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    Development of Strategies and Transformation Paths for Structured and Targeted Digital Change: The Case of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana Trinity Congregation
    (Digitalization Cases, Management for Professionals, 2019) Asiedu, S.T.; Boateng, R.
    The situation faced: The Church, irrespective of its steady growth from 4 members in 1965 to 2910 members in 2015, struggles to reach out to larger (newer) communities and improve money collection. It struggles as well in reaching its local community especially its members at the right time with the right message. In brief, for the Church to engage its members and the public concerning worship service, publicizing its social activities (evangelism, donations to the needy, visits to prisons, etc.) and payment of voluntary contributions, it had to count on their physical presence in its premises. (b) Action taken: The Church developed an interactive online presence (website) with payment integration for payment of tithe, offertory, voluntary thanksgiving, etc. Social media accounts were established to help create an online community with the secondary objective of driving traffic to the website and engaging the congregation remotely outside church service hours. Mobile money and a point of sale (POS) device were used to facilitate cashless transactions. Supportive committees were set up while interconnecting existing ones. Some of the pastors upload videos to social media as a supplement to morning devotions. Events were promoted on the website and social media. (c) Results achieved: Amongst the lot, there is currently an increase in social media engagements through event posts, live streaming, images, and other post formats and also an increase in participation in church events by almost 50% on average as well as an increase in the number of website visitors from 2558 (901 unique visitors) in the first year after deployment to 11,612 visitors (5841 unique visitors) in the third year as of September 2017. Even though membership statistics surprisingly indicated a 638 decline in 2017, which is worth investigating. (d) Lessons learned: Although deploying the online system was successful, it came with its lessons drawn from challenges that cannot be ignored. These include trust in electronic payments, the need for a strategic framework in the adoption of technology, and the need to educate users. Other lessons include the need for management support and readiness of employees/volunteers and resource availability as a precursor to achieving strategic IS innovation objectives.
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    Affordances and constraints processes of smart service systems: Insights from the case of seaport security in Ghana
    (International Journal of Information Management, 2021) Effah, J.; Amankwah-Sarfo, F.; Boateng, R.
    Although smart service systems have received increasing attention in information systems research, their affordances and constraints processes are less studied. In this study, we draw on interpretive case study meth odology and technology affordances and constraints theory to investigate a smart service system use for seaport security in Ghana. With insights from the case of Ghana, we introduce an affordance constraints process as a framework to complement the existing affordance actualisation process framework in information systems. Thus, this study contributes to affordance theory with a new constraints process. The study’s findings show that smart service systems for seaport security afford autonomous access control, real-time security monitoring, and autonomous data capturing for analytics and reporting. However, such affordances can be constrained by power and internet outages, limited storage capacity, and device breakdowns. From these findings, we discuss impli cations for theory, research, and practice as well as limitations and directions for future r
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    An institutional perspective on application programming interface development and integration
    (Information Technology & People, 2023) Ofoeda, J.; Boateng, R.; Effah, J.
    Purpose – Digital platforms increase their function and scope by leveraging boundary resources and complementary add-on products from third-party developers to interact with external entities and producers. Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) are essential boundary resources developers use to connect applications, systems and platforms. This notwithstanding, previous API studies tend to focus more on the technical dimensions, with little on the social and cultural contexts underpinning API innovations. This study relies on the new (neo) institutional theory (focusing on regulative, normative and cultural-cognitive pillars) as an analytical lens to understand the institutional forces that affect API integration among digital firms. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a qualitative case study methodology and relies on phone calls and a semi-structured in-depth interview approach of a Ghanaian digital music platform to uncover the institutional forces affecting API integration. Findings – The findings reveal that regulative institutions such as excessive tax regimes mostly constrained API development and integration initiatives. However, other regulative institutions like the government digitalization agenda enabled API integration. Normative institutions, such as the growing use of e-payment options, enabled API integration in digital music platforms. Cultural-cognitive institutions like employee ego constrained the API integration process in music digital platforms. Originality/value – This study primarily contributes to deepening understanding of the relevant literature by exploring the institutional forces that affect API integration among digital firms in a developing economy. The study also uncovered a new form of an institution known as motivational institution as an enabler for API development and integration in digital music platforms.
