Information, communication, travel behavior and accessibility

Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) introduced in the second half of the last century have shaped substantially the mode of peoples’ interaction, business process, entertainment and learning. ICT are encouraging globalization, exchange of information and the proliferation of cyber space. The benefits of using these technologies are immense and they are here to stay. Today, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) acquisition and implementation are facing a lot of problems. Considering the enormous benefits that are experienced in the impact of ICT in Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), NSCDC still experience some obstacles or hindrances in the effective and efficient use of the ICT resources in combating crime. This includes the problem of insufficient data, due to lack of strategic use of ICT as resources tools in combating crime. Secondly, inadequate government funding of the NSCDC leading to lack of relevant materials and equipment needed in cyber threat combating. Additionally, the lacks of competent ICT personnel or technical team engaged in such critical and sensitive operations seem to be another threat to the security or crime combat mission. This research has been conducted to expose some of the inhibiting factors, and to ascertain the impact of ICT on national security with special focus on the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC’s) case. A hypothetic deductive methodology (quantitative approach) involving survey design, distribution, collation and computational analysis using, frequency distribution and percentage method, and Chi-Square; Discriminant Analyses using statistical packages such as SPSS. The results of such analysis would be discussed and interpreted in relation to the key issue of the research. The results of the analysis of the responses from the field work conducted reveal that the NSCDC do have the required ICT tools in combating crime, and that information gatherings do help the Corps in the actualization of their technological goals. The outcome of the research suggests from all indications, that using Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corp, FCT Command, Abuja as a study, ICT has tremendous impacts on security and fight against cybercrime. ICT has roles in the security of any nation. Impacts can be direct, through growth of the ICT sector and ICT-using industries, and indirect through multiplier effects.

PurposeThe lack of proper dissemination of market information is observed as the main reason of poor marketing of the agricultural produce in India. Application of information and communication technology (ICT) can bridge this information gap by means of dissemination of required marketing information specifically targeted at the farmers. The purpose of this paper is to study the impact of ICT on marketing of rice in Uttar Pradesh, one of the biggest northern states of India.Design/methodology/approachAs rice is the dominant crop of Uttar Pradesh, the impact of ICT on net price received (NPf) by rice producers of the state is studied. An attempt is also made to identify the factors that influence the use of ICT. Primary data are collected through a multistage sampling technique. Single, multiple dummy and binary logistic regression models are used in the present work.FindingsA significant difference is observed in the NPf of the farmers using ICT than that of non-users. Education and land holding type also have a positive and significant impact on ICT use.Originality/valueIn the existing literature, the study related to the impact of ICT on agricultural marketing is almost absent for India in general, and Uttar Pradesh in particular. ICT has created impact in almost all directions of life. It is expected that the implementation of ICT will create a notable impact on the income level of the farmers. The present study will give a direction in this regard. The study is based on primary data and original work of the authors.

The impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Total Factor Productivity (TFP) is analysed under the hypothesis that a greater use of ICT may help firms to increase their efficiency. ICTs are considered as General Purpose Technologies (GPTs), i.e. drastic technological innovations that are characterised by pervasiveness, technological dynamism, and innovative complementarities. The paper concerns a micro-econometric analysis of Italian manufacturing firms using the data of two surveys carried out by Mediocredito Centrale–Capitalia. The impact of ICTs on Italian firms' TFP is analysed under the assumption that ICTs positively influence the TFP directly through investments, and indirectly through the new composition of inputs required by ICTs to fully exploit their benefits. Estimated results confirm that either ICT investments or the complementary factors have a positive influence on firm's TFP. It is also found that firms that invest in ICT are able to reach higher level of efficiency than firms that do not.

In contrast to traditional meta-analyses of research, an alternative overview and analysis of the research literature on the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) in medical education is presented in this article. A distinction is made between studies that have been set up at the micro-level of the teaching and learning situation and studies on meso-level issues. At the micro-level, ICT is hypothesized to foster three basic information processing activities: presentation, organization, and integration of information. Next to this, ICT is expected to foster collaborative learning in the medical knowledge domain. Empirical evidence supports the potential of ICT to introduce students to advanced graphical representations but the studies also stress the importance of prior knowledge and the need for real-life tactile and practical experiences. The number of empirical studies focusing on the impact of ICT on information organization is restricted but the results suggest a positive impact on student attitudes and relevant learning gains. However, again, students need a relevant level of prior knowledge. Empirical studies focusing on the impact of ICT on information integration highlight the positive impact of ICT-based assessment and computer simulations; for the latter this is especially the case when novices are involved, and when they master the prerequisite ICT skills. Little empirical evidence is available regarding the impact of computer games. Research results support the positive impact of ICT-based collaboration but care has to be taken when skills development is pursued. At the meso-level, the available empirical evidence highlights the positive impact of ICT to promote the efficiency of learning arrangements. Research grounds the key position of ICT in a state-of-the-art medical curriculum. Recent developments focusing on repositories of learning materials for medical education have yet not been evaluated. The article concludes by stressing the need for evaluative studies, especially in the promising field of ICT-based collaborative learning. Furthermore, the importance to be attached to the position and qualifications of the teaching staff is emphasized.

