Leveraging Information Technology to Support Agents of World Benefit

Abstract

There is much debate about social responsibility in the context ofbusiness and industry but not much in the context of informationtechnology. We address this void by examining developments and innovationsat the interface between information technologies and positive socialchange. In particular, the paper explores the role of informationtechnology in three critical domains: connectivity, education, andeconomic development. The underlying premise of the authors is thatinformation and communication technologies can serve agents of socialinnovation in underserved communities and that their considerationis vital to the success of many efforts that pursue global and sustainablechange. We also submit that such issues ought to be integrated morecentrally into the practice and scholarly mission of the IS discipline.[ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; Copyright of Communications of AIS is theproperty of Association for Information Systems and its content maynot be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listservwithout the copyright holder's express written permission. However,users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracyof the copy. Users should refer to the original published versionof the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to allAbstracts.)