“Pursuing the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals: Lessons Learned from a Project in Villages in India” by Professor Viswanath Venkatesh
STRATEGY AND IB SEMINAR
Speaker:
Professor Viswanath Venkatesh
Distinguished Professor
Department of Information Systems
The Sam M. Walton College of Business
University of Arkansas
Abstract:
The pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of the United Nations is of economic and social significance to the poorest citizens of less developed countries. Information and communication technologies are seen to have the potential to help achieve these goals. Yet, the presence of a digital divide, which is the gulf between information and communication technology (ICT) haves and have-nots, exists across a variety of demographic, ethnic, and geographic dimensions. Overcoming the digital divide by successfully deploying ICTs in developing countries can have major socioeconomic implications for those countries. ICTs can be a cornerstone for the development of these countries by providing better quality of life through greater access to education, health care, and government. ICT success, typically defined in terms of adoption and use, is rare, with up to 85% failing to some degree in developing countries. The goal of this presentation is to discuss one such large-scale longitudinal (10+ years) research project being conducted in India among over 3,000 farming families across 10 villages. Against the backdrop of this project, various research papers will be discussed.
