Cloud Readiness and Digital Infrastructure Gaps in Ghana

Digital infrastructure impacts teaching practices and school reform, leading to better access and use of educational resources. This study investigates the teachers' practices on digital infrastructure toward schools’ digital capacity and transformation aimed to evaluate respondents' digital infrastructure, schools' capacity, teachers' practices' impact on digital infrastructure, and the relationship between these factors and their characteristics among teachers of Initao District, during the School Year 2023-2024. A stratified random sampling of 200 elementary and secondary school teachers/respondents employed a patterned and modified questionnaire using descriptive statistics, such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, to describe the variable in the study. Furthermore, Pearson's correlation (r) and t-test were also employed to determine the relationships and each difference in the variables used in the study. This study applied a quantitative research method on numerical data and statistical analysis to investigate the relationships between variables and describe the characteristics of the sample population. The result shows that most respondents were 26–35 years old, female, married, with MA units, 6-15 years of teaching experience, teacher 1 in position, and attended training at the district/school level. The study indicates high practices in digital capacity for teaching effectiveness, while the school's digital capacity and transformation are highly regarded in terms of teachers' attributes and professional development. Access to digital infrastructure, digital pedagogical skills, technical support, infrastructure maintenance, and teaching effectiveness significantly affect digital capacity and transformation. At the same time, the highest educational attainment and training/seminars attended on digital infrastructure showed a significant relationship towards teaching effectiveness and their profiles. The study concludes that there is a direct link between effective teaching and appropriate use of digital resources; hence, there is a vital importance of teacher training and continuous support in fully harnessing the benefits of digital infrastructure in education. It is recommended that schools prioritize teacher training, increased funding, improved digital literacy, and collaborative curriculum alignment for effective technology integration.

Cloud services are viewed as a new paradigm of computing provision shifting to the network in the form of services. More and more firms are planning to adopt cloud services recently. Thus, understanding drivers and barriers of cloud adoption from firms’ point of view becomes very important. Though many qualitative studies have already addressed the adoption factors of cloud services, none of previous research has empirically examined these antecedents using large scale of data. Furthermore, a complete and integrated framework which can help firms evaluate whether they should step into cloud is lacked in the current literature. To bridge this gap, our study uses technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework and IT governance to develop a cloud service adoption model. Using telephone survey, we collected 200 public Taiwanese firms to empirically examine our proposed model. Our results show that cloud adoption is still at its initial stage (IaaS adoption rate=13%; PaaS adoption rate=5%; SaaS adoption rate=30%) and only factors in the technology context within the TOE framework would significantly influence cloud services adoption. The interesting finding is quite different from previous innovation diffusion studies which focus on mature stage of innovation diffusion. Our study affirms that in the early stage of innovation (cloud) adoption, historically important factors in organization and environment contexts have very limited impacts. We explain the phenomenon using the viewpoint of innovation diffusion curve: the current cloud adopters are innovators whose characteristics are adventurous, daring to attempt new things, and leading the crowd. These pioneers love to embrace just launched technologies, and are not easily affected by other people. Instead, they will affect general public later. As a result, we suggest cloud service providers focus more on promoting the benefits and alleviating the concerns of cloud services when marketing their cloud services at early stage.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pivotal to local economic resilience, employment generation, and innovation in emerging markets. As urbanisation accelerates and digital economies expand, digital transformation emerges not only as a technological imperative but as a developmental and spatial strategy. This paper explores the evolving relationship between digitalisation and SME growth in developing contexts, drawing from the perspective of urban and regional planning. While digital tools offer SMEs new pathways to participate in broader markets and streamline operations, their uptake is often constrained by infrastructure deficits, regulatory uncertainty, and spatial disparities in digital access. Through a critical review of scholarly literature, policy documents, and institutional reports, this study identifies key barriers and strategic responses associated with SME digitalisation. Particular attention is paid to how digital infrastructure, governance environments, and urban–rural linkages influence the efficacy of digital transformation efforts. Strategies such as fintech integration, digital hubs, and public–private partnerships are evaluated for their relevance in spatially diverse regions. The findings highlight the need for place-based, multi-scalar policy responses that align digital transformation initiatives with inclusive urban development and spatial equity. This study contributes to a more integrated understanding of digital development, one that merges technology with territorial planning and offers insights for policymakers, planners, and SME practitioners navigating the digital economy in emerging markets.