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    Rural–urban and socio-demographic diferentials in perceived health state among aging population in Ghana
    (Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition, 2023) Yawson, A.E.; Boateng, R.; Adoma, P.O.
    Background The variations in health between rural and urban population have become an increasingly signifcant public health concern in developing countries including Ghana where urbanization is occurring. Whereas urbanization results in improved access to healthcare services, the concomitant negative consequences of urbanization coupled with unfavorable compositional and contextual attributes can afect the health of populations. The study sought to examine the efect of rural–urban residence and selected socio-demographic factors on perceived health state among aging population by employing a nationally representative data collected by the WHO from 2014 to 2015. Methods The data were derived from the WHO Study on Aging wave 2 released in 2019. A total of 4511 individuals, made up of 1018 adults between 18 and 49 years and 3493 respondents within the ages of 50 years and above, were involved in this study. The study examined the Spearman’s rho correlations between perceived health, rural–urban residence, age, sex, marital status, ever schooled, current work state, religion, and regional location. Subsequently, the study employed a multivariable ordinal logistic regression model to test the efect of the selected biosocial and contextual variables on perceived health state. Results The selected socio-demographic variables signifcantly correlated with health state, except for rural–urban residence. However, the predictive ability of rural–urban residence and the socio-demographic variables on perceived health state were strongly ascertained. It was observed that age, sex, rural–urban residence, and current state of work among aging populations were signifcant predictors of perceived health state as demonstrated by odds ratios and signifcant p values. The contextual factor of regional location was the most signifcant variable that increases the perceived health state of respondents in the study. Conclusions Continues engagement in work-related activities, an individual’s age within the aging continuum and regional location coupled with its environmental and ecological attributes, may signifcantly infuence the development of positive perception toward health state, which forms a vital constituent of an individual health seeking behavior.
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    Preliminary Insights into the Nature of Graduate IS Programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa
    (Springer Nature, 2020-04) Boateng, R.; Kevor, M-O.; Kolog, E.A.; Owusu, A.; Afful-Dadzie, A.
    Extant Information Systems (IS) curriculum research has focused on the nature of undergraduate IS programmes, particularly in the US and UK, eliciting calls for studies on graduate IS programmes and in regions beyond the US and UK. This study, consequently, looks at the nature of graduate IS programmes in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Using a direct survey method, IS courses information were collected from the websites of top universities in SSA based on a 2019 webometric world ranking of universities. The course offerings from these universities are mapped to the competencies specified in the Global competency model for graduate IS programmes (MSIS 2016). The findings generally indicate, among others, non-adherence of graduate IS programmes in SSA to the MSIS 2016. The reasons for the non-adherence to the MSIS 2016 curriculum model is recommended for future research.
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    Institutional Effects on National Health Insurance Digital Platform Development and Use: The Case of Ghana
    (Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020, 2020-04-01) Renner-Micah, A.; Effah, J.; Boateng, R.
    The purpose of this study is to understand institutional effects on digital platform development and use for national health insurance in a developing country. Information systems research on digital platforms for the health sector has focused more on healthcare. Less research exists on health insurance. This study, therefore, addresses the research gap by focusing on digital platform for national health insurance service in a developing country. The study employs qualitative, interpretive case study as methodology and institutional theory as analytical lens to investigate regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional effects on digital platform development and use for national health insurance in Ghana. The findings show the institutional enablers as: (1) health-seeking culture; (2) mobile network penetration and use; and (3) appropriate laws and regulations. Conversely, the constraints are (1) Unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) functionality; and (2) extended family system.
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    Digital Entrepreneurship in Business Enterprises: A Systematic Review
    (Springer Nature, 2020-04-01) Anim-Yeboah, S.; Boateng, R.; Kolog, E.A.; Owusu, A.; Bedi, I.
