Devendra Bahadur Thapa

• Wu, Sinuo; Thapa, Devinder; Stendal, Karen & Zelderen, Anand van (2026). Rethinking presence in XR workspaces: An empirical investigation from an affordance-presence perspective. International Journal of Information Management. ISSN 0268-4012. 88. doi: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2026.103044. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study examines how users experience presence in Extended Reality (XR) environments, emphasizing the multidimensional nature of presence. Existing frameworks often treat presence as a singular construct and do not fully account for the complexity of XR environments, particularly when AI entities are involved. We conducted an empirical study with 46 employees from six Swiss organizations who collaborated with AI assistants in a purpose-built virtual workspace. Using qualitative interviews and thematic analysis, we identified three dimensions of presence: spatial, social, and cognitive. These dimensions emerge through users’ interactions with the environment and AI agents and may operate independently or interact in ways that influence the overall experience. Applying an affordance perspective, we identified five key affordances: customizability, embodyability, proximity, interactability, and viewability. These affordances shape how users perceive and engage with spatial, social, and cognitive aspects of presence. The findings contribute to theory by offering a multidimensional understanding of presence and introducing an affordance-presence lens for studying user experiences in XR workspaces. Practical implications are also outlined. Designers can align workspace features with specific presence dimensions, and organizations can strategically deploy XR workspaces to support collaboration, task engagement, and user well-being.

• Stendal, Karen; Sein, Maung Kyaw & Thapa, Devinder (2026). Affordance-Based Pathway Model of Social Inclusion: A Case Study of Virtual Worlds and People With Lifelong Disability. Journal of the AIS. 27(1), p. 95–123. doi: https:/aisel.aisnet.org/jais/vol27/iss1/7/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  While technology can magnify existing inequalities by excluding marginalized groups in society, paradoxically, it can also serve as a means for them to move from isolation to inclusion. In this paper, we report a study illustrating how individuals belonging to one marginalized group—people with lifelong disabilities (PWLD)—used technology to navigate this path. Our study was part of an initiative by the Norwegian government exploring how PWLD can attain social inclusion (SI) through the use of virtual worlds (VW), specifically Second Life. Using a conceptualization of SI specific to PWLD, which consists of two interrelated domains—interpersonal relations and community participation—we trace how the actualization of affordances in VW enabled PWLD to achieve SI. This outcome was built upon the realization of five interrelated affordances: communicability, mobility, personalizability, engageability, and self-actualizability. Based on these insights, we demonstrate the role of VW affordances in achieving SI and propose a model titled the affordance-based pathway model of social inclusion. We contribute to the discourse on the theory of affordances by extending the role of facilitating conditions. Specifically, the outcomes achieved by the actualization of certain affordances can serve as facilitating conditions that support the perception and eventual actualization of other affordances.

• Thapa, Pragyan; Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2025). How Rural Information Systems Initiatives for Institutional Change Can Aggravate Inequalities: An Affordance‐Based Institutional Logics Perspective. Information Systems Journal. ISSN 1350-1917. doi: 10.1111/isj.70018. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Rural information systems initiatives (RISIs) are ICT‐based projects intended to drive institutional change and reduce inequalities in rural communities. However, the extant information systems literature shows that many such initiatives paradoxically aggravate inequalities in other domains, but the literature provides little theoretical explanation of the mechanisms involved. This study addresses this gap from an affordance‐based institutional logics perspective. Specifically, it conceptualizes a RISI as an institution that embodies a dominant institutional logic, which shapes how technology affordances are perceived and enacted. This lens is applied to an interpretive case study of an e‐governance initiative implemented in village municipalities (i.e., village councils) in Nepal aimed at reducing knowledge inequalities in the municipalities. The initiative introduced a self‐assessment logic for evaluating local development work, which amplified existing knowledge and power inequalities over time. The case study surfaced two mechanisms through which RISIs may aggravate inequalities: (1) by impeding logic hybridization and (2) by activating discriminatory logics. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of RISIs and provide critical insights into the design and governance of ICT‐based initiatives in rural contexts.

• Thapa, Pragyan; Thapa, Devinder; Sæbø, Øystein; Heeks, Richard & Kc, Benju (2025). AUTONOMOUS DESIGN OF COMMUNITY ASPIRATIONS IN ICT4D INITIATIVES: INSIGHTS FROM A CASE STUDY IN NEPAL. In Li, Magnus; Hylving, Lena & Mønsted, Troels Sune (Ed.), The proceedings of the 16th Scandinavian Conference on Information Systems (SCIS) held in Oslo, Norway, 2025. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9781958200148. doi: https:/aisel.aisnet.org/scis2025/8/. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Recent scholarly works in Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D)have emphasized a turn towards aspirations focused approaches to explain ICT-enabled societal change. Underlying these aspiration centric discourses are questions related to power: for instance, "who has power to aspire?" and "how do communities challenge false aspirations and create conditions for nurturing realistic aspirations?" However current work within ICT4D has weakly addressed these questions. We argue that they can be explored with the autonomous design approach as articulated in the works of Colombian anthropologist Arturo Escobar. Particularly, focused on the concept of autonomy and how it constitutes a community's capacity to aspire. We demonstrate this by building upon the concepts and empirical material from our ongoing research in a rural mountainous village in the Annapurna Region of Nepal.

• Chen, Xiangdian & Thapa, Devinder (2025). Clarifying the business model construct: a theory-driven integrative literature review through ecosystems and open systems perspectives. Review of Managerial Science. ISSN 1863-6683. doi: 10.1007/s11846-025-00917-7. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  A broader, dynamic ecosystem perspective is crucial for researchers and managers to better understand and innovate business models in an increasingly complex environment. However, the persistent lack of “construct clarity” in business models significantly hampers both their theoretical and empirical development. This study employs theory-driven integrative literature review to clarify the business model construct through the combined lens of ecosystems and open systems, grounded in Bertalanffy’s general systems theory (GST), rooted in biology. By critically analyzing 255 representative sources, the study synthesizes a systemic definition of business models as open systems representing a set of interrelated value-based activities at the ecosystems level, to meet evolving needs of stakeholders, thereby enhancing construct clarity across four key factors: definition, scope, relationships with related concepts, and theoretical coherence. Additionally, the study introduces the ecosystem-based business model framework, illustrating how a business model's interconnected structure and dynamic nature align with GST’s open systems logic. This leads to a detailed discussion of research themes for further theoretical and empirical development. This work addresses the longstanding bottleneck of construct clarity in theorizing business models, contributes to the theory-driven review methodology, and expands the boundaries of business model research and practice in strategic management and organization through GST.

