Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks in Ict Research

Students of information systems are not often exposed to theories of societal and human developments that could help guide them to apply their knowledge of technology in order to address real-world problems. Due to this, they often fail to frame impactful research that makes a real difference to society.

The book aims to improve the quality and validity of research, expose useful theories that can be applied in various contexts to solve business and daily problems, and test different theories and frameworks and recommend their effectiveness and improvement. It provides a guide for students of technology to explore and use appropriate theoretical frameworks. This book is ideal for undergraduate and graduate researchers, research supervisors, University Libraries, institutions, departments, and centers involved in research and innovation.

Agripah Kandiero has a BSc. Computer Science (UZ), BSc Honours Information Systems (UNISA), MBA (UZ), MSc Computer Science (WU), MPhil ICTs in Education (UCT), and University of Witwatersrand PhD candidate in ICTs in Education. Currently working for Africa University as Computer Science lecturer after opting for career change from mainstream corporate world to academia in 2011. Positions held in the corporate world include Regional ICT Manager for Southern Africa (ExxonMobil), Mozambique Country Manager (Workgroup Africa), Director of Administration (University of St. Thomas), Chief Information Officer (University of St. Thomas). Member of the Zimbabwe National Nanotechnology Coordinating Commission (NNCC) and Board Member of Africa Learning Development Network (ALDN). A career professional turned academic practitioner with a passion for positive social change.

Stanislas Bigirimana a citizen of Burundi is a Senior Lecturer at the College of Business, Peace, Leadership and Governance at Africa University. He is a holder of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) from the Ruprecht-Karls-University, Heidelberg (Germany). He is a multi-disciplinary academic who also holds the Masters in Intellectual Property from Africa University; Master's in Business Intelligence from the Chinhoyi University of Technology, a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Arts in Philosophy from the Azaliah University, Albuquerque, New Mexico (USA) and the University of Zimbabwe respectively. Dr. Bigirimanas' expertise are in Business Intelligence, Management Information Systems, Intellectual Property, Innovation, Entrepreneurship, International Marketing, Organisational Behaviour, Public Sector Management, Cybernetics, and Dynamic and Integrative Epistemology. He has published over 40 journal articles, 3 book chapters and 1 monograph. He has supervised 2 doctoral theses, 60 master's theses and 40 undergraduate dissertations. He has also made presentations at over 50 academic conferences in Africa, Europe and the Americas. Dr Bigirimana's current research interests are in the areas of Integrating Non-Conventional Intellectual Property Assets in Agricultural and Social Policy for Sustainable Development, The valuation and Exploitation of Intangible Assets, Intellectual Property Rights Protection in New Plant Varieties and Traditional Knowledge Systems, Intellectual Property Protection in Cyberspace, Applications of the viable system model (VSM), Transitioning Institutions of Higher Education towards Education 5.0. He is a member of the Editorial boards of the International Journal of E-business Research and the Zimbabwe Journal of Economics, Business and Management. He has reviewed for prestigious publishing houses such as Emerald Insight, Sage, Springer and IGI Global. He is the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the Information and Communication Technologies Association of Zimbabwe (ICTAZ) and member of the advisor board of the Catholic Commission Justice and Peace (CCJP). Dr. Bigirimana is a co-founder and co-owner of Code Empire, a software development company based in Harare. Code Empire was recipient of the 2019 Research Council of Zimbabwe's Presidential Award for outstanding research and commercialisation of research results and he won the Second Prize at an Essay Competition organised by the Hannover Philosophical Research Institute (Germany) in 2009. He has collaborated with prestigious research and academic bodies such as the American Society for Cybernetics (ASC), the International Systems Sciences Society (ISSS), the Royal Academy for Engineering (RAE), the European Innovation Alliance (EIA), the South African Academy of the Sciences, the Association of African Studies, the Refugee Law Project at Makerere University, Uganda, the Association of Africa Universities and the Council for the Development of Social Sciences in Africa (CODESRIA). Dr. Bigirimana is happily married to Madame Assumpta and they are blessed with three boys.