urban village governments, which could also affect policymaking.

A Comparative Analysis of the Government and NGOs in Delivering Quality Services for the Rural People of Pakistan: Community Perspectives

Asia-Pacific Journal of Rural Development ◽

10.1177/1018529120977260 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (1-2) ◽

pp. 203-225

Author(s):

Mohsin Khan ◽

Jetnor Kasmi ◽

Abdul Saboor ◽

Iftikhar Ali

Keyword(s):

Drinking Water ◽

Service Delivery ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Public Health Education ◽

Road Transport ◽

Extension Services ◽

Rural People ◽

Basic Services ◽

The Government ◽

Often the government and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are criticised for their poor performances in delivering services particularly in rural areas. However, there has been limited research on the assessment of their relative performances in service delivery as well as on the perceptions of people on the quality of such service delivery. This study examines the relative performances of NGOs and the governmental development interventions that provide basic services including public health, education, drinking water and sanitation. The study explains the impact of agricultural extension services and infrastructure such as access to roads and markets on the rural people and measures the satisfaction level of the rural community. For this purpose, 225 households (HHs) in 8 villages of Phalia Tehsil, district Mandi Bahauddin, Punjab, Pakistan were first surveyed in 2010 and then in 2014 using a structured questionnaire. The findings reveal different satisfaction levels of HHs, with most of them expressing less satisfaction on government service delivery compared with NGOs. They reveal satisfaction over the performance of NGOs in health, drinking water supplies and agriculture extension services. Further, the study shows an increasing satisfaction of people on access to road, transport, agri-market and price of agri-commodities by the government.

Does Mobile Phone Penetration Affect Divorce Rate? Evidence from China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su10103701 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (10) ◽

pp. 3701 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Jiaping Zhang ◽

Mingwang Cheng ◽

Xinyu Wei ◽

Xiaomei Gong

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Eastern China ◽

Divorce Rate ◽

Central China ◽

Western China ◽

Explanatory Variables ◽

Lag Times ◽

One Year ◽

Marital happiness is an important symbol of social harmony and can help promote sustainable economic and social development. In recent years, the rapid rise of the divorce rate in China, a country where the divorce rate had previously been low, has attracted wide attention. However, few articles have focused on the popularization of information and communication technology's impact on China’s rising divorce rate in recent years. As a first attempt, the provincial panel data during the period 2001–2016 is applied to study quantitatively the relationship between mobile phone penetration and the divorce rate. In order to get more reliable estimation results, this paper uses two indicators to measure the divorce rate, and quantile regression is applied for further analysis. Additionally, one-year to five-year lag times of the mobile phone penetration are used as the core explanatory variables in order to analyse the lagging effect of mobile phone penetration on divorce rate. The result shows that the correlation between the mobile phone penetration and the divorce rate was statistically positive significant in China during the period 2001–2016. Furthermore, the paper also finds that mobile phone penetration had the greatest impact on divorce rate in central China, followed by eastern China, but it was not obvious in western China during this period. From a technological perspective, this paper provides some possible explanations for the rising divorce rate in China in recent years, and further enriches the relevant research on the impact of the development of information and communication technology on societal changes.

Understanding women’s mobile phone use in rural Kenya: An affordance-based approach

Mobile Media & Communication ◽

10.1177/2050157918776684 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 94-110 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Susan Wyche ◽

Nightingale Simiyu ◽

Martha E. Othieno

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Mobile Communication ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Rural Kenya ◽

Pertinent Information ◽

Definition Of

Increases in mobile phone ownership and Internet access throughout Africa continue to motivate initiatives to use information and communication technologies (ICTs)—in particular, mobile phones—to address long-standing socioeconomic problems in the “developing world.” While it is generally recognized that mobile phones may help to address these problems by providing pertinent information, less widely known is exactly how (and if) a handset’s human–computer interface—that is, its software and hardware design—supports this form of communication. The concept of “affordances” has long been used to answer such questions. In this paper, we use Hartson’s definition of affordances to qualitatively investigate rural Kenyan women’s interactions with their mobile phones. Our detailed analysis provides empirically grounded answers to questions about the cognitive, physical, and sensory affordances of handsets used in our field sites and how they support and/or constrain mobile communication. We then discuss the implications of our findings: in particular, how this affordance-based approach draws attention to mobile phones’ design features and to the context in which they and their users are embedded—a focus which suggests new design and research opportunities in mobile communication.

