In search of a model to explain digital divide in information technology organizations

• Main Authors: Mohamed, Norshidah, Hussein, Ramlah, Ahlan, Abdul Rahman
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: T58.5 Information technology
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/8804/1/In_search_of_a_model_to_explain_digital_divide_in_information_technology_organizations.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/8804/
• Institution: Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia

Innovations in information technology have enabled organizations shape new business rules and create competitive advantage. Information technology provides opportunities for the creation of wealth from knowledge-based economic activities which contribute to the GDP. Successful creation of knowledge-based society primarily relies on narrowing the digital divide. The Executive Development Center at the University of Minnesota refers digital divide to the gap between individuals, households, businesses, and geographic areas at different socio-economic levels with regard to both their opportunities to access information and communication technologies (ICT) and to their use of the Internet for a wide variety of activities. It further defined three levels of digital divide that is, national level, organizational level and household level. Our review of the literature indicates that many past researches focused on digital divide at the national and household levels. However, gaps still exist at the organisational level. Our ultimate aim is to develop a model to explain digital divide in organizations in particular, information technology organizations in a developing country like Malaysia. This article reports an in-progress research that reviews past theoretical frameworks and proposes a conceptual framework.