Abstract
There are conflicting views about how social enterprise logic impacts community networks’ sustainability (CNs). Some authors believe that running with the social enterprise logic spells doom on CNs. Conversely, some believe that it does not necessarily spell doom on CNs. However, CNs, particularly those implemented in sub-Saharan Africa, cannot be implemented with an alternative logic, such as the for-profit business logic. Consequently, there is a need to develop a framework for making CNs sustainable, although they run with the social enterprise logic. This research develops a framework that will enable those involved in CN implementation in sub-Saharan Africa to understand how to instil sustainability factors into every stage of CN implementation. The study uses the Zaria Community Network (ZCN), Zaria, Nigeria, as a case study and adopts the inductive approach. The study data were derived from the chat messages from a WhatsApp group used as a platform for communication by those implementing the ZCN and from secondary sources. The study findings revealed that sustainable participation was a primary factor that comes to bear in the sustainability of the ZCN. It also revealed how sustainable participation influences sustainable infrastructure, sustainable stakeholders’ support, and sustainable funding. We conclude that the framework helps implement sustainable CNs in sub-Saharan Africa and other regions with similar socio-technical similarities.
Recommended Citation
Tata, Auwal Alhassan and Utulu, Samuel C. Avemaria, "Social Enterprise Logic and the Sustainability of Community Networks in Sub-Sahara Africa: Lessons from the Zaria Community Network in Nigeria" (2022). UK Academy for Information Systems Conference Proceedings 2022. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ukais2022/1