In the contemporary digital economy, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly compelled to adopt smart business models to remain competitive and responsive to market dynamics. Smart business models leverage digital technologies to enhance operational efficiency, customer engagement, and innovation capacity. However, the transition to such models is fraught with challenges, particularly concerning digital infrastructure. This study investigates the specific digital infrastructure barriers that SMEs encounter in their pursuit of smart business models, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of these impediments and propose actionable solutions. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, combining quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews with SME owners and managers across various sectors. The quantitative component involves a structured survey distributed to 500 SMEs, assessing their current digital infrastructure, readiness for digital transformation, and perceived barriers. The qualitative component comprises in-depth interviews with 30 SME stakeholders, providing nuanced insights into the challenges and strategies related to digital infrastructure. Findings reveal that SMEs face multifaceted barriers in transitioning to smart business models. Key challenges include limited financial resources to invest in advanced digital technologies, inadequate broadband connectivity, lack of in-house technical expertise, cybersecurity concerns, and resistance to organizational change. These barriers are often interrelated, creating a complex landscape that hinders digital transformation efforts. Financial constraints emerge as a predominant barrier, with many SMEs unable to afford the initial investment required for digital infrastructure upgrades. This limitation is exacerbated by difficulties in accessing external funding or government support programs. Inadequate broadband connectivity, particularly in rural or underserved areas, further impedes the adoption of cloud-based services and real-time data analytics essential for smart business operations. The lack of in-house technical expertise poses another significant challenge. SMEs often struggle to recruit and retain skilled IT professionals, leading to reliance on external consultants or suboptimal utilization of digital tools. Cybersecurity concerns also deter SMEs from embracing digital transformation, as they fear potential data breaches and lack the resources to implement robust security measures. Organizational resistance to change, rooted in established workflows and cultural inertia, further complicates the transition. Employees may be hesitant to adopt new technologies, and management may lack a clear digital strategy or vision. This resistance underscores the need for change management initiatives and leadership commitment to foster a digital-ready culture. This research contributes to the existing literature by providing an in-depth analysis of digital infrastructure barriers specific to SMEs and offering practical solutions to facilitate their transition to smart business models. By addressing these challenges, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and SMEs themselves can collaboratively pave the way for a more inclusive and resilient digital economy.

Discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic destroyed human capital at critical moments in the life cycle—early adulthood (15–24 years)—and how policies could reverse these human capital losses by building agile, resilient, and adaptive human development systems for future shocks. The pandemic led to sharp reductions in critical inputs for child development. Lengthy school closures affected human capital by leading to deep learning losses, as little learning occurred while schools were closed, despite widespread remote-learning efforts. Some children did not return to school even after schools reopened. And those most affected—people younger than 25 today—will make up 90 percent of the prime-age workforce in 2050. The pandemic also revealed systemic weaknesses in how governments integrate efforts across sectors to address the multidimensional nature of human capital deficits. A human development system should build on existing sector-specific systems and individual programs to take a look at coordinating human capital investments and exploiting their complementarities for growth.

Digital transformation along the supply chain

This strategic analysis of global and national digital transformation trends highlights some new opportunities for Russia’s regions. Professor V. L. Kvint’s theory of strategy and methodology of strategizing provided a deeper understanding of the key factors behind the digital transformation of regional economies. The current global trends involve the development of artificial intelligence (AI) and digital infrastructure. The national trends lie in the ICT sphere, human resources, and digital literacy, as well as in the growing interregional digital gap and costs. The OTSW analysis of global and national trends revealed some major long-term strategic opportunities for regional economies, e.g., conquering international technology markets, developing digital sovereignty and infrastructure for data security purposes, accelerating digitalization processes in the regions, improving people’s digital skills, etc. On the one hand, low national and regional aspirations in the AI sphere may increase the risk of falling behind the global trends and losing competitive advantages. On the other hand, a larger and faster AI implementation would require new strategic documents to standardize the digital transformation at the national level.

