Analyzing conflict and its management within ICT4D partnerships: an institutional logics perspective

ABSTRACT

Promotion and presence of partnerships have been growing within information and communication technology for development (ICT4D). Yet – despite limited analytical literature on this topic – it is clear that the reality of ICT4D partnerships often undershoots the potential, with frequent reports of failure, particularly arising from conflict between partners. This paper addresses calls for more and better-conceptualized research into ICT4D partnerships, with a specific focus on understanding the roots and management of conflict in such partnerships. We use qualitative field data from a Malaysian IT “impact sourcing” public–private partnership case study, viewed through the lens of institutional logics and conflict management strategies. Analysis of three vignettes from the negotiation of the initiative shows one partner always used a competitive approach to conflict management. This led issues to remain unresolved and led the partnership arrangement to steadily loosen. The outcome was always domination of private logic over public logic. As a result, and lacking an overt advocate, welfare goals of the partnership were somewhat sidelined. Our paper contributes by showing (a) how institutional logics helps explain the outcome of ICT4D partnerships, and (b) how the conflict management strategies framework helps explain the practice of conflicting institutional logics in such partnerships.

KEYWORDS:

• ICT4D partnerships
• public–private partnership
• institutional logics
• conflict management

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was presented at ECIS 2016; our thanks go to the two anonymous conference reviewers, and to the two anonymous journal reviewers.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Shahifol Arbi Ismail is a doctoral student in Development Informatics in the Centre for Development Informatics (CDI), University of Manchester, UK. Prior to joining CDI, he was a Senior Lecturer at Universiti Utara Malaysia, where he taught courses and conducted research on business and accounting information systems. He has co-authored several books on accounting and information systems, used in undergraduate courses.

Richard Heeks is Chair in Development Informatics at the Global Development Institute, University of Manchester, UK; and Director of the Centre for Development Informatics. He has been consulting and researching on informatics and development for more than 30 years. His book publications include India’s Software Industry (1996), Reinventing Government in the Information Age (1999), Implementing and Managing eGovernment (2006), and Information and Communication Technology for Development (2017). His research interests are data-intensive development, e-resilience and e-sustainability, digital development, and the digital economy in developing countries. He has a PhD in Indian IT industry development, directs the MSc programme in ICTs for Development, and runs the ICT for Development blog: http://ict4dblog.wordpress.com.

Brian Nicholson is a Professor of Information Systems at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, UK. Since 1995, he has been involved in teaching, research, and consultancy projects in the broad area of ICT for development. He has authored many academic articles in leading MIS and ICT for development journals in Europe and the United States, including Journal of IT; Information and Organization; Journal of Global Information Management; Information Technology for Development; and Information Technologies & International Development.

Aini Aman (PhD) is an Associate Professor in the School of Accounting, Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia. Since 1993, she has been involved in teaching, research and consultancy projects in business development, accounting information systems, and finance and accounting shared services and outsourcing. She has received research grants from various government agencies and industrial organizations, and has published her research in academic journals, including Journal of Global Information Management; Strategic Outsourcing: An International Journal; Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy; and Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management.