    This study systematically reviews extant contemporary literature on digital entrepreneurship in peer-reviewed journal articles over six years (2013– 2018) from six journal databases. It involved a systematic literature review of 101 papers from 53 journals focusing on the publication outlets, yearly trends, themes, and associated theoretical and conceptual approaches, methodologies, sources and geographical distribution of digital entrepreneurship research. The findings suggest that extant literature mostly lacked sound theoretical underpinnings. More work adopting appropriate and proven theoretical approaches is needed. Most of the reviewed papers also focused mainly on issues relating to the technology itself than those relating to the enterprise or the entrepreneur. The capabilities and capacities of enterprises, as well as the strategies in implementing digital technologies and harnessing the opportunities of digitalization, are key issues that have not hitherto received much attention. The study contributes to the understanding of the conceptualization of the digital entrepreneurship phenomenon. Future research should consolidate the understanding of the field, with models and frameworks that recognize digital entrepreneurship as an academic research field in its own right, and also consider the impact of enterprise capabilities and capacities on digital entrepreneurship.
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    Biometric Identification for Socioeconomic Development in Ghana
    (Information Systems Management, 2020-02-27) Effah, J.; Owusu-Oware, E.; Boateng, R.
    This paper draws on interpretive case study methodology and e-government enactment framework to understand Ghana’s biometric identification initiative implementation and its failure to achieve the intended socioeconomic development impacts. To better understand how such initiatives can be deployed to achieve the desired impacts, the findings on the reasons for the failed Ghana’s case are compared with that of a successful developing country’s case. The study offers contributions to research, policy and practice.
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    Assessing the Role of Trust in Merchant Adoption of Mobile Payments in Ghana
    (International Federation for Information Processing, 2020-04-01) Yeboah, E.; Boateng, R.; Owusu, A.; Afful-Dadzie, E.; Ofori-Amanfo, J.
    Encouraged by the crucial need to understand merchant adoption of mobile payment, this study explores the role trust play in the adoption of mobile payment by merchant and the enablers for merchant’s trust in mobile payment systems. This was done by Conceptualising the characteristics of the service provider and technology characteristics as the two dimensions that could influence merchant adoption of mobile payments. The study was done through the lenses of the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Trust-Theoretic Model and adopted a qualitative approach where two merchants were selected from the health sector. The findings demonstrate that the role of merchant trust is very critical for adoption due to m-payment technology and security risk. Hence, sufficient trust-building structures in mobile payment space are essential for the adoption of mobile payment by merchants. Moreover, the findings indicate mobile service provider characteristics and the mobile technology characteristics are both imperative toward building trust in mobile payment systems for merchants’ adoption. The study also found that the trust of both technology and service provider has a far more critical influence on merchants’ adoption of mobile payments than perceived usefulness or ease of use. The study, therefore, recommends that service providers should consider the opportunity to nurture merchant trust because merchant trust acts as a fundamental enabler for the adoption of mobile payments. Other implications are also discussed.
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    Assessing healthcare digitalisation in Ghana: A critical realist’s approach
    (Health Policy and Technology, 2020-04-13) Preko, M.; Boateng, R.
    Background: The emergence of digital technologies within the health sector has presented opportunities for improving medical care while strengthening health systems across the globe. Despite this promise, the extent of digitalisation, especially in developing countries, somewhat remains undetermined. Such knowledge is needed to learn and shape future advances in the sector. The purpose of this study, there- fore, is to explore the generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector, in order to understand and assess the extent of digitalisation, based on the digitalisation outcomes of the respective generative mechanisms. Methods: Underpinned by the critical realism philosophy, a single case study approach was adopted to explore the generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector, and how the varying degrees of digitalisation are interpreted and explained in the empirical world. Results: The study found five generative mechanisms of digitalisation in the Ghanaian health sector. These were Standardisation, Convergence and Connectivity, Storage Systems, Financial Transparency, and Data Security. Full activation of these mechanisms revealed that the first three generative mechanisms achieved high levels of digitalisation based on the extent of organisational transformations observed af- ter the digitalisation process, as compared to the last two generative mechanisms which were rated as average. Discussion: This study concludes that the extent of digitalisation in Ghana’s health sector is more of reality than mere perception. The demonstration of how critical realism can be used to unearth insights into the extent of healthcare digitalisation in a developing country context spells the contribution of this paper.