• Herrera, Lucia Castro; Gjøsæter, Terje; Majchrzak, Tim Alexander & Thapa, Devinder (2025). Signals of Transition in Support Systems: A Study of the use of Social Media Analytics in Crisis Management. ACM Transactions on Social Computing (TSC). ISSN 2469-7818. 8(1-2), p. 1–44. doi: 10.1145/3649474. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In crisis informatics, little attention is placed on how transitions occur between periods of crisis and non-crisis. The analysis of transition behaviors in public organizations could help in understanding the duality between the need for continuity of services provided to the community, and the cyclical nature of risk and crisis management. This study uniquely highlights the transitions occurring when organizations need to stop day-to-day activities to focus on responding to a crisis while continuing to provide services to their communities. We focus on the use of social media analytics as a support system to study transitions and, with the objective to gain an insight into how sociotechnical systems navigate through periods of crisis and non-crisis, we leverage individual experiences of use of social media as a source of information in public service organizations and developers of social media analytics support tools. In doing so, we employed a process study approach, conducted semi-structured interviews, and used thematic analysis to trace patterns of transitions between crisis and non-crisis states. Furthermore, we formulate five signals that public organizations exhibit to illustrate and guide organizational transition behaviors. The main contribution of this study is the explanation and conceptualization of how transitions happen by framing social media as a support information system. In addition, we highlight the return to a new steady state, an overlooked area of organizational transitions and continuity. Our study will help streamline processes of continuity in organizations and inspires the design and improvement of current and future support systems. Future research could apply and extend our propositions to other support systems such as geospatial technologies, robots, and even artificial intelligence.

• Thapa, Devinder (2025). Ethics-based ontology in ICT4D. Information Technology for Development. ISSN 0268-1102. 31(4), p. 1444–1458. doi: 10.1080/02681102.2025.2498925. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) research has largely been framed within ontological perspectives that emphasize systemic, structural, and institutional factors in technology adoption and societal transformation. Grounded in realist and idealist ontologies, these approaches primarily examine technology’s functional roles in economic and social development. However, they often overlook how technology shapes human identity, agency, and ethical responsibility as intrinsic aspects of existence. This paper argues for expanding ICT4D research by incorporating an ethics-based ontology, combining Martin Heidegger’s concept of Being-in-the-World and Hans Jonas’s ethics of responsibility. Together, they reveal that ethics is not an afterthought but arises from our fundamental way of being. Shifting focus from instrumental perspectives to lived experiences, this approach offers a broader understanding of technology’s influence on human existence, emphasizing the moral implications of technological interventions, especially regarding sustainability and intergenerational justice.

• Thapa, Devinder & Andrade, Antonio Eduardo Diaz (2024). Framework for positioning empirical research in ICT4D. In Masiero, Silvia & Kowal, Jolanta (Ed.), Proceedings of the 16th Annual AIS SIG GlobDev Pre-ICIS Workshop (GLOBDEV 2024, Bangkok, Thailand, Sunday December 15, 2024). Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9781958200131. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Sinuo; Stendal, Karen & Thapa, Devinder (2024). Emerging Trends in XR-mediated Virtual Team Collaboration in Digital Workspaces: A Systematic Literature Review. Lecture Notes in Information Systems and Organisation (LNISO). ISSN 2195-4968. 67, p. 85–108. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-57189-3_5. Full text in Research Archive
• Herrera, Lucia Castro; Gjøsæter, Terje; Majchrzak, Tim A. & Thapa, Devinder (2023). Signals of Transition in Crisis Management: Insights from a Study of Social Media Use in Public Service Organizations. In Bui, Tung X. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 56thAnnual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. HICSS Conference Office. ISSN 9780998133164. p. 1758–1767. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In crisis informatics, little attention is placed on how transitions occur between periods of crisis and non-crisis. The analysis of transition behaviors in organizations could respond to both the cyclicality of risk and crisis management, and the need for continuity of services provided to the community. In studying transitions, we focus on social media use as a support system. Thus, with the objective to gain an insight into how sociotechnical systems navigate through periods of crisis and non-crisis, we leverage individual experiences that rely on social media as a source of information in public service organizations and developers of social media analytics support tools. The main contribution of this study is the explanation and conceptualization on how transitions happen by framing social media as a support system of information for crisis management. In addition, we highlight the return to a new steady-state, an overlooked area of organizational transitions and continuity.

• Karki, Yashoda & Thapa, Devinder (2023). Digital Social Enterprise for Sustainable Development: Insights from the Case Study in Nepal. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. 56, p. 4423–4432. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  It is generally agreed that digital social enterprises (DSE) through the digitalization process can contribute to sustainable development. However, there are a few theoretical and empirical studies in this research stream. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a qualitative interpretive case study in Nepal. Applying the theory of affordances as an analytical tool, we identified five digital affordances: transactability, communicability, accessibility, manageability, and digitizability. By actualizing these affordances, DSEs can contribute to access to market and finance, social engagement, waste management, and digitized information. We also identified various challenges such as lack of awareness about digital affordances and capabilities to actualize those affordances, lack of digital culture, and poor mapping system that can inhibit the actualization of the affordances and showed the facilitating conditions that can address these challenges. Finally, we suggest future research avenues.

• Thapa, Pragyan; Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2023). A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON QUANTIFICATION OF DEVELOPMENT IN ICT4D, Proceedings of the European Conference on Information Systems ECIS 2023. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9781958200087. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Sinuo; Stendal, Karen & Thapa, Devinder (2023). Forming Digital Workspace: Current State and Applications of Extended Reality in Virtual Teams. ISD2023 proceedings. ISSN 2938-5202. 31. doi: 10.62036/ISD.2023.30. Full text in Research Archive
• Meske, Christian; Amojo, Ireti & Thapa, Devinder (2022). A conceptual model of feedback mechanisms in adjusted affordances – Insights from usage of a mental mobile health application. International Journal of Information Management. ISSN 0268-4012. 69. doi: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2022.102597. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Affordance theory provides one of the most prominent lenses through which the socio-technical aspects of a system’s use can be investigated and understood. In this context, the literature has proposed that perceived and actualized affordances may be adjusted over time. Yet, how the adjustment of affordances occurs has not been explained in detail. Thus, in this article, we develop a conceptual model of feedback mechanisms that includes a more explicit description of how affordances are perceived by users, whether actualized and adjusted. With the model, we introduce the central concept of a generative base, out of which affordance perceptions emerge and which can be updated through affordance actualizations. With this base, we integrate mental model (MM) theory to explain better the differing perceptions before and after actor–artifact interactions. Our conceptual model is illustrated and specified using an empirical case of the mental mobile health (mHealth) app “Between The Lines” in Germany. In this study, we conducted 40 interviews in two rounds with 20 teenage app users. Our results show that the users’ perceptions of mHealth affordances become adjusted and hence change over time due to experiencing the actualization process, which may lead to an update of the generative base, including the user’s MM.