DINAMIKA MASYARAKAT LOKAL DI PERBATASAN

Walisongo Jurnal Penelitian Sosial Keagamaan ◽

10.21580/ws.2013.21.2.252 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 417

Author(s):

Zaenuddin Hudi Prasojo

Keyword(s):

Open Access ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Global Community ◽

Community Members ◽

West Kalimantan ◽

Interaction Information ◽

Global Trend ◽

Local Tradition ◽

Community members living in borderland areas in Indonesia tended to be clasified as under-developed society in development aspects. Study on the borderland areas is still limited both in quantity and the impact of the study. Nanga Badau located in borderland between West Kalimantan (Indonesia) and Serawak (Malaysia) is one of the under-developed borderland area. This paper revealed the dynamic issues and the existence of local tradition in the context of globalization. It was showed that the original attitude of warn, friendly, and respect visitors express their openess toward global trend but still keep on local style. They are also realized on their position among global community. The open access abroad effected in the development of the interaction, information, and communication patterns among Iban Dayak. Sophisticated devices like mobile phone and television are familiar among Iban dayak in borderland area.***Masyarakat perbatasan yang ada di Indonesia cenderung masuk dalam kelompok masyarakat yang tertinggal dari berbagai aspek pembangunan. Kajian mengenai masyarakat lokal di wilayah-wilayah perbatasan di Indonesia belum terlalu menggembirakan baik dari segi jumlah maupun dari segi dampak hasil kajian yang berupa aksi kebijakan pasca kajian. Nanga Badau yang terletak di daerah perbatasan Kalimantan Barat (Indonesia) dan Serawak (Malaysia) merupakan salah satu wilayah perbatasan yang tertinggal. Tulisan ini memoret isu-isu dinamika dan eksistensi tradisi lokal dalam kerangka globalisasi. Tampak bahwa sikap ramah dan menghormati pendatang merupakan salah satu bentuk nyata bahwa mereka sangat terbuka dengan adanya arus global dan lokal. Mereka juga memiliki kesadaran diri akan posisi mereka sebagai bagian dari penduduk dunia. Adanya ruang interaksi bagi dunia luar, seperti mudahnya akses keluar masuk ke negara lain mengakibatkan pola interaksi, informasi dan komunikasi etnis Iban menjadi berkembang. Hal tersebut dapat dilihat pada aktivitas masyarakat Iban sehari-hari yang telah memanfaatkan dan menggunakan perangkat handphone, televisi dan teknologi modern lainnya.

Awareness of ICT-Based Projects and the Intensity of Use of Mobile Phones Among Smallholder Farmers in Uganda

Technology, Sustainability, and Rural Development in Africa ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-3607-1.ch007 ◽

2013 ◽

pp. 89-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Stephen Lwasa ◽

Narathius Asingwire ◽

Julius Juma Okello ◽

Joseph Kiwanuka

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Negative Binomial ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Negative Binomial Regression ◽

Policy Implications ◽

Mobile Phone Use ◽

Input Markets

As the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) is embraced in Uganda, determinants of awareness of ICT based projects remain unknown. The intensity of use of mobile phones among smallholder farmers in the areas where such projects operate is unclear. To address this knowledge gap, 346 smallholder farmers in two ICT project sites in Mayuge and Apac districts were subjected to econometric analysis using bi-variate logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to ascertain determinants of projects’ awareness and intensity of use of mobile phones. The authors find that education, distance to input markets, and membership in a group positively influence awareness. The decision to use a mobile phone for agricultural purposes is affected by distance to electricity and land cultivated and negatively influenced by being a member of any farmer group. Lastly, intensity of mobile phone use is affected by age, farming as the major occupation, and distance to an internet facility, being a member of a project, having participated in an agricultural project before, value of assets, size of land cultivated, possession of a mobile phone, and proximity to agricultural offices. The paper discusses policy implications of these findings.

The Impact of Mobile Phones on Teenagers' Socialization and Emancipation

Encyclopedia of Mobile Phone Behavior ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8239-9.ch002 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 12-24

Author(s):

Kalogeraki Stefania ◽

Papadaki Marina

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Parental Monitoring ◽

Peer Group ◽

Monitoring And Control ◽

Group Interactions ◽

The One ◽

And Control ◽

The Impact ◽

Mobile Phone Communication

The mobile phone has become an indispensable mean of communication in the world today, and for teenagers specifically has become de rigueur in everyday life. The eagerness of teenagers to embrace mobile devices can be associated with such devices' instrumental as well as social and expressive functions. However, these functions are intertwined with critical impacts on the interaction between teenagers and parental/peer groups. On the one hand, the mobile phone acts as a symbolic “umbilical cord” that provides a permanent channel of communication, intensifying parental surveillance. On the other hand, it creates a greater space for interaction with peers beyond parental monitoring and control. This article summarizes current research and presents an empirical example of the impact of teenagers' mobile phone communication on the dynamics of parental and peer group interactions during their socialization and emancipation from the familial sphere.