Education has been an important instrument for social and economic transformation. Presently, higher education in Algeria is experiencing a major transformation in terms of access and quality. This transition is highly influenced by the swift development in information and communication technologies (ICTs) all over the world. As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become one of the basic building blocks of modern society, its introduction in higher education has profound implications for the whole education process, especially in the issues of access, equity, management, efficiency, pedagogy, and quality. Inventive use of ICT is defined as the use of ICT applications that hold up the learning objectives based on the requirements of the modern information society. Hence, there is a need to bring out the facts on the impact of ICT on educational trainers. At the same time, the optimal utilization of opportunities arising due to diffusion of ICTs in higher education system presents a profound challenge for higher education institutes. The purpose of this paper is to discuss how implementation of ICT in EFL will improve the learning process in higher education in Algeria. It addresses the opportunities that can be gained through the integration of ICTs in various aspects of higher education. The study will be purely quantitative, and one questionnaire is administered for students to be analyzed.

Technological advancements significantly influence global society, public administration, and the economy. Information and communication technology (ICT) has the potential to enhance government transparency and openness, thereby mitigating corruption. This study examined the use of ICT in the control of corruption. Further examined the economic factors (GDP per capita, cash Expense %GDP & trade openness index) and non-economic (investment & & rule of law) factors to evaluate the impact of ICT on managing corruption within the public sector. The sample of the study is panel data from 46 Asian countries spanning 26 years, from 1996 to 2021, by Pooled Mean Group-Autoregressive Distributed Lag (PMG-ARDL) methodology with STATA software. The findings support the existing body of knowledge regarding the positive impact of ICT on the control of corruption (CR). Further economic and non-economic factors are major contributors to the control of corruption with the use of ICT. The conclusions emphasize the need to accelerate government digitization and develop a comprehensive cloud computing strategy for the executive branch. Additionally, the analysis illustrates how ICT affects government efficiency and economic growth across Asia. A stronger legal framework may also reduce the perception of corruption. This indicates that ICT should be combined with organizational, structural, and pedagogical methods to combat corruption.

As Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and social enterprises become drivers of economic growth, the nexus provides opportunities for new models of business to bring benefits to communities in developing countries. Recognising the complex dynamics and range of actors in this diverse and emerging sector, this study chooses to document the external influences, use and impact of ICT on social enterprises (SEs)-enterprises that have both a business and social development goal. The problem investigated is the potential gap between the rhetoric of the 'promise of e-business' versus the dynamics of enactment and impacts of ICT in practice in the social enterprise sector. The main contribution of the research is to identify the real development impact of ICT use by social enterprises by assessing the role of ICTs in achieving their goals. Its major finding is that SEs' social and business missions are inextricably linked and their use of ICTs and benefits from it can be used as a proxy to assess ICTD. Thus SEs provide a new paradigm in the study of ICTD.

Impact of ICT development on economic growth. A study of OECD European union countries

This research attempts to explain the impact of some specific information and communication technologies (ICT) on the professional performance of external auditors. At the outset, the research proposes a plan for distinguishing on the one hand the factors that pushed the external auditors to the use of ICT and the various stages of the evolution of computer and communication technologies in audit. And on the other hand, an attempt has been made to measure the impact of specific ICT on professional performance of the external auditors. Computer assisted auditing techniques (CAAT) in an electronic data processing (EDP) should bring changes in term of organisation, procedures, manner of storing information and carrying out reports by processing them. The performance will be measured in terms of audit labour productivity, quality of judgement, apprenticeship of the auditor and his/her satisfaction. The research outlines the inherent risks involved in using the ICT by the auditors in their mission. Finally, the empirical part showed that ICT and the individual variables have a positive and significant impact on the professional performance of the external Tunisian auditors. However, this positive impact is reduced by the impact of IT risks.

BackgroundIn resource-poor countries access to essential medicines, suboptimal prescribing and use of medicines are major problems. Health workers lack updated medical information and treatment support. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) could help tackle this. The impact of ICT on health systems in resource-poor countries is likely to be significant and transform the practice of medicine just as in high-income countries. However, research for finding the best way of doing this is needed. We aimed to assess current approaches to and use of ICT among health workers in two rural districts of Tanzania in relation to the current drug distribution practices, drug stock and continuing medical information (CME), as well as assessing the feasibility of using ICT to improve ordering and use of medicines.MethodsThis pilot study was conducted in 2010–2011, mapping the drug distribution chain in Tanzania, including problems and barriers. The study was conducted in Bunda and Serengeti districts, both part of the ICT4RD (ICT for rural development) project. Health workers involved in drug procurement and use at 13 health facilities were interviewed on use and knowledge of ICT, and their attitudes to its use in their daily work. They were also shown and interviewed about their thoughts on an android tablet application prototype for drug stock inventory and drug ordering, based on the Tanzanian Medical Stores Department (MSD) current paper forms.ResultsThe main challenge was a stable supply of essential medicines. Drug supplies were often delayed and incomplete, resulting in stock-outs. All 20 interviewed health workers used mobile phones, 8 of them Smartphones with Internet connection. The Health workers were very positive to the tablet application and saw its potential in reducing drug stock-outs. They also expressed a great need and wish for CME by distance.ConclusionThe tablet application was easily used and appreciated by health workers, and thus has the potential to save time and effort, reduce transportation costs and minimise drug stock-outs. Furthermore, the android tablet could be used to reach out with CME programs to health care workers at remote health facilities, as well as those in towns.