Purpose This paper investigates how digitalisation – encompassing broadband infrastructure (basic connectivity), ICT investment (usage intensity) and e-commerce – impacts productivity growth in European Union and Southeast Asian economies. It also explores whether robust institutional quality magnifies digital returns. Design/methodology/approach A panel of 38 countries (2012–2023) was compiled using World Bank, Eurostat and ITU data. System GMM regressions address endogeneity and dynamic effects. Growth accounting methods, including Data Envelopment Analysis and the Malmquist Index, validate the regression findings and gauge efficiency and technological shifts. Findings The findings highlight that investing in ICT and using e-commerce strongly boost productivity, while broadband connectivity alone has limited impact unless supported by good governance. High-quality institutions enhance the effectiveness of digital investments. Moreover, greater digitalisation reduces unemployment and encourages wider workforce participation, demonstrating significant economic and social benefits. Research limitations/implications Secondary macro data may obscure regional nuances. Future studies could use firm-level datasets or investigate emerging digital tools (e.g. AI). Practical implications Policymakers should combine investment in digital connectivity with efforts to strengthen institutions and improve digital skills to achieve sustained economic growth. Social implications Bolstering inclusive digital adoption can reduce regional inequalities, promote economic resilience and lay groundwork for broader sustainable development. Originality/value Unlike previous studies that mainly focus on digital infrastructure, this research uniquely shows how the intensity of digital use and the quality of institutions jointly drive productivity. Integrating institutional theory with practical economic analysis across two diverse regions, it offers fresh insights into achieving meaningful productivity gains from digitalisation.

Background. Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods. This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data sets. The effects of ICT on life expectancy are estimated with the Panel model. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results. The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of ICT on life expectancy in the Middle East. The calculated Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when ICT variable increases by one unit. Moreover, the rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. Conclusion. Considering the effect of ICT on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of ICT with the existing programs and systems. Technology is not an end in itself but merely the means to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. Background Life expectancy is an important health status indicator based on average number of years a person at a given age may be expected to live given current mortality rates. Given this significance, it would be necessary to probe into the factors affecting the life expectancy. Ensuring that information and communication technology (ICT) services are properly used could contribute to development and achievement, as it represents an important issue for the countries moving toward knowledge-based and information-based societies. As ICT affects everyday lives, it also impacts the macroeconomic growth, which in turn further affects everyday lives by allowing improvements in infrastructures and a higher standard of living. ICTs inherently entail the economic development of countries, regions and cities, while also improving social inclusion, well-being and therefore quality of life. Therefore, this study explored the impact of the information and communication technology on life expectancy. Methods This study covers annual data from 2008 to 2018 for a group of countries of in the Middle East. Data were retrieved from the Annual Reports such as World Bank dataset and International Telecommunication Union (ITU) data set. The effects of information and communication technology on life expectancy were estimated through the Panel model. First, stationary tests were performed with the Fisher’s generalized unit root test. In the Fisher test for panel data, the null hypothesis of a unit root was rejected at the 5% level of significance. The cross-section correlation test was performed with the Freeze test. The null hypothesis of no correlation was rejected at the 5% level of significance. We also used the Hausman test to investigate fixed versus random effects. The null hypothesis of no fixed effects was accepted so the random effects model was used. The Hausman test detects endogenous regressors in a regression model. Endogenous variables have values that are determined by other variables in the system. The data were analyzed by Stata 14 software. Results The core findings of this study confirm the significant impact of information and communication technology on life expectancy in the Middle East. The Coefficient of the regression was 0.551 indicating how much life expectancy changes when information technology variable increases by one unit. The coefficient of ICT shows that 1% increase in ICT variable causes 0.551 % incline in life expectancy and this result is significant at 5% level of significance. Regarding control variables, we found that all have expected statistically significant effects on life expectancy. The intra-cluster correlation coefficient (rho) is a measure of the relatedness, or similarity, of clustered data. Values of rho range from 0 to 1 in human studies, and as the rho increases, more individuals within the clusters resemble one another. The rho (intraclass correlation) was found to be 0.975 showing that 97.5% of the variance is due to differences across panels. This research recommends that human development programs need to focus on polices which foster digital inclusion. Conclusion Considering the effect of information and communication technology on life expectancy, policymakers of the Middle Eastern countries should integrate the use of information and communication technology with the existing programs and systems. The digital citizen is happier and values living in regions with technological capacity, investing in research & development, and committed to achieving sustainable growth. ICT use leads to improved assessments of the efficiency and management of the public administration by more technological users, underlining the importance of an understanding between users and public services in the virtual sphere. Technology is not an end in itself but merely an instrument to reinforce the existing system and to meet the locally determined goals. It can be used as a tool to attain broader health and development goals. The findings from this study provide key insights that explain how life expectancy may be enhanced through ICTs. Practical Implications of Research According to the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on life expectancy, policymakers should provide ICT infrastructures and adopt strategies integrating ICT policies with human life criteria such as education, health and work to improve life expectancy. Ethical Consideration The paper reflects the author’s own research and analysis in a truthful and complete manner. Conflict of Interests This study was an independent research and the author declares no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Acknowledgement I would like to thank Dr Marzieh Ronaghi for her guidance and assistance throughout this research.

