The role of information and communication technology for development in Brazil

ABSTRACT

Social, human and economic dimensions of development demand relevant attention in developing and developed countries. In this paper, we explore the role of information technology (IT) for development in an emerging economy: Brazil. Through our analysis and discussion, we highlight relevant issues to be considered by information systems (IS) literature. For example, we observed IT advances in the health area, and these advances include telemedicine, applications focused on cancer, applications for prescription process, electrocardiogram in the clouds, and remote tele-monitoring of chronic patients. During the literature review, we also found two initiatives in Brazil that help in the fight against cancer and HIV with IT use. These (and other) measures have a direct effect on social and human development. We indicate a special attention to the importance of government actions and of the internet to leverage the relationship between IT investments and development in emerging economies.

KEYWORDS:

• Latin America
• ICT4D
• tobacco
• health
• government programs
• BRICS

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Rodrigo Fernandes Malaquias is a Full Time Professor at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. In 2012, he received his PhD in Business Administration from Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo da Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV-EAESP). In 2015, he was a Visiting Research Scholar at DePaul University in Chicago, USA. His research includes e-commerce, mobile banking, finance, accounting, and cross-country studies. His papers have been published or accepted for publication by peer-reviewed journals, including Computers in Human Behavior, Information Development, Research in International Business and Finance, Technology and Disability, Brazilian Business Review, Journal of Operations and Supply Chain Management, Brazilian Review of Finance, among others.

Fernanda Francielle de Oliveira Malaquias is a Full Time Professor at the Federal University of Uberlândia, Brazil. In 2012, she received her PhD in Electrical Engineering from the Federal University of Uberlândia. She also holds a MS degree in Computer Science. In 2015, she was a Visiting Research Scholar at DePaul University in Chicago, USA. Her research focuses on mobile banking, information systems, and virtual reality applications. Her papers have been published or accepted for publication by peer-reviewed journals, including Computers in Human Behavior, Information Development, Technology and Disability, Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory, among others.

Yujong Hwang is Associate Professor in the School of Accountancy and MIS, Driehaus College of Business at DePaul University in Chicago. He is also Professor (International Scholar) at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. He was Visiting Professor in the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and received his Ph.D. in Business from the University of South Carolina. His research focuses on knowledge management, e-commerce, and human–computer interaction. He was ranked among Top 50 productive researchers in the world in 2005–2008, based on Top 6 IS journal counts. He has published over 50 articles in refereed journals, including Journal of Management Information Systems, European Journal of Information Systems, IEEE Transactions, Communications of the ACM, Information & Management, Decision Support Systems, Information Development, and International Journal of Electronic Commerce. He is Program Co-Chair of AMCIS 2013 and Senior Associate Editor of European Journal of Information Systems. He is Associate Editor of Behaviour and IT and Journal of Electronic Commerce Research.

ORCID

Yujong Hwang http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7323-6127