ICT for Development in Rural India: A Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health Outcomes

MIS Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 605-629, June 2020

HKUST Business School Research Paper No. 2020-008

56 Pages Posted: 14 Jan 2021 Last revised: 11 Jun 2021

See all articles by Viswanath Venkatesh

Viswanath Venkatesh

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Pamplin College of Business

Tracy Sykes

University of Arkansas

Xiaojun Zhang

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management

Date Written: August 23, 2020

Abstract

With a view toward improving the success of information and communication technology (ICT) initiatives in less developed countries in general and India in particular, this work seeks to uncover reasons for success and failure of ICT for development (ICT4D) initiatives. We drew on social networks theory in general and social contagion theory in particular, and examined the impact of advice network constructs on ICT kiosk use and the impact of ICT kiosk use on women’s health outcomes (i.e., seeking modern medical care and maternal mortality). A two-level model (i.e., village and individual) was developed to understand how women in rural India were influenced by other women in their advice networks to use ICT kiosks, and the effects of ICT kiosk use on seeking modern medical care and maternal mortality. At the village level, we proposed lead user network effects. At the individual level, we proposed structural network effects of other women in a focal woman’s network on individual outcomes of ICT kiosk use, seeking modern medical care, and maternal mortality. We focused on network position (i.e., centrality) and network tie strength (i.e., strong ties and weak ties) as explanatory variables. Specifically, we argued that strong tie centrality will have an adverse effect on ICT kiosk use, whereas weak tie centrality will have a favorable effect. We also argued ICT kiosk use will have a positive effect on seeking modern medical care and a negative effect on maternal mortality. Finally, we argued that seeking modern medical care will have a negative effect on maternal mortality. Our model was mostly supported in data collected about 6,710 women in 10 intervention group villages in rural India and 8,344 women in the control group villages over a period of approximately 7 years.

Keywords: Information and communication technology, ICT for development, women’s health outcomes

JEL Classification: O30

Suggested Citation

Venkatesh, Viswanath and Sykes, Tracy Ann and Zhang, Xiaojun, ICT for Development in Rural India: A Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health Outcomes (August 23, 2020). MIS Quarterly, Vol. 44, No. 2, pp. 605-629, June 2020, HKUST Business School Research Paper No. 2020-008, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3679540

Viswanath Venkatesh (Contact Author)

Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University - Pamplin College of Business ( email )

VA
United States

HOME PAGE: http://vvenkatesh.com

Tracy Ann Sykes

University of Arkansas ( email )

United States

Xiaojun Zhang

Hong Kong University of Science & Technology (HKUST) - Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management ( email )

Clear Water Bay
Kowloon
Hong Kong

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