Call for Chapters
E-Strategies for Technological Diffusion and Adoption: National ICT Approaches for Socioeconomic Development (Advances in Global Information Management Book Series)
Proposals Submission Deadline: 30 May 2008
Full Chapters Due: 31 July 2008
A book edited by
Sherif Kamel, PhD, The American University in Cairo, Egypt
Introduction
Information and communication technology (ICT) innovations are increasingly having important implications on business and socioeconomic development due to their role in introducing and diffusing the concepts of knowledge sharing, community development and equality. The implications can be felt at the individual, organizational and societal levels. While the basic needs of humankind have long been food, clothing and shelter, the time has come to add information to this list. The implications on developing nations could be remarkably effective if these technology innovations are properly introduced and managed. However, if the implementation process is not well supported and controlled, the result could be an increasing digital divide between the developed and developing worlds (such divide also exists within nations, especially among developing nations). It is important to avoid the fact that ICT could be marginalized in the development process. There is an urgent need to show that ICT generates the wealth of the enterprise, which in turn pays for socioeconomic development at large. It is ICT that is delivering the productivity gains that enable lives of material comfort for many around
the world that would have been unthinkable only two centuries ago.
ICT should be looked at as a platform for development within a macro perspective that addresses different individual, organizational and developmental needs. Therefore, over the past two decades, numerous studies have underlined the importance of coordination for the formulation of national ICT strategies. The need for resources mobilization, proper environment, legislations and regulations, amongst other elements is important for building and sustaining an outcome-driven ICT infrastructure. For societies to develop, grow, and benefit from the ICT evolution, nationwide introduction, adoption, diffusion and adaptation of technology should take place, something that is hardly seen in developing nations where most of the technology implementations and infrastructure are focused in the capital and the major cities. All these elements demonstrate the importance of developing national ICT strategies.
There are a number of challenges that face the development plans of the developing world when it comes to ICT, including electronic readiness, policies and regulations, infrastructure development and deployment, legal framework, universal access, illiteracy, language, culture readiness, appropriate business models for public-private partnership, transparency and governance, intellectual property rights, privacy, and security amongst others. It is important to address the issues faced by developing nations in striving to develop and grow while capitalizing on the opportunities enabled by emerging ICT. This book addresses the issue of the development of national ICT strategies as one of the recommendations of the “Plan of Action” of the World Summit on the Information Society. The book addresses the importance of such strategies in setting the national agendas to complement the efforts and resources allocated, enabling the optimization of benefits and the returns on the local communities in specific and on the society at large. The book includes a number of model strategies, implications and case studies from the developing world to work as models for future implementations in similar environments as well as to share the accumulated knowledge in terms of lessons learnt.
The E-Strategies for Technological Diffusion and Adoption: National ICT Approaches for Socioeconomic Development is part of the Advances in Global Information Management Book Series. The book will be beneficial as it will provide comprehensive coverage and definitions of the most important issues, concepts, trends and technologies and cases related with the introduction, adoption, diffusion and adaptation of national electronic strategies for ICT for socioeconomic development. This vital new publication will be distributed worldwide among academic and professional institutions and will be instrumental in providing researchers, scholars, students and professionals access to the latest knowledge related to the adoption and usage of ICTs and other related issues to ICT strategy formulation, development and implementation.
Coverage
To ensure that this publication has the most comprehensive current and relevant coverage of all topics related to National E-Strategies for Socioeconomic Development, we are inviting researchers, leading experts in their particular areas of research, to contribute chapters of 5,000 – 7,500 words that offer an in-depth discussion of the key issues, concepts and trends related to the field of ICT and Strategy Formulation and Implementation.
Recommended topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
-E-Strategies in developing nations
-Implications of national ICT strategies on developing nations
-National E-Strategies – cases from the developing world
-Policies and strategies for accelerating socioeconomic development using ICT
-Formulation and implementation of ICT strategies for socioeconomic development
-Leveraging societal competitiveness through using ICT for development
-Application and impact of national ICT on socioeconomic development
-Developing strategies for export-oriented IT-enabled services industries
-Developing ICT strategies for research and innovation
-ICT strategies for development – education
-ICT strategies for development – government
-ICT strategies for development – health
-ICT strategies for development – eContent
Invited Submissions
Individuals interested in submitting chapters on the above-suggested topics – or other related topics in their area of interest – should submit via email a 2-3 page manuscript proposal clearly explaining the mission and concerns of the proposed chapter by 30 May 2008. We strongly encourage other topics that have not been listed in our suggested list, particularly if the topic is related to the research area in which you have expertise. Guidelines for preparing your chapter and terms and definitions will be sent to you upon acceptance of your proposal.
Important Dates
Due date for receiving chapter proposals: 30 May 2008
Notification of Accepted Chapters: 10 June 2008
Full chapters due date: 31 July 2008
Please forward your email of interest including your name and affiliation to skamel@aucegypt.edu no later than 30 May 2008. This book is tentatively scheduled for publishing in 2009 by IGI Global, www.igi-pub.com (formerly Idea Group Inc.) publisher of the IGI Publishing (formerly Idea Group Publishing), Information Science Publishing, IRM Press, CyberTech Publishing and Information Science Reference (formerly Idea Group Reference) imprints.
Inquiries and submissions can be forwarded electronically (Word document) to: skamel@aucegypt.edu
Sherif Kamel, PhD
Associate Professor of MIS
Department of Management
School of Business, Economics and Communication
The American University in Cairo
113 Kasr El-Eini Street, P.O. Box 2511, 11511 Cairo, Egypt
Tel + 202.2797.6721 – Fax +202.2792.3847
skamel@aucegypt.edu
www.sherifkamel.org