• Dini, Alfatika Aunuriella; Hatakka, Mathias; Sæbø, Øystein & Thapa, Devinder (2022). A framework to understand the role of IS artifact in ICT4D. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. doi: 10.1002/isd2.12246. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper we propose a framework to explain the possibilities of ICT in ICT4D. The PAR (Possibility, Action, Result) framework is based on the theoretical concepts of IS artifacts, affordances, and the capability approach, and is further refined by findings from an eGovernment project in Indonesia aiming to develop a digital platform to facilitate inclusive public debate for the citizens. The framework describes the process by which IS artifacts enable various action possibilities and choices. Furthermore, the framework shows how actors may realize their possibilities and choices, which in turn enhances their functioning. Our analysis also revealed the role of conversion factors, such as personal commitment and digital literacy, that hindered the actors' ability to actualize the possibilities of ICT. We make three main contributions. First, the PAR framework explains the process by which ICT can enhance individual and collective capabilities. Second, the concept of IS artifacts describes the perception of ICT possibilities and choices in the ICT4D context. Third, the process of feedback explains how an outcome of an action can lead to perception of new affordances.

• Thapa, Pragyan & Thapa, Devinder (2022). What is ‘Smart’ About Smart Village? Emerging Discourses and Future Research Directions. In Zheng, Y.; Abbott, P. & Robles-Flores, J. A. (Ed.), Freedom and Social Inclusion in a Connected World : 17th IFIP WG 9.4 International Conference on Implications of Information and Digital Technologies for Development. Springer. ISSN 9783031194290. p. 440–454. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-19429-0_26. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper takes stock of how ‘smart’ is conceptualized in smart cities literature and how the concept is getting re-appropriated in different smart village initiatives across Europe and the Global South. Emerging discourses on smart village espouse the concept of ‘smart’ to strategically leverage ICTs to bring inclusive and sustainable rural development, however these visions are ambiguous about the nature of ICT artifacts and its interactions with rural community and people’s goals and abilities and how they can shape actions and outcomes of sustainable development. Finally, future research directions for ICT4D researchers are proposed to address the current shortcomings and to expand the knowledge and practice of smart village interventions.

• Osmundsen, Karen S; Meske, Christian & Thapa, Devinder (2022). Familiarity with digital twin totality: Exploring the relation and perception of affordances through a Heideggerian perspective. Information Systems Journal. ISSN 1350-1917. 32(5), p. 1064–1091. doi: 10.1111/isj.12383. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The concept of affordances has become central in information systems literature. However, existing perspectives fall short in providing details on the relational aspect of affordances, which can influence actors' perception of them. To increase granularity and specificity in this regard, researchers have suggested that it be supplemented with other concepts or theories. In this article, we argue that the Heideggerian concepts of ‘familiarity’ and ‘referential totality’ are well suited for increasing our understanding of the relational aspects of affordances in information systems research. To explore this idea, we conducted a case study of a project concerning the development of a digital twin (i.e., digital representation of a physical asset) in the Norwegian grid sector. We found that users' familiarity with the digital twin totality enabled them to perceive digital twin affordances, and that without this familiarity, affordances remained latent for the users. Through our study, we offer a nuanced perspective on the relational aspect of affordance perception, contributing to affordance theory in that regard. Further, we contribute to practice and information systems research by providing valuable insights into how digital twins are understood and applied in practice.

• Herrera, Lucia Castro; Majchrzak, Tim A. & Thapa, Devinder (2021). Principles for the Arrangement of Social Media Listening Practices in Crisis Management. In Yayilgan, Sule Yildirim; Bajwa, Imran Sarwar & Sanfilippo, Filippo (Ed.), Proceeding of the 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Technologies and Applications (INTAP). Springer. ISSN 9783030717117. Full text in Research Archive
• Watson, Richard T.; Elliot, Steve; Corbett, Jacqueline; Farkas, Dan; Feizabadi, Ali & Gupta, Ashish [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2021). How the AIS can Improve its Contributions to the UN’s Sustainability Development Goals: Towards A Framework for Scaling Collaborations and Evaluating Impact. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 48(1), p. 476–502. doi: 10.17705/1CAIS.04841. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In June, 2019, the Association for Information Systems (AIS) adopted a new approach to addressing global sustainability issues by establishing the AIS Sustainability Task Force (AIS STF). This initiative focuses on building on the outcomes from the United Nations (UN) Millennium Development Goals (MDG, 2000-2015) and applying them to address the challenges associated with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG, 2016-2030). In this paper, we review the challenges and outcomes from the UN sustainability programs with their potential relevance to IS in general and the AIS in particular to inform and assist increased efforts to achieve the global sustainability goals. The initial event, the AIS Sustainability Summit held at ICIS 2019, provided a forum for AIS groups and communities to share their current interests, plans, activities, and experiences relevant to the MDG and SDG. The event primarily focused on facilitating opportunities to scale the AIS’s sustainability activities through multi-disciplinary collaboration across the AIS and its communities. Members from four AIS special interest groups and the STF’s Education Workgroup presented exemplary projects at the summit that demonstrated how one can apply applied IS and research capabilities to address sustainability challenges. The sustainability summit’s also explored opportunities to achieve positive impact in addressing the SDG’s global challenges through applying AIS members’ knowledge, skills, and capabilities in relevant ways in collaboration with suitable organizations outside the AIS. Potential organizations include business, government, societal groups, and UN bodies. We presented and discussed the AIS STF’s aims, plans, outcomes, and impact. By analyzing details and options for cross-organizational collaboration, the representatives of organizations at the sustainability summit developed a proposed framework for scaling contributions and evaluating impact. Finally, they drew conclusions about the proposed activities, approaches, and framework for the AIS to improve the scope and scale of its contributions in addressing the SDG. Critically, the AIS needs to ensure that its proposed activities, contributions, and impact are examined by an internationally recognized independent process. We propose a model for the AIS to realize this requirement for evaluation in 2021.

• Herrera, Lucia Castro; Majchrzak, Tim A. & Thapa, Devinder (2021). Ecosystem of Social Media Listening Practices for Crisis Management. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. 12896, p. 710–722. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85447-8_59. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The benefits of using social media data as a source of information are recognized by both practice and research in crisis management. However, the existing understanding on the matter is fragmented, it oscillates between techno-determinisms and socio-determinisms, which does not provide a holistic picture. In this paper we argue that to better adapt social media data use practices, an ecosystem perspective is needed. In doing so, we conducted a systematic literature review and identified the various entities and their interrelationships that configure the practices of social media listening for crisis management. Then, we summarize our findings by proposing a conceptual ecosystem of practice. Finally, we suggest its implications for future research and practice.

• Pappas, Ilias & Thapa, Devinder (2021). Big Data Analytics Affordances for Social Innovation: A Theoretical Framework. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. 12896, p. 144–149. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85447-8_13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This paper proposes a theoretical framework to identify the mechanisms by which actors perceive the affordances of big data analytics (BDA) and how institutional voids and supports enable or hinder the actualisation of those perceived affordances. In doing so, we contribute to identifying the missing link needed to understand the social innovation process in relation to BDA. The framework paves the ground towards understanding the institutionalization process of social innovation and its implications for research and practice.

