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Technology Adoption in Post-Conflict Regions: EDI Adoption in Kosovo after the War

Technology Adoption in Post-Conflict Regions: EDI Adoption in Kosovo after the War

Larry Stapleton (Waterford Institute of Technology and Knewfutures, Ireland and University of Business and Technology, Pristina, Kosovo)
Copyright: © 2013 |Pages: 21
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-4666-2142-8.ch011
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Abstract

Post-conflict developing regions are special cases of developing countries which have received little attention in information systems research. They are emergency situations which attract significant aid designed to help create economic stability through, for example, the use of IT. This study compared the experiences of Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) adoption in the extreme environment of a post-conflict region to other developing regions. Presenting data gathered from 68 companies in Kosovo, this paper provides an in-depth examination of EDI technology adoption in a post-conflict region. The findings suggest that EDI adoption in Kosovo comprises different features when compared with other developing countries, indicating that current theories of technology adoption have not fully accounted for EDI adoption in post-conflict regions. From this finding, implications for interventions in post-conflict regions are drawn. This paper contributes to the understanding of technology adoption processes and offers new insight into the process of technology adoption in this context. This paper provides a starting point for further work which creates a basis for more effective interventions in post-conflict zones, contributing to economic development and stabilisation.
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Post Conflict Regions As A Special Case Of A Developing Country

Are post-conflict countries different to other developing countries?

Several literatures recognise post-conflict developing regions as a particular subgroup of developing countries. Disaster Management (Mubareka et al., 2005), Social Studies (Sorenson, 1998), Peace studies (Anderlini & El-Bushra, 2007; Bryden & Hänggi, 2005; Spangler & Burgess, 2003) and Economics (Demekas et al., 2002; Sklias & Roukanas, 2007) all set post-conflict regions apart from other developing countries as having particular needs and features. These include damaged physical, political and educational infrastructure (and therefore low economic capacity), difficulties in attracting inward investment and distinctive needs in the structure and distribution of aid. The scale of the presence of international agencies in post-conflict zones is another feature of these regions. In a study of post-conflict Sudan Gong (2004) explained how international agencies bring with them reservoirs of management knowledge and technology-enabled processes which could, if diffused into the indigenous community, provide a basis for developing local business processes. Whilst some factors associated with post-conflict zones are evident in other developing countries, the combination and intensity of the factors make post-conflict zones special cases.

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