Start Date
11-8-2016
Description
ICT4D research orients to the empowerment of underdeveloped populations through the provision of Internet technologies, with an eye toward technology-supported economic development. Any development effort of this sort, however, faces geopolitical barriers to entry. In order to technologically enable a population, governmentally sponsored national infrastructure initiatives are required and these typically involve outside consultation, economic support and direct partnership to succeed. Yet, geopolitical forces may militate against this taking place. We consider the contrasting examples of Singapore and Vietnam as instances of national information infrastructure initiatives that were attempted and either succeeded or failed based upon geopolitical considerations. The result is a cautionary tale for scholars interested in ICT4D, in as much as the success of a particular project is dependent not only upon technological factors, but political and cultural ones as well.
Recommended Citation
Stafford, Tom and Syler, Rhonda, "Geopolitical Factors Impacting ICT4D: Comparing Singapore with Vietnam" (2016). AMCIS 2016 Proceedings. 5.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2016/Global/Presentations/5
Geopolitical Factors Impacting ICT4D: Comparing Singapore with Vietnam
ICT4D research orients to the empowerment of underdeveloped populations through the provision of Internet technologies, with an eye toward technology-supported economic development. Any development effort of this sort, however, faces geopolitical barriers to entry. In order to technologically enable a population, governmentally sponsored national infrastructure initiatives are required and these typically involve outside consultation, economic support and direct partnership to succeed. Yet, geopolitical forces may militate against this taking place. We consider the contrasting examples of Singapore and Vietnam as instances of national information infrastructure initiatives that were attempted and either succeeded or failed based upon geopolitical considerations. The result is a cautionary tale for scholars interested in ICT4D, in as much as the success of a particular project is dependent not only upon technological factors, but political and cultural ones as well.