The article examines the state, losses, and directions of recovery of the digital infrastructure of Kyiv Oblast after the de-occupation and destruction of its territories as a result of Russia’s full-scale aggression. It is determined that digital infrastructure represents a fundamental element of the modern socio-economic system, ensuring the functioning of communications, public services, business, and governance. Its structure is revealed as a combination of hard (network and technical) and soft (organizational, service, and managerial) components that interact within the regional digital ecosystem. An assessment of the scale of telecommunication infrastructure damage, losses incurred by service providers, and the negative socio-economic consequences of disrupted digital communications has been carried out. The processes of digital infrastructure recovery in Kyiv Oblast during 2022–2024 and their impact on the restoration of social and economic activity in local communities have been analyzed. It is shown that rebuilding digital networks has become one of the most dynamic areas of post-war reconstruction, allowing the region to rank among the twelve leading oblasts with the highest Digital Transformation Index. Using the examples of the Boryspil, Bucha, and Irpin communities, it is demonstrated that digital solutions accelerate the recovery of municipal services, business processes, and management systems. The main challenges have been identified: uneven coverage, the digital divide between urban and rural communities, and the shortage of qualified personnel and digital skills. The article substantiates the key directions for further development — the expansion of hard digital infrastructure, enhancement of digital competencies, advancement of e-governance, development of cybersecurity, and promotion of the digital economy in local communities. The results confirm that digital infrastructure functions not only as an object but also as a catalyst for post-war recovery, contributing to regional resilience, competitiveness, and integration into the European digital space.

Digital innovation and transformation: An institutional perspective

Introduction. The effect of digital technology on productivity of service industry is imperative regarding economic growth of the world economy especially where service industries dominate GDP in developed economies. The paper looks at the aspect of digital transformation in relation to its impact on service productivity in 176 economies between 2009 and 2023 in terms of disparities in income levels, economies of scale perspectives, and structural moderni zation.Materials and Methods. In the investigation of the association between service labor productivity and digital technology (as evaluated using the ICT Development Index), we used a cross-nation panel data and fixed-effects regression generalization. Testing of the mechanism involved economies of scale analyses of mediation as well as structural modernization. UNCTAD and the World Bank were used as sources of data regarding 176 economies, and the period was 15 years.Results. Each unit increase in the ICT Development Index stimulated a 0.43 percent growth in the service labor productivity (p 0.01). The 8.8 percentage productivity growth was attributed to high-income countries than the middle and low incomes nations. The improvement of productivity through economies of scale and structural modernization led to digitalization; however, it had minimal impact in the developing regions because of the mismatched infrastructure and missing integration in the developing areas.Discussion and Conclusion. In high-income economies, digital technology has a very strong environment in increasing service productivity but in the lower-income contexts, it has less significant effects. The policy implications are that there should be specific investments in digital infrastructure, institutional preparation, and human capital provision to achieve growth on an inclusive basis. There are data availability and heterogeneity of regions. Digital inclusion strategies and the firmlevel dynamics should be investigated in the future. This paper contributes to the quantitative dataon unevenness in digital transformation around the globe and it guides on how policy makers can utilize it to achieve a sustainable economic growth.