• Karki, Yashoda & Thapa, Devinder (2021). Exploring the Link Between Digitalization and Sustainable Development: Research Agendas. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (LNCS). ISSN 0302-9743. 12896, p. 330–341. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85447-8_29. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we argue that the existing research looking at digitalization (DT) and sustainable development (SD) in Business Management and Information Systems takes a dualist view, where digitalization and sustainable development is studied independently. Such a dualistic approach has limitations because these two areas are interconnected and mutually influence each other. Hence, we need to take a non-dualistic view to better understand these two phenomena. By conducting a selective literature review, we describe how digitalization and sustainable development concepts are used; and revealed how these two areas are linked in the current literatures. Finally, based on our analysis, we propose four research agendas: first, need for a paradigm shift (ontology, epistemology, axiology, methodology, and domain); second, conceptual clarity in terms of digitalization and sustainable development; third, theories to link DT and SD; and fourth, the role of social enterprises in linking DT and SD.

• Hausvik, Geir Inge; Thapa, Devinder & Munkvold, Bjørn Erik (2021). Information quality life cycle in secondary use of EHR data. International Journal of Information Management. ISSN 0268-4012. 56. doi: 10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2020.102227. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The paper argues that existing research on information quality (IQ) mainly focuses on the primary use of electronic health record (EHR) data, whereas IQ in secondary use of EHR data needs further deliberation. The current view of IQ in a healthcare context is static. It assumes that once the EHR system generates the infor- mation product, individual users may act on the information based on their subjective perception of its quality. However, this view ignores the complexities of secondary use of EHR data, in which users are actively involved in (re)generating and communicating the information product. Thus, IQ does not remain static but keeps on transforming through active engagement and interpersonal communication. To contribute to this debate, we conducted a qualitative case study in a Norwegian healthcare context by employing an IQ life cycle model. In conclusion, we enhanced the existing IQ model by (1) adding interpersonal communication, (2) showing the interrelations of the IQ dimensions, and (3) integrating the mechanisms of the transformation process for IQ in secondary use of EHR data. In doing so, we unfold the dynamics of IQ in the secondary use of EHR data.

• Henriksen, Helle Zinner; Thapa, Devinder & Elbanna, Amany (2021). Sustainable Development Goals in IS Research Opening the agenda beyond developing countries’ research. Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS). ISSN 0905-0167. 33(2), p. 97–102. Full text in Research Archive
• Al-Musawi, Ali Saad Jawad; Yang, Erik; Bley, Katja; Thapa, Devinder & Pappas, Ilias (2021). The Role of Citizens’ Familiarity, Privacy Concerns, and Trust on Adoption of Smart Services. NIKT: Norsk IKT-konferanse for forskning og utdanning. ISSN 1892-0713. 2021(2). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Smart city solutions and applications are considered as a strategic means to cope with multiple global and local challenges such as pollution, energy expenditure and digitalization to name a few. Although these solutions are driven by advanced information technologies such as IoT and Big data, their success is dependent on user engagement and trust. We seek to examine how citizens' awareness and perception of smart cities affect their adoption of smart services. To answer this, we conducted a study in Norway and employed a questionnaire receiving 103 responses. Furthermore, we conducted 12 semi-structured inter- views to obtain further insights. The results show how citizens value the benefit of smart services and how their adoption is influences by engagement and trust towards them.

• Hatakka, Mathias; Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2020). Understanding the role of ICT and study circles in enabling economic opportunities: Lessons learned from an educational project in Kenya. Information Systems Journal. ISSN 1350-1917. 30(4), p. 664–698. doi: 10.1111/isj.12277. Full text in Research Archive
• Hatakka, Mathias; Sæbø, Øystein & Thapa, Devinder (2019). A Framework to Explain the Relation Between ICT and Development: Combining Affordances and the Capability Approach. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. ISSN 1868-4238. 552, p. 60–71. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-19115-3_6. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder & Zheng, Yingqin (2019). Capabilities and Affordances in the ICT4D Context: Similarities, Differences, and Complementarities. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. ISSN 1868-4238. 552, p. 49–59. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-19115-3_5. Full text in Research Archive
• Hausvik, Geir Inge; Thapa, Devendra Bahadur & Munkvold, Bjørn Erik (2019). The Role of Mediators in Transforming and Translating Information Quality: A Case of Quality Assurance in a Norwegian Hospital Trust. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. 52(1), p. 4115–4124. doi: 10.24251/HICSS.2019.499. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The existing literature on information quality (IQ) provides limited understanding of how roles influence IQ in healthcare. The traditional way of understanding roles such as collectors, custodians, and consumers assumes that data are simply transformed into information and subsequently used by consumers. However, this does not explain how interpersonal communication influences IQ. In reality, the actors involved can actively change the quality of healthcare information through transformation, translation, or distortion. Latour’s idea of intermediaries and mediators can be an appropriate lens for understanding these roles. Latour defined intermediaries as socio-technical actors who simply transport information, whereas mediators can transform, translate, distort, and change the meaning of information. Following Latour’s idea, we conducted a qualitative case study of quality assurance in a Norwegian healthcare organization. In doing so, we illustrated how IQ mediators can distort or create shared understanding of quality assurance information, which further influences enactment.

• Sein, Maung Kyaw; Thapa, Devinder; Hatakka, Mathias & Sæbø, Øystein (2018). A holistic perspective on the theoretical foundations for ICT4D research. Information Technology for Development. ISSN 0268-1102. p. 1–20. doi: 10.1080/02681102.2018.1503589. Full text in Research Archive
• Sein, Maung Kyaw & Thapa, Devinder (2018). Social capital in enabling quality health care: The case of a telemedicine project in Nepal. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. 84(5). doi: 10.1002/isd2.12046. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder & Sein, Maung Kyaw (2018). An ecological model of bridging the digital divide in education: A case study of OLPC deployment in Nepal. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. 84(2). doi: 10.1002/isd2.12018. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Techno‐centric initiatives to bridge the digital divide, such as One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been criticized for not taking a holistic approach that has led to limited success in providing quality education in developing countries. Particular emphasis is placed on examining the context in Information and communication technology for development (ICTD) initiatives. In this paper, we applied the theoretical lens of information ecology to conceptualize context to conduct a case study of Open Learning Exchange Nepal, which has been described as one of the few successes in implementing OLPC. Our findings show that it is not the technology per se (OLPC in this case), but its ecosystem that brought quality education in schools of remote mountain regions of Nepal.

