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Information Technology and Sustainable Development: Understanding Linkages in Theory and Practice
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Haghseta, Farnaz Saboori |
| Copyright Year | 2003 |
| Abstract | Sustainable development is one of the most significant societal challenges of the 21st century. One global trend with significant implications for sustainable development is the extraordinarily rapid development and application of information technology (IT), often referred to as the “IT revolution.” As a result of the “IT revolution,” there have been many efforts to leverage IT for sustainable development, particularly in the context of empowering developing countries. The first main finding of this thesis is that IT can be leveraged effectively to facilitate transitions to sustainability so long as potential negative linkages are identified and addressed adequately. To help understand this dynamic, this thesis develops a conceptual framework of the positive and negative linkages between IT and sustainability. A case study, the Global System for Sustainable Development (GSSD), is presented to put the conceptual linkages into context. GSSD is a global knowledge network devoted to sustainability issues. The experiences accumulated over the last two years from the development and management of GSSD help to illustrate significant institutional, organizational, and technical barriers to leveraging IT for sustainability. One major contribution of this thesis is the formulation and implementation of an innovative global workflow process to address these issues. The GSSD case study leads to another major finding of this thesis, which is that IT can effectively facilitate transitions to sustainability as long as the technology is customized to address critical institutional and organizational barriers. This finding is especially important in the context of cultural diversity and an increasingly globalized world. The main contribution of this thesis is a new strategic methodology for assessing the impact of IT advances on prospects for sustainable development. The approach consists of two main elements: (1) analysis of the linkages between the IT tool and sustainability goals and (2) identification of critical institutional and organizational contexts and barriers, and customization of the IT tool to address these issues. Strategic consideration of these elements will help to unleash the enormous potential of IT for sustainable development. Thesis Supervisor: Nazli Choucri Title: Professor of Political Science |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://gssd.mit.edu/sites/default/files/imce/it_and_sustainable_development.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
