Abstract

The digital divide has been a prominent Information Systems (IS) research stream for the past few decades. While the unprecedented growth of digital technologies has impacted many aspects of our lives, some communities, especially in low- and middle-income countries, have become almost invisible due to the poor digital infrastructure and challenging socio-cultural and political structures. Responding to these challenges, often described as Grand challenges, may require refocusing on the sociotechnical origins of information systems (Sarker et al., 2019) to build novel IS artifacts that can help mitigate these barriers. This paper outlines a proposed novel framework to develop a sociotechnical system for the underserved population. Developing sociotechnical systems depends on understanding the complex interactions between technology, people, and processes. In other words, the systems should be technically efficient and align with users' needs, motivations, and behaviors. Creating sociotechnical systems to enhance the livelihoods of underserved populations in low to mid-income countries requires a thoughtful approach that integrates both social and technical elements. Some examples of these systems include building digital platforms that facilitate community engagement and participation, engaging stakeholders through workshops or design sprints to solicit their input, validating ideas, and ensuring solutions are culturally sensitive and contextually relevant. Design Thinking (DT) and Design Science Research (DSR) approaches can help develop IS solutions that meet technological requirements and human-centered considerations to solve the problem. There are some similarities in the DSR and DT phases. DSR phases include (1) problem identification and motivation, (2) objective of a solution, (3) design and development, (4) demonstration, (5) evaluation, and (6) communication. DT phases include empathy, define, ideation, prototype, and build. Design thinking can augment design science research by providing a human-centered approach to problem-solving and innovation. Combining the DT and DSR phases, this research proposes a framework consisting of the following elements: Empathy and problem identification are needed to understand stakeholders' motivations, needs, challenges, and aspirations. Definition of Objectives synthesizes findings from the empathy phase to define the problem statement by clearly articulating the objectives and goals. Design and Development via Ideation of Artefacts include brainstorming and generating solutions to the defined problem. Prototype and Demonstration include creating prototypes or representations of the proposed solution to test its feasibility and functionality. Demonstrate how the artifact solves the problem and meets the defined objectives. Test and Evaluate the Solution by conducting usability testing and gathering feedback from stakeholders to assess the solution's usability, utility, and user satisfaction. Communication includes disseminating the problem and artifact and its utility and effectiveness to other researchers and professionals. By integrating design thinking phases with design science research phases, this framework promotes a holistic approach to problem-solving that emphasizes empathy, creativity, rigorous research, and effective communication throughout the design and development process. References Sarker, S., Chatterjee, S., Xiao, X., & Elbanna, A. (2019). The sociotechnical axis of cohesion for the IS discipline: Its historical legacy and its continued relevance. MIS quarterly, 43(3), 695-720.

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