• Chakraborty, Narayan Ranjan; Thapa, Devinder & Majchrzak, Tim A. (2018). The Roles of Infomediaries in Crisis Response: The Case of 2017 Bangladesh Flood. In Tanabu, Motonari & Senoo, Dai (Ed.), PACIS 2018 Proceedings - Opportunities and Challenges for the Digitized Society: Are We Ready? : Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS 2018). Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9784902590838. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder & Omland, Hans Olav (2018). Four steps to identify mechanisms of ICT4D: A critical realism-based methodology. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. doi: 10.1002/isd2.12054. Full text in Research Archive
• Omland, Hans Olav & Thapa, Devinder (2018). Competence-as-skilful-coping in Information Systems Development. NOKOBIT: Norsk konferanse for organisasjoners bruk av informasjonsteknologi. ISSN 1892-0748. 26(1). Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  With the advancement of technology organizations are becoming increasingly dependent on successful deployment of information systems. To deal with the IS complexity, developers require competence. However, the question “What is competence?” is still a topic of further deliberation in general, and in IS field in particular. Contemporary research critiques the concept of competence as confined to a narrow and instrumental view, for instance just as application of skills and knowledge. The narrow and instrumental view of competence does not give full attention to the information systems developers nor to the situations where the competence is enacted. To enhance the understanding of competence, we critically analyze the prevailing concepts of competence in general and in particular within the IS field. Based on the results of our analysis we propose an expansion of the concept competence to include ‘competence-as-skilful-coping’ based on a holistic perspective where developers ‘being-in-the-world’ act appropriately in unique and complex contexts. Such contexts may involve the developers of the systems, the users of IS-es to be developed, related information systems, manual routines, and the technology used. We present and analyze a case searching for the suggested concept of ‘competence-as-skilful-coping’.

• Thapa, Devinder; Budhathoki, Nama Raj & Munkvold, Bjørn Erik (2017). Analyzing Crisis Response through Actor-network Theory: The Case of Kathmandu Living Labs. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 41(1), p. 414–428. doi: 10.17705/1cais.04119. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Crisis response is the most critical stage in crisis management during which actors make important decisions on mitigating a crisis. However, the decision making in such situations is a complex sociotechnical phenomenon. The literature specifies crisis response to include four steps (i.e., observation, interpretation, choice, and dissemination) and suggests a sociotechnical approach for analyzing them. However, we still lack theoretical guidelines for conducting sociotechnical analyses of the complexity involved in the crisis response activities. To help fill this knowledge gap, we present an interpretive case study on Kathmandu Living Labs’ (KLL) role in the response to the Nepal earthquake in 2015. We analyze the case using actor-network theory (ANT) and explore how a social entrepreneur from KLL enrolled different technical and human actors and mobilized them in the crisis response. We use ANT to explore the temporal and interdependent role of digital volunteers, local communities, and technologies in responding to the crisisWe demonstrate the usefulness of ANT’s translation process in understanding the complex sociotechnical process of crisis response in disaster events.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sein, Maung Kyaw (2017). Trajectory of Affordances: Insights from a case of telemedicine in Nepal. Information Systems Journal. ISSN 1350-1917. 28(5), p. 796–817. doi: 10.1111/isj.12160. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although Affordance Theory has become increasingly influential in the Information Systems (IS) literature, the exact process through which the affordances of IT are actualised is less studied. In this paper, we build on a realist ontology of affordance and an interpretive epistemology of how affordances are perceived and actualised to trace the process of actualisation. On the basis of insights drawn from a case study of a telemedicine project in a remote mountainous region of Nepal, we develop a concept, which we call the “Trajectory of Affordances.” Trajectory of Affordances captures the complex relations between affordances of IT and the role of goal-oriented actors who perceive and then play a vital role in actualising them, using capabilities that are enabled by facilitating conditions to take the necessary action. Trajectory of Affordances shows that the affordances of IT can travel from perception to actualisation through multiple paths, sometimes clustering together, and in the process, often lead to the emergence of new affordances.

• Hausvik, Geir Inge & Thapa, Devinder (2017). “What You See is Not What You Get” - Challenges in Actualization of EHR Affordances. In Kim, Yong Jin; Agarwal, Ritu & Lee, Jae Kyu (Ed.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems - Transforming Society with Digital Innovation, ICIS 2017. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9780996683159. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Electronic health record (EHR) systems promise to deliver high quality care to the patient by making patient data digitally available for multiple access. By applying the theory of affordances as an analytical lens, we found that accessibility to patient data can provide the affordances of auditability, systematizability, visualizability, communicability, prioritizability, and accountability. However, to actualize these EHR affordances, we must deal with personal, social, and environmental conversion factors that enable or inhibit the actualization process. To understand the intricacies of actualization of EHR affordances, particularly in information processing activities, we have conducted a qualitative case study where EHR was used in quality assurance of healthcare. The study contributes by revealing the nature of EHR as an ensemble artifact, and identifying path-dependencies between affordances, dynamics of dependencies, and conversion factors that influence the actualization of EHR affordances. Based on the analysis, we suggest implications for theory and practice.

• Thapa, Devinder & Hatakka, Mathias (2017). Understanding ICT in ICT4D: An Affordance Perspective. In Ukjent, Person (Eds.), Proceedings of the 50th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences, HICSS 2017. AIS Electronic Library. ISSN 9780998133102. p. 2618–2626. doi: 10.24251/hicss.2017.316. Full text in Research Archive
• Sakurai, Mihoko & Thapa, Devinder (2017). Exploring Effective Ecosystems in Disaster Management: Case studies of Japan and Nepal. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. p. 2479–2488. Full text in Research Archive
• Sakurai, Mihoko & Thapa, Devinder (2017). Building Resilience Through Effective Disaster Management: An Information Ecology Perspective. International Journal of Information Systems for Crisis Response and Management (IJISCRAM). ISSN 1937-9390. 9(1), p. 11–26. doi: 10.4018/IJISCRAM.2017010102. Full text in Research Archive
• Lanamäki, Arto; Thapa, Devinder & Stendal, Karen (2016). When is an affordance? Outlining four stances. IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology. ISSN 1868-4238. 489, p. 125–139. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-49733-4_8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Affordance has emerged as a core concept in information systems (IS) research during the last decade. This relational concept is applied to understand and theorize the relationship between the social and the technical. In the works of the concept originator James Gibson, the relation was mainly portrayed as an ever-existing fact between the natural environment and an animal. In contrast, IS research focuses on relationships in-the-making between artificial things and human beings. In the IS context, we have identified vagueness in temporal and relational ontology: when do affordances exist and between whom or what? In this paper, we delve into the temporal and relational questions that have been omitted in much of the IS literature. What kind of a relationship is an affordance and when does it occur? Based on our hermeneutic understanding, we identify four stances from the existing literature. We classify those stances as canonical affordance, designed affordance, potential affordance, and affordance as completed action. We further argue that each stance has its own assumptions, consequences, and thus strengths and weaknesses.

