Using Information Technology Advancements to Adapt to Global Pandemics

Many organizations, including government institutions and agencies, continue to increase their financial investment on information technology (IT) solutions. Despite these investments, during the global pandemic, employees and managers are either struggling or unequipped to use these tools effectively and efficiently for sustainability, competitive advantage, and decision making. Due to global pandemics, companies must harness the power of various digital channels such as big data analytics and artificial intelligence to better serve their customers and business partners.

Using Information Technology Advancements to Adapt to Global Pandemics provides insights and understanding on how companies and organizations are using advances in IT to adapt to global pandemics such as COVID-19. It explores how the various IT approaches can be used for strategic purposes. Covering topics such as higher education institutions, religious organizations, and telework, this premier reference source is an essential resource for government officials, business leaders and managers, industry professionals, IT specialists, policymakers, libraries, academicians, students, and researchers.

Efosa C. Idemudia , an internationally known scholar, is an Associate Professor of Business Data Analytics program at Arkansas Tech University. Dr. Idemudia holds degrees from universities located on three different continents: a PhD in Management Information Systems from Texas Tech University, a Master’s in Computer Information Systems from the University of Texas at El Paso, and an MBA in International Business from the Helsinki School of Economics and Business Administration; he completed his Fulbright at the Lagos Business School and Carnegie Fellow at Covenant University. He participated as a member of the University System of Georgia’s Academic Advisory Committee for Computer Disciplines for five years and is a member of Strathmore Who’s Who of Professionals. Dr. Idemudia taught both graduate and undergraduate students as a visiting scholar in the Computer Information Systems (CIS) Department at Georgia State University, which the U.S. News & World Report ranked within the top ten CIS departments in the United States. Currently, Dr. Idemudia is a member of the editorial boards for the International Journal of Technology Diffusion (IJTD); the Journal of Information Technology Management (JITM); Electronic Commerce Research and Applications ; International Journal of Risk and Contingency Management (IJRCM); the International Journal of Management Science of AASCIT ; the Engineering and Technology of AASCIT; American Journal of Science and Technology of AASCIT; the Journal of the Southern Association for Information Systems; the International Journal of Economic and Business Management; Control, Systems Engineering and The Africa Journal of Information Systems.

Tiko Iyamu holds a PhD in Information Systems. He is currently a Research Professor at the faculty of Informatics and Design, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa. He was previously with the Tshwane University of Technology, South Africa and the Namibia University of Science and Technology, Windhoek, Namibia. Prior to his fulltime appointment in academic in 2009, Professor Iyamu held several positions in both Public and Private Institutions in South Africa. Professor Iyamu has authored books, and research articles in book chapters, journals, and conference proceedings.

Patrick Ndayizigamiye obtained his PhD (Information Systems and Technology) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa. Patrick is currently employed as a Senior Lecturer at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa and is the ICT4D research cluster leader at the University of Johannesburg. He has more than 8 years of experience in teaching information systems modules and has published in international journals and conference proceedings. He has also presented his research outputs at many local and international conferences. He is currently an associate editor for the African Journal of Information Systems and has been a Track Program Committee (TCP) member of many reputable international conferences. Patrick is also a member of the Association for Information systems (AIS) and the South African Institute of Computer Scientists and Information Technologists (SAICSIT). His current research interest is in the design and deployment of ICT-led interventions to provide healthcare services in Resource-Limited Settings. He is also conducting research in ICT4D and Cybersecurity.

Irja N. Shaanika is currently employed as an Analyst Programmer at The Ministry of Finance, Republic of Namibia. She holds a Master Degree in Informatics from Namibia University of Science and Technology. Her research areas include enterprise architecture, information systems, health informatics. In recent years, she has published research articles in journals, book chapters and conference proceedings.