Defining ICT and Socio-Economic Development

There is a widespread belief that information and communication technologies (ICT) can play a significant role in the socio-economic development of a nation. ICT has the potential to affect many aspects of economic and societal activity such as GDP growth, employment, productivity, poverty alleviation, quality of life, education, and healthcare. While the literature from various disciplines provides a myriad of definitions and elements of socio-economic development, the fundamental question of what constitutes socio-economic development, specifically one that is ICT-driven, from the perspective of ordinary citizens, remains unanswered. This study focuses on the citizens’ view in describing ICT-driven socio-economic development is a developing country. The paper also makes a methodological contribution to the IS field by its use of the narrative research method, one which is very appropriate for this type of research. Narratives allow deeper and profound insights into participants' beliefs about the role of ICT in their socio-economic development. Using the narrative research method, a model of the dimensions of socio-economic development is formulated. Furthermore, the research introduces several innovations in qualitative research.