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.

Climate change remains one of the world’s significant threats today, and thus Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 prioritizes countries to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change by 2030. Recent studies have scrutinized the impact of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) on the environment. However, the majority of these studies assumed that the environmental impact of ICT is homogenous across countries. This study, therefore, investigated the impact of ICT on environmental degradation, considering the difference in ICT quality among countries. Applying a panel dataset of 110 countries between 2000 to 2018 and the instrumental variable generalized method of moments (IV-GMM) technique, the findings revealed that ICTs improve environmental sustainability in countries with high ICT quality while degrading the environment in countries with moderate and low ICT quality. The results of the causality analysis also showed bi-directional causality between ICT and carbon emissions in countries with high and moderate ICT quality, while there is a uni-directional causality running from carbon emissions to ICT in countries with low ICT quality. Policies that enhance ICT usage through low pricing were recommended for moderate and low ICT quality countries to help mitigate environmental degradation.

Information and communication technology (ICT) is considered a significant factor in economic growth and development. Over the past two decades, scholars have studied the impact of ICT on economic growth, but there has been little research that has addressed the impact of ICT on human development, which is considered one of the fundamental factors of economic development. This could be especially important from the perspective of developing countries, which can develop faster through the implementation of ICT. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate the effects of ICT use on human development, distinguishing effects among high, upper-middle, lower-middle and low-income countries following the World Bank classification 2020. Our sample includes 130 countries in the period from 2007 to 2019. The empirical analysis is based on dynamic panel data regression analysis. We use Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) as an estimator, i.e., two-step system GMM. The results primarily support the dynamic behaviour of human development. The results of the analysis also show that ICT has highly significant positive effects on human development in lower-middle-income and low-income countries, while the effects do not appear to be significant in high- and middle-income countries. This research serves as an argument for the need to invest in ICT and its implementation in low-income countries; however, it also suggests that the story is not one-sided and that there are possible negative effects of ICT use on human development. From the perspective of economic policy, the results can be a guideline for the implementation and use of ICT in developing countries, which could lead to economic growth and development and thus better quality of life. On the other hand, policymakers in developed countries cannot rely on ICT alone; they should also consider other technological innovations that could ensure a better quality of life.

Whether information and communication technology (ICT) constitutes a threat or a cure to environment’s deterioration is controversially discussed. Empirical evidence on the impacts of ICT is rare, so that generalizable lessons can hardly be drawn. This study provides empirical results on the role of ICT in research for environmental sustainability, but instead of ascertaining the impact of ICT on environmental protection, we conduct an analysis of the use of ICT in sustainability research. We assess the preferences of experts in different thematic sustainability fields for applying ICT tools, and we investigate ways to improve the application of these tools in order to augment their returns with respect to environmental protection research. This analysis is based on a set of surveys that were administered to international experts to evaluate the importance of ICT in environmental sustainability research and the research demands in key environmental sectors, such as climate change, natural resources, energy and biodiversity. The methodological framework is built on the analysis of users’ preferences for future developments in ICT tools using stated preferences techniques. Overall results suggest that ICT tools need to be developed in specific contexts, taking into account users’ needs and expectations. Our analysis shows that the use of ICT in environmental research is of great importance in the scientific community, but it can also play a crucial role in the policy context.

The experience in Ethiopia rapid development of Information and Communication Technologies, which facilitates the flow of data and information, has tremendously enhanced the knowledge management practice in agriculture. The objective of this paper is to review the impact of information and communication technologies to improve agricultural productivity and rural income in Ethiopian and review the recently developed agricultural knowledge and information systems in Ethiopia and others related documents. The study is based on a systematic review of existing literature of agricultural information communication and knowledge management system work in the country and supported documents of others countries. The review paper is organized in four sections. Section I focuses on importance of Information and Communication Technologies to the Ethiopian agricultural extension system. The second section discusses types of Information and Communication Technologies used by the farmers in Ethiopia. The third section to review the challenges and opportunities of Information and Communication Technologies ICT in provision of information services for the developments of agricultural production and generates rural income in Ethiopia. The findings of this study reveal that the various forms of Information and Communication technology have been used in agricultural service delivery and were more in tune with the circumstances and requirements of smallholder farmers. Therefore, the emergence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in this era has opened new opportunities in agricultural knowledge management that could play an important role in meeting the prevailing challenges related to innovation, sharing, exchanging and disseminating agricultural information, knowledge and technologies to the intended smallholder farmers. Keywords: Information communication technology; Agricultural Information ; productivity; Rural Income; knowledge management system; Ethiopia DOI: 10.7176/IKM/10-5-01 Publication date: August 31 st 2020