General Background: Digital transformation has become a strategic approach for organizations seeking improved operational systems and competitive positioning through the integration of advanced technologies, digital strategies, and data-driven management. Specific Background: In higher education institutions, digital transformation involves technological infrastructure, data and analytics, digital strategy, security, and organizational culture to support institutional performance and competitive advantage dimensions such as quality, service excellence, and customer responsiveness. Knowledge Gap: Despite increasing global attention to digital transformation in universities, empirical studies examining its relationship with sustainable competitive advantage in educational institutions remain limited, particularly within the context of Iraqi higher education. Aims: This study aims to analyze the relationship between digital transformation dimensions and competitive advantage in the performance of educational institutions through a field study conducted in several colleges of the Holy University of Karbala. Results: The findings indicate a statistically significant relationship between digital transformation and competitive advantage dimensions. Digital strategy and data analytics show significant relationships with quality and service excellence, while data and analytics demonstrate a significant relationship with customer responsiveness. Overall results show high levels of digital transformation (mean = 4.00) and competitive advantage (mean = 4.17), with an overall mean of 4.09 indicating strong consensus regarding the role of digital technologies in institutional performance. Novelty: This study provides empirical evidence linking multiple digital transformation dimensions with competitive advantage indicators within university environments. Implications: The results highlight the importance of investing in digital infrastructure, adopting comprehensive digital strategies, and strengthening data-driven decision-making to support institutional performance and long-term competitiveness in higher education. Highlights: Strong institutional agreement regarding digital technology adoption in university operations Data analytics shows a significant relationship with responsiveness to user needs Strategic digital planning demonstrates statistical association with academic service quality Keywords: Digital Transformation; Competitive Advantage; Educational Institution Performance; Data And Analytics; Digital Strategy

The general objective of this study was to establish the effect of digital transformation on the customer relationship management capability of star-rated hotels in Mombasa County, Kenya. The specific objectives were to examine the effect of digital infrastructure on customer relationship management capability, establish the effect of digital strategy on customer relationship management capability and analyse the effect of data analytics on customer relationship management capability of star-rated hotels in Mombasa County. The study was founded on the Technology-Organisation-Environment Framework, the Resource-Based Theory and the Dynamic Capabilities Theory. The target population was the star-rated hotels operating in Mombasa County, and they were 43 in number according to the Mombasa County Government Trade Department report (2024). A census of the target population was done because it was relatively small. A cross-sectional research design was adopted, and data were collected using a structured questionnaire with marketing managers of the hotels being the respondents. Out of the 43 star-rated hotels, marketing managers from 37 of them responded, and this led to an 86% response rate. Data analysis was done using simple regression analysis, and the regression results indicated that Digital infrastructure, Digital strategy and Digital analytics all had a positive and significant effect on customer relationship capability of the star-rated hotels. Digital strategy had the strongest effect on the hotel’s customer relationship management capability, which suggests that improvements in strategic digital planning and alignment are most strongly associated with enhanced CRM capabilities. Based on the results of the regression analysis, the study concluded that digital transformation had a positive and significant effect on the customer relationship management capability of the star-rated hotels in Mombasa County. The study recommended that management of the hotels should prioritise strategic digital planning, invest in scalable digital infrastructure, enhance the hotels’ data analytics capabilities through staff training programs and encourage cross-functional digital collaboration within the hotels. Future studies could consider incorporating qualitative methods to capture deeper organisational perspectives on digital transformation, including challenges, cultural factors, and leadership dynamics.

The paper presents the results of the analysis of the readiness of small and medium enterprises, VET providers, high education institutions and consultancy organizations towards digital and bionic transformation and ac­quisition of a “bionic status”. The purpose of the paper is to find out which key skills and knowledge are needed for employees in order to be ready for digital transformation. SMEs that were a part of the survey operate in different eco­nomic sectors in various countries of the European Union (Spain, Slovenia, Po­land, Croatia, Ukraine, Austria, Italy, Germany, Macedonia, Switzerland, Bel­gium, and Hungary). Other organisations such as public bodies, non-govern­mental organisations (NGOs), universities and technological centres also par­ticipated in the survey on digital competences. Key conclusions of the analy­sis indicate that almost all participants are familiar with the need for digital transformation, but that knowledge about 4.0 technologies is still lacking. The most significant knowledge is in robotics, 3D printing and Cloud Services, big data, and IoT. Blockchain and artificial intelligence are considered less impor­tant for digital transformation. However, a strong need for further education and training in all of these areas was expressed.