Engaging Namibian informal settlement community in social innovation
- Authors: Jagodick, Jana , Nashima, Etuna , Courvisanos, Jerry
- Date: 2017
- Type: Text , Conference proceedings
- Relation: 12th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE 2017; Paris, France; 21st-22nd September 2017 Vol. 2017-September, p. 323-329
- Full Text: false
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- Description: Investment is increasing throughout Africa. However, there are still major development difficulties in many regions. One of the major challenges is implementation of innovative solutions through social learning in disadvantaged communities. This paper reports on a research project that has been carried out in an informal settlement community in Katutura. Katutura is the poorest part of Windhoek, the capital of Namibia. In the informal settlements of Katutura live the poorest of this disadvantaged suburb. These settlements have members who lack access to water, electricity and sanitation. The project pioneers the concept of a new sanitation solution which is a social innovation that aims at enhancing communication among their members. This paper addresses three interrelated research questions pertaining to social innovation, social learning and whether transformation can happen without human change agents. At the beginning of the project, beneficial family members were actively recruited to dig holes for the water toilet tanks. After installation of ten environmental friendly toilets by ten disadvantaged families, interviews were conducted with female and male members of beneficial families, their neighbours and external contractors. The interview data was categorised into six representative case studies and analysed by using grounded theory. From this investigation emerged that such a new sanitation solution can, via social learning, play the role of social innovation. This was evident through the change of behaviour by most members who were actively or passively engaged. In this regard, new relationships were established between previously separated individuals and groups. A great number of studies emphasise the importance of human agents in the process of change. The finding of this paper suggests that social innovation itself can stimulate change if implemented by a small number of people. After implementation of social innovation by beneficial families, the communication patterns changed because their neighbours became interested in the same sanitation solution. This implies that transformation can materialise in disadvantaged communities. Tribal barriers can be overcome through social learning in the context of social innovation without a formal planned effort. These new findings are useful for educators, NGOs and government policy decision makers. © 2018 Academic Conferences and Publishing International Limited. All rights reserved.
- Description: Proceedings of the European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, ECIE
ICT change agents: Global actors in financial services technology projects
- Authors: Jagodick, Jana , Courvisanos, Jerry , Yearwood, John
- Date: 2011
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Asia Pacific Management Review Vol. 16, no. 2 (2011), p. 165-180
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- Description: The global demand for web-based applications regarding financial products and services drives the financial sector to innovate through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) projects. The ICT projects are launched for the diffusion (spread) and implementation of new software or hardware by using web-based platforms in order to offer innovative financial products and services across the branch bank system. These projects are initiated, diffused, managed and implemented by global actors, so-called ICT change agents. Despite the increased recruitment of ICT change agents, there is relatively little research available regarding ICT change agents in financial services projects. Specifically, little consideration is given to the interaction process between formal and informal ICT change agents' roles. Based on a case study methodology in Australia and Germany, this research indicates that deadline-oriented projects drive ICT change agents to play various formal and informal roles. Their formal roles are performed in accordance with organisational settings and project management standards, whereas their informal operations are due to the rapid-changing and global nature of ICT technologies. The findings are summed up in a new framework which indicates that both types of roles impact on the outcomes of financial services technology projects.
Key public sector individuals as ICT change agents : An analysis of Australian and German experience
- Authors: Jagodick, Jana , Courvisanos, Jerry , Yearwood, John , Braun, Patrice
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: The Asia Pacific Journal of Public Administration Vol. 31, no. 2 (2009), p. 197-212
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- Description: The increasing demand for technology-enabled public sector services drives state agencies to launch information and communication technology (ICT) projects. The Australian and German state agencies are taking a proactive role towards technological change by employing so-called ICT change agents. These ICT change agents introduce, diffuse, manage and implement ICT within projects. Despite the mobilisation of change agents, there is scant research on the formal and informal roles of these key individuals within public sector projects. This article bridges that gap by providing valuable insights into the activities of public sector ICT change agents. It is based on empirical research from six case studies in Australian and German state agencies. Findings from these studies indicate that public sector ICT change agents position organisations to take advantage of cutting edge technologies by performing a great variety of formal and informal roles. Formal roles are performed in order to accomplish set formal project tasks, while informal roles help to speed up rapid ICT adoption and innovation through the change agents’ informal networks. The findings are delineated in a framework for future research which shows that formal and informal roles impact on the outcomes of public sector ICT projects.
- Description: 2003007371