ABSTRACT

Human development is one of the prominent factors that captures the essence of livelihoods in societies. In the current information era, the unprecedented reach and diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT) to the remotest countries of the world make it a catalyst to achieve the desired target of human development. But ICT cannot be highly overrated, while the world acknowledges the benefits of incorporating ICT to solve societal issues, the world reports also indicate that nearly 70% of ICT designed projects for development are mere failures. The reason can be attributed to the societal norms and cultural aspects of the community toward the usage of technology. This study builds on the thought that the sustained usage of ICT is highly dependent on the various factors and facets of the society. Using national culture as a societal facet, the study demonstrates the necessity of congruence between ICT usage and national culture values to attain the desired human development. The results indicate that national culture dimensions of low-power distance, collectivism, femininity, short-term orientation, and restraint with ICT have significant influence on human development index. The study demonstrates the variations in using ICT for human development depending on cultures in different regions of the world. The study has implications for policymakers at national and international levels regarding treatment of ICT for human development.

摘要

人类发展是捕捉社会生计本质的重要因素之一。在当前的信息时代，信息和通信技术（ICT）前所未有地向世界上最偏远的国家传播，使其成为实现人类发展预期目标的催化剂。但 ICT 不能被高估，虽然世界承认将 ICT 用于解决社会问题的好处，但世界报告还表明，近 70% 的 ICT 设计的发展项目仅仅是失败。原因可以归因于社区对技术使用的社会规范和文化方面。本研究基于这样一种思想，即 ICT 的持续使用高度依赖于社会的各种因素和方面。该研究将民族文化作为社会的一个方面，证明了 ICT 使用与民族文化价值观之间的一致性，以实现理想的人类发展。结果表明，低权力距离、集体主义、女性气质、短期取向和对信息通信技术的约束等民族文化维度对人类发展指数有显着影响。该研究表明，根据世界不同地区的文化，信息通信技术促进人类发展的差异。该研究对国家和国际层面的政策制定者在处理 ICT 促进人类发展方面具有影响。结果表明，低权力距离、集体主义、女性气质、短期取向和对信息通信技术的约束等民族文化维度对人类发展指数有显着影响。该研究表明，根据世界不同地区的文化，信息通信技术促进人类发展的差异。该研究对国家和国际层面的政策制定者在处理 ICT 促进人类发展方面具有影响。结果表明，低权力距离、集体主义、女性气质、短期取向和对信息通信技术的约束等民族文化维度对人类发展指数有显着影响。该研究表明，根据世界不同地区的文化，信息通信技术促进人类发展的差异。该研究对国家和国际层面的政策制定者在处理 ICT 促进人类发展方面具有影响。