• Harnesk, Dan & Thapa, Devinder (2016). Equipment-as-Experience: A Heidegger-Based Position of Information Security, ICIS 2016 PROCEEDINGS : Thirty Seventh International Conference on Information Systems. Dublin 2016. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9780996683135. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Information security (InfoSec) has ontologically been characterised as an order machine. The order machine connects with other machines through interrupting mechanisms. This way of portraying InfoSec focuses on the correct placement of machine entities to protect information assets. However, what is missing in this view is that for the InfoSec we experience in everyday practice, we are not just observers of the InfoSec phenomena but also active agents of it. To contribute to the quest, we draw on Heidegger’s (1962) notion of equipment and propose the concept of equipment-asexperience to understand the ontological position of InfoSec in everyday practice. In this paper we show how equipment-as-experience provides a richer picture of InfoSec as being a fundamental sociotechnical phenomena. We further contend using an example case to illustrate that InfoSec equipment should not be understood merely by its properties (present-at-hand mode), but rather in ready-to-hand mode when put into practice.

• Stendal, Karen; Thapa, Devinder & Lanamaki, Arto (2016). Analyzing the concept of affordances in information systems. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. 2016-March, p. 5270–5277. doi: 10.1109/HICSS.2016.651. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The affordance concept has penetrated the Information Systems (IS) scholarship as a lens for theorizing the relationship between technology and its users. However, what exactly is it that the researchers are trying to capture when they use this concept? For this essay, we carefully read IS literature to reveal underlying assumptions behind this lens and how it has been adopted. This article reveals three assumptions: 1) whether affordances are identified as intended prior use or emerging in action, 2) whether affordances are functional or non-functional, and 3) whether affordances are potential or actual. We dig into these assumptions and suggest alternatives for further enquiry.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2016). Participation in ICT Development Interventions: Who and How? Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. 75(3), p. 1–10. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of participatory development (PD) in the context of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for development (ICT4D) is to empower underprivileged communities and disadvantaged segments of the stakeholders. The literature on ICT4D is replete with empirical evidence showing that ICT interventions often fail since they are often externally initiated, with very limited involvement from the affected (Heeks, 2002). Clearly, the principles and concepts of PD are relevant to ICT4D. However, we should not consider PD a panacea but need to understand the caveats and processes by which PD happens. Questions to ask include: What are the various challenges in PD? Who are the relevant stakeholders? Why and how do actors enrol in the project? How do we create sustainable ICT4D projects through PD? To understand these research questions, we present a case analysis of a project in Nepal called the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP). Investigating the specific initiatives that they enabled, telemedicine, education and jobs, we propose that the key participants in the NWNP were activist actors and the affected and that activists drew upon existing Social Capital to enrol the affected through a process explained by Actor Network Theory (ANT). In the process, they built other forms of Social Capital, which in turn extended the benefits of PD to several mountain villages.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2015). Participation in ICT Development Interventions: who and how? In Nielsen, Petter (Eds.), Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Social Implications of Computers in Developing Countries. Universitetet i Oslo. ISSN 9788273684653. p. 16–25. doi: 10.1002/j.1681-4835.2016.tb00545.x. Full text in Research Archive
• Andersson, Karl; Hossain, Md. Shahadat; Thapa, Devinder & Zander, Pär-Ola (2015). A Novel Framework of an Expert System by integrating Capability Approach and BRB to Evaluate E-Government Services. In Cunningham, Paul & Cunningham, Miriam (Ed.), eChallenges e-2015 Conference Proceedings. International Information Management Corporation Limited. ISSN 9781905824526. doi: 10.1109/echallenges.2015.7441079. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Capability approach is hard to operationalize and capabilities are sometimes difficult to reduce into the individual level. We describe our approach to solve these problems paired with an adequate ICT infrastructure and believe that the impact of concrete eGovernment services will become more visible and available. Citizens can inspect it, professionals can target their re-engineering on failure cases, learn from best cases, and researchers can compare different types of eGovernment. The solving of operationalisation will also strengthen the capability approach, by extending its scope from macro theory towards more easy application on the institutional and organizational levels.

• Lanamaki, Arto; Thapa, Devinder & Stendal, Karen (2015). What Does a Chair Afford? A Heideggerian Perspective of Affordances. IRIS Selected Papers of the Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia. ISSN 1891-9863. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The concept ‘affordance’ has been adopted from ecological psychology into various fields of research. The wide adoption signals for the usefulness of the concept, but may also create confusion. We have become alert towards the ambiguous uses of the term – a feature that originates in J.J. Gibson’s ambiguous texts. To contribute to this deliberation, we identified ‘affordances of a chair’ as the most popular ‘affordance example’ in research literature. We analyzed a set of examples through a Heideggerian lens to reveal variations in the operationalization of the concept. Our paper does not aim to provide any absolute answer for the right use of the affordance concept. We wish to contribute to the ongoing debate on affordances; particularly in our own IS community. As academic writers, we should be conscious of the exact meanings of the concepts we use. Thus, this essay questions the affordance concept as a one-size-fits-all solution to characterize the relation between artifacts and their users. We suggest future research to address the conceptual specificity dilemma: should we supplement affordance with new concepts, or should we replace affordance with something better?

• Sæbø, Øystein; Sein, Maung Kyaw & Thapa, Devinder (2014). Nepal wireless networking project: Building infrastructure in the mountains from ground up. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 34(1), p. 241–256. doi: 10.17705/1cais.03411. Full text in Research Archive
• Sein, Maung Kyaw & Thapa, Devinder (2014). Building educational capabilities through information technology in developing countries: it takes a village. In Guzman, Indira R (Eds.), Proceedings of the 52nd ACM conference on Computers and people research. Association for Computing Machinery (ACM). ISSN 9781450326254. doi: 10.1145/2599990.2599999. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There is one aspect of globalization of IT work that appears only in fleeting glimpses in the mainstream IS literature and is sidelined in the discourse in general. If global IT work is painted mainly as outsourcing IT-infused work from developed countries to poorer countries (euphemistically referred to as "low income countries"), shouldn't the development of capabilities in these very same less-developed countries be a vital cog? Simply put, if these countries do not have a capable workforce, IT work, or any other work for that matter, cannot be outsourced to these countries. The question then is how can capabilities be developed in developing countries? In this research-in-progress paper, we address this question by examining a case of an activist-led initiative in Nepal called "Open Learning Exchange" (OLE in short) that used the capabilities of ICTs to deliver quality education to remote mountainous regions of Nepal. We collected data through interviews and group sessions as well as observations and document analyses. We are currently analyzing the data at both the micro and macro levels. At the micro level, we are using models from the IS training literature to gain an understanding of how training concepts developed in the West can explain the success of the initiative. Then we move to the macro level by shifting our interpretive gaze to the concept of "eco-system" in order to understand the role of the society and the surroundings in the implementation of capability building initiatives in developing countries and sustaining them.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2014). Exploring the link between ICT and development in the context of developing countries: A literature review. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. 64. doi: 10.1002/j.1681-4835.2014.tb00454.x. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder; Sein, Maung Kyaw & Sæbø, Øystein (2012). Building collective capabilities through ICT in a mountain region of Nepal: where social capital leads to collective action. Information Technology for Development. ISSN 0268-1102. 18(1), p. 5–22. doi: 10.1080/02681102.2011.643205. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we explore how ICT can lead to development specifically human development in Sen’s capability approach. In answering to the critique that Sen views capabilities as the individual, we incorporate the societal level by adding collective capabilities. We propose that ICT helps to create or enhance SC of communities which in turn can lead to development by building collective capabilities through collective action. To illustrate, we conducted a qualitative case study of an ICT initiative in a remote mountain region of Nepal. We found support for our proposition and further that developing collective capabilities also simultaneously enhanced individual capabilities. We contribute to theory building by showing that not just the characteristics of SC, but also its form can promote collective action. We further illustrate that the SC and the capability perspectives are compatible and it is possible to read the two streams both simultaneously and complementarily.