Impact of Information and Communication Technology on Livestock Production

Veterinary Science ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-5640-4.ch014 ◽

2018 ◽

pp. 270-277

Author(s):

O. Anie Sylvester

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technology ◽

Communication Technology ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Computer Literacy ◽

Personal Characteristics ◽

Livestock Production ◽

Rural Farmers ◽

Observation Methods ◽

This chapter examines the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on livestock production by rural farmers in Nigeria. Questionnaire, interview, and personal observation methods were employed to elicit information on the impact of ICT on livestock production on rural areas of Nigeria. The study reveals the significance of personal characteristics of the respondents. The findings also reveal that rural farmers need to be encouraged by providing them with relevant ICT gadgets in order to enhance effective access to information on veterinary and extension services to improve productivity. It is therefore concluded that the establishment of internet facilities in rural communities should be the priority of the State and Federal Governments in order to encourage computer literacy.

Standards, Patents and Mobile Phones

Networking and Telecommunications ◽

10.4018/978-1-60566-986-1.ch019 ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 235-257 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rudi Bekkers ◽

Joel West

Keyword(s):

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Policy Effectiveness ◽

Firm Strategies ◽

Potential Impact ◽

Ipr Policy ◽

The impact of patents and patent royalties are a major concern of standards setting organisations. Here we examine the patents filed in the UMTS 3rd generation mobile phone standard, governed by the ETSI IPR policy in response to patent issues faced during the earlier GSM standardization. We contrast firm strategies and policy effectiveness between the GSM and UTMS efforts, and review the potential impact of potential changes to the ETSI IPR policy.

Promoting Voluntariness on Technology Usage in Organisations

International Journal of ICT Research in Africa and the Middle East ◽

10.4018/ijictrame.2016070104 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 5 (2) ◽

pp. 38-48

Author(s):

Renatus Mushi ◽

Said Jafari

Keyword(s):

Technology Adoption ◽

Mobile Phone ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Mobile Technology ◽

Technology Diffusion ◽

Technology Usage ◽

Desktop Computer ◽

Mobile Phone Technology ◽

Thin Client ◽

Voluntariness in technology adoption and use is vital in promoting technology diffusion and use in organisations. Various technology adoption models have been proposed to explain the adoption of technologies in different settings, such as organizational and individual, as well as in the voluntary and mandatory contexts. Recently, uptake of mobile phones in achieving organisational targets has been increased in developing countries and Tanzania in particular. This is due to the notable improvements in both hardware performance and sophistications. In organisation context, not all users are willing to use technology as required. In such circumstances, they are mandated to use it in order to fulfil their working duties. This leads to poor uptake of technology and results to unclear understanding regarding to their attitudes towards using it. While some studies have discussed the impact of voluntariness in using traditional desktop computer systems and thin client computing, mobile phone technology has not received the deserved attention. Discussing voluntariness in using mobile phone technology in organisations in relation to other technologies is essential especially due to its usage in both working and private purposes. This paper describes the voluntary aspects of using mobile phones in performing activities of the firms in Tanzania and compares it with desktop and thin client technologies. Also, it proposes possible ways of handling such situation in order to improve its use. Among others, the paper has analysed mandotoriness on usage of mobile technology. Further, it highlights key areas which should be addressed in order to improve the usage of mobiletechnology in organisations and eventually cover the gap caused by such mandatory situations.

International Journal of Information Communication Technologies and Human Development ◽

The Impact of Mobile Phone Uses in the Developing World

10.4018/ijicthd.2017040102 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 20-48 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sylvain K. Cibangu ◽

Mark Hepworth ◽

Donna Champion

Keyword(s):

Information And Communication Technologies ◽

Mobile Phones ◽

Large Scale ◽

Communication Technologies ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Top Down ◽

The Subject ◽

In recent years, the rise of information and communication technologies (ICTs) contrasted with the dire living conditions of the world's poorest has been the subject of debate among industry and academia. However, despite the amount of writings produced on mobile phones, Western bias is surprisingly unbridledly prevailing alongside the fêted dissemination of mobile phones. Expansive literature tends to present the rapid adoption of mobile phones among rural individuals, with little to no indication of how local values and voices are respected or promoted. We undertook semi-structured interviews with 16 rural chiefs to inquire into ways in which mobile phones enabled socio-economic development in the rural Congo. Rather than using quantitative, large-scale, or top-down data, we sought to give voice to chiefs themselves about the role of mobile phones. We found that Western bias dominates the literature and deployment of mobile phones more than usually acknowledged. We suggested some paths forward, while bringing the African communal Utu or Ubuntu culture to the center stage.