A human environmentalist approach to diffusion in ICT policies: A case study of the FOSS policy of the South African Government

Purpose Through an evaluation of the Information Technology adoption and diffusion models and the Free and/or Open Source policy of the South African Government, the underlying assumption is that the developmental divide between those with and those without access to technology is purely technical. This paper illustrates that if Free and/or Open Source Software (FOSS) is to be used as a building block to bridge the ‘digital divide’ a more social and environmental perspective, which embraces the philosophy behind the software, needs to complement the technical perspective. The human environmental model is presented as a useful alternative which, if embraced, can inform more holistic ICT policies. Design/methodology/approach Through a review of diffusion of innovations models an alternative diffusion framework is described and applied to an interpretive open source case study in South Africa. Findings Contemporary diffusion and innovation models are narrowly focused on Information Technology as a purely technological linear phenomenon. This perspective also underlies many ICT policies. A more socio-technical adoption model can assist in providing a more holistic approach to ICT policy development. Originality/value The application of a new innovation model, the human environmental model, to ICT policy provides a holistic framework in which the complexity of the innovation process can be reflected in policy. Such an approach to ICT policy formulation will assist with broadening the perspective of policy makers from IT as a technical solution to IT as part of a sociotechnical solution and recognise the duality of the innovation process.