• Sæbø, Øystein & Thapa, Devinder (2012). Introducing Internet-Based Services in the Mountain Areas of Nepal: An Asset Pentagon Perspective. Information Technologies & International Development. ISSN 1544-7529. 8(3), p. 85–98. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) projects can only be considered successful if they lead to some kind of individual, social, or economic development. The beneªts of introducing ICT4D projects in developing countries are yet to be realized, particularly those introduced in mountainous and remote areas. Our study addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the Nepal Wireless Networking Project from the mountain areas in Nepal using the assets pentagon model (APM). The main contributions of this work are threefold: First, we illustrate and discuss the use and usefulness of introducing APM, addressing the call for more clarity as to how ICT4D projects add to development. Second, our study expands the research knowledge of the relationships among various capital assets. Finally, our study reports on an ICT4D project from the mountain areas of Nepal, representing a country and an area that have been scarcely reported in our research community.

• Sein, Maung Kyaw; Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2012). Bringing the outside world to the remote mountains: The Nepal Wireless Networking Project. In George, Joey, F. (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Information Systems, ICIS 2012. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISSN 9780615718439. p. 1–13. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This teaching case presents the story of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project (NWNP) and its effort to connect villages in remote areas of Nepal to the outside world. Despite lack of access to proper equipment, the fact that it was illegal to install wireless network, lack of technical competence and the difficult terrain in the Himalayan mountains, Mahabir Pun, the initiator of NWNP, suceeded in bringing Internet access to these villages which led to improvement in education, health services and incomegenerating activities. The case describes the development of NWNP from inception to today, the stakeholders involved, services provided, current challenges and ideas for future improvements. It illustrates the importance of the champion, the process to get stakeholders commitments, the importance of contextual understanding, and the challenges of scaling up from pilot projects to wider implementations in the context of developing countries.

• Lanamäki, Arto; Stendal, Karen & Thapa, Devendra Bahadur (2011). Mutual Informing Between IS Academia and Practice: Insights from KIWISR-5. Communications of the Association for Information Systems. 29, p. 123–132. doi: 10.17705/1cais.02907. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The relationship between Information Systems (IS) scholars and IS practitioners has been debated since the birth of the IS discipline. How are academics interacting with practice, and how should we? In this article we propose that academia-practice collaboration, namely “mutual informing,” is an existential aspect of the Information Systems field. This article is based on presentations, discussions, group work, and a debate that took place during the Fifth Kristiansand International Workshop on Information Systems Research (KIWISR), held at University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. The theme of KIWISR-5 was “For Whom Do We Toil? Mutual Informing Between Academia and Practice.” As a synthesis of the workshop, we propose that mutual informing consists of, at least, topics such as choice of publication outlets, facilitation of collaboration, roles in research process, and delivery of teaching. Further, we suggest that mutual informing is concerned with transferring and transforming knowledge between the realms of design and development, use, and management of Information Systems. The biggest challenges to mutual informing are the different knowledge interests and timeframes between the realms of academia and practice.

• Thapa, Devendra Bahadur (2011). The role of ICT Actors and Networks in Development: The case study of a mountain region in Nepal. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. 49(1), p. 1–16. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2011). Demystifying the Possibilities of ICT4D in the Mountain Regions of Nepal. In Spague, Ralph H. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 44th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS-44). IEEE Press. ISSN 9781424496181. p. 1–10. doi: 10.1109/hicss.2011.142. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Despite the substantial investments in ICT4D projects in developing countries, the benefits are yet to be realised by the majority of remote communities. Inaccessibility to ICT has widened educational, healthcare, information, and communication gaps between urban and remote communities. This paper focuses on an interpretive case study in Nepal to widen our understanding of how locally-initiated ICT4D projects may help to narrow these gaps. The study utilises the Assets Pentagon Model to identify the strengths and challenges of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project in the mountain areas, and to identify implications for research and practice based on insights from the case.

• Sæbø, Øystein & Thapa, Devendra Bahadur (2010). A Framework to Analyze the Interaction Process between ICT and Social Capital. In Fallmyr, Terje & Hjelmås, Erik (Ed.), Norsk Informatikkonferanse. Tapir Akademisk Forlag. ISSN 9788251927031. p. 187–196. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Existing research measuring the impact from information and communication technology for development projects in developing countries are mainly referring to Socio-technical and financial issues. Less consideration has been given to understand the process of interaction between ICT and social processes and resources. In this paper we seek to address this knowledge gap by proposing a framework to understand the interaction processes between ICT and social capital. This article discusses Actor?Network Theory and its utility for Social Capital studies. By combining social capital and Actor-Network Theory, the framework provides an interpretive lens to understand why and how ICT and social capital interacts and what are its consequences. The framework could provide better understanding into the process of formation, deformation and maintenance of bonding, bridging, and linking social capitals, and the dynamics of ties between various actors

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• Jones, Matthew; Mukherjee, Arunima Sehgal; Thapa, Devinder & Zheng, Yingqin (2023). After Latour: Globalisation, Inequity and Climate Change. Springer Nature. ISBN 9783031501531. 390 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Meske, Christian; Amojo, Ireti & Thapa, Devinder (2020). Understanding the Affordances of Conversational Agents in Mental Mobile Health Services. Association for Information Systems (AIS). ISBN 9780996683197. 10 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Omland, Hans Olav & Thapa, Devinder (2017). Methodological Approach for Identifying Mechanisms in ICT4D: A Critical Realism Perspective. Springer Publishing Company. ISBN 9783319591100. 10 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The ontological questions ‘What is ICT?’ and ‘What is development?’ are described and documented in literature. Similarly, methodological approaches for understanding how ICT leads to development or for measuring the impact of ICT are described. However, explaining ‘why’ ICT works or not in the contexts of developing countries needs further investigation. We propose a critical realism based methodological approach for answering the above mentioned ‘why’-question. The core of a critical realism based approach is to identify the underlying mechanism(s) that may explain a phenomenon of why ICT leads to development. We demonstrate the proposed methodology through applying it on a case in an ICT4D context from Nepal.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sein, Maung K. (2016). Information Ecology as a holistic lens to understand ICTD initiatives: A case study of OLPC deployment in Nepal. ACM Publications. ISBN 9781450343060. 4 p. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Techno-centric initiatives to bridge the digital divide, such as One Laptop per Child (OLPC), has been criticized for not taking a holistic approach. This has led to limited success in areas such as providing quality education in developing countries. In this paper, we offer a premise for a holistic understanding by borrowing from the field of information ecology. To illustrate our premise, we applied the theoretical lens of information ecology to analyze a case study of Open Learning Exchange (OLE) which has been described as one of the few successes in implementing OLPC. Based on our analysis, we posit that information ecology is a suitable and appropriate lens to interpret and understand how IT interventions can be successfully deployed in developing countries.

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• Thapa, Devinder & Haj-Bolouri, Amir (2023). Demystifying Philosophy for Information Systems Researcher. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this research essay, we have argued why philosophy makes sense to IS researchers in general and Ph.D. students in particular. We highlighted some basic concepts of philosophical ideas, the philosophy of science, and the philosophy of technology. After that, we discussed how philosophy could also be a rational sense-making or creative sense-making device in the IS theorizing process. While this essay is a kind of capsule for broad philosophical ideas, it does not replace any philosophy course or textbook. Every philosophical idea can quickly fill multiple volumes of a book. However, this essay may work as a stimulator for IS Ph.D. students in creating a philosophical mind

• Henriksen, Helle Zinner; Thapa, Devinder & Elbanna, Amany (2021). Sustainable Development Goals in IS Research. Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems (SJIS). ISSN 0905-0167. 33(2), p. 97–102. Full text in Research Archive
• Heeks, Richard; Thapa, Devinder & Wall, PJ (2018). Critical realism and ICT4D: editorial introduction to the special issue of EJISDC. Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries. doi: 10.1002/isd2.12050. Full text in Research Archive
• Hatakka, Mathias; Thapa, Devinder & Zhang, Jing (2018). Introduction to “ICT4D: ICTs and sustainable development” minitrack. Proceedings of the Annual Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS). ISSN 1530-1605. 2018-, p. 2403–2403. Full text in Research Archive
• Haj-Bolouri, Amir; Flensburg, Per & Thapa, Devinder (2016). Imparting social values through eLearning platform: A social learning approach. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  In this paper, we have identified a gap with regard to imparting social values in an eLearning platform that was designed for orienting immigrants entering Sweden (newcomers). We identified that an existing eLearning platform is more oriented towards creating awareness rather than imparting transformative learning. Therefore, we propose a conceptual framework suggesting how to bring in the social values in eLearning platform,by subsequently applying social learning approach to promulgate transformative learning in which the learner also internalize the values in their attitude and behavior. The proposed framework makes a theoretical contribution by combining the notion of value, value content, value systems and social learning approach in the eLearning platform. The contribution also has practical implications in terms of providing transformative learning to newcomers. We argue that the contents on social values through the eLearning platform should be transformative, and not only informative. We suggest to integrate social values in the eLearning platform; make the learning transformative, and impart those values through social learning approaches such as triple-loop learning, connecting various communities of practices and to make the platform more interactive and engaging.

• Sein, Maung Kyaw; Thapa, Devinder; Hatakka, Mathias & Sæbø, Øystein (2016). What theories do we need to know to conduct ICT4D research? Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Research in ICT4D is a constant search to answer the question of how ICT fosters development in underdeveloped communities. While many theories have guided research, we are yet to develop a cumulative body of knowledge to answer this question. In this paper, we argue that the elusive link between ICT and development needs to be grounded in three groups of theories: theories to understand development; theories to understand ICT; and theories to understand how ICT make development happen. We present exemplars of theories from each group, and illustrate how we have used them in our research. Through reflecting on which questions to be answered by including the three groups of theories, we propose research agendas.

• Hatakka, Mathias; Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2016). A Framework for Understanding the Link Between ICT and Development: How Affordances Influence Capabilities. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Understanding the role of ICT in development is at the core of the ICT4D field. However, while most agree that ICT do contribute to development, the question of how is still not fully explored. In this research-in-progress, we propose a framework that combines two theoretical lenses, the choice framework (that is based on the capability approach) and affordances, to increase our understanding of ICTs role in the development process. The capability approach considers development as freedoms for people to live the lives they have a reason to value. The affordance theory describes action possibilities allowed by material properties, thereby allowing the examination of how individuals explore material properties of information systems with the objective of enhancing their capabilities. We argue that, by combining the choice framework with affordances we can better explain the role of ICT in the development process, and explain how individuals’ agency and social structures influence their ability to perceive affordances in their interaction with the ICT.

• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2013). How to Scale ICT4D Projects: A Salience Stakeholder Perspective. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder & Sæbø, Øystein (2012). Understanding the Link between ICT and Socioeconomic Development: Insights from a Case Study. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devendra Bahadur & Sæbø, Øystein (2011). EXPLORING THE LINK BETWEEN ICT AND DEVELOPMENT: A LITERATURE REVIEW. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devendra Bahadur (2011). ICT Actors, Networks and Development: The case study of a mountain region in Nepal. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devendra Bahadur & Sæbø, Øystein (2011). Når internett kommer til landsbyen. [Journal]. Fedrelandsvennen. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder (2010). Re-conceptualizing Digital Divide. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Fast spreading policies such as providing computer training to mass population can be attractive for pulling funds; however, sustainable development comes from steady and effective penetration of the technology.

• Thapa, Devendra Bahadur & Sein, Maung Kyaw (2010). ICT, Social Capital and Development: the Case of a Mountain Region in Nepal. Full text in Research Archive
• Thapa, Devinder (2009). The e-Village. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Even though the media itself is a core component of information and communication technologies (ICT), little coverage can be found about the contribution of ICT in rural development. Simple statements made by political figures make the headlines, but it is difficult to find any news about ICT in development activities. If we go through the World Development Reports and UNDP profiles, we see that millions of dollars have been invested in ICT for development projects. However, the actual impact on rural communities is unknown. Either there is nil impact of these projects or the media is not interested in disseminating the actual outcomes of these development activities. We don't need to go far to observe success stories of ICT implementation in rural communities. India is one of the role models for us where we can find plenty of examples. For an example of an e-village, the MS Swaminathan Foundation in Tamil Nadu has developed a novel approach known as e-village. They set up different computer terminals in rural areas. These computer terminals are pre-loaded with a database of useful information relating to government services such as agricultural extension, health and the police including contact details for each village. They connected 10 villages together and selected a group of volunteers to run the village centre. Women have been given priority to run such centres, and they in turn provide training courses to other women. In addition, technical support is provided by a hub situated in a nearby town Vilanur. The technical support centre is headed by trained IT professionals.

• Hausvik, Geir Inge; Munkvold, Bjørn Erik & Thapa, Devinder (2019). Information Quality in Secondary Use of EHR Data. Universitetet i Agder. ISSN 9788271179458. Full text in Research Archive

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