Alan Dix > 2010

IT for Sustainable Growth

Alan Dix1, Sriram Subramanian2,

1 Computing Department, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
2 Department of Computer Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
[Alan on the web] [Sri on the web]

Published in Journal of Technology Management for Growing Economies.

draft paper (PDF, 198K)

Abstract

This paper addresses the changing nature of markets in an IT-rich and Internet connected world. Through a combination of case studies, theoretical analysis and parallels between issues in developed and emerging worlds, it explores whether technology can help create economic futures that are economically, socially and environmentally sustainable for the emergent economies and also offer fresh directions for the culturally homogenised and resource wasteful west. The paper suggests that IT radically changes the 'ground rules' compared with the periods of intense development in western countries in the 19th and 20th centuries. In particular, IT opens the way for less centralised growth, where global communications enable local collaboration, and those at the bottom of the economic pyramid can have presence on the world stage. However, realising the potential of IT to aid sustainability may require strategic efforts to create suitable information and economic infrastructures.

keywords: sustainable development, information technology, diversity density

Full reference:
A. Dix, S. Subramanian (2010).
IT for Sustainable Growth. Journal of Technology Management for Growing Economies. 1(1), pp. 35-54.
http://www.hcibook.com/alan/papers/
IT-Sustainable-Growth-2010/
more:
Download draft paper (PDF, 198K)
UK-India Network on Interactive Technologies (@ Internet Archive)

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Figure 1.  Firefly units


 


(i) Kitchen cupboard

(ii) supermarket shelf

Figure 2.  diversity density


 


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FIGURE 3. Traditional markets diversity density


 


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FIGURE 4. Internet transforming the market


 


FIGURE 5. Wray Village display (Taylor et al., 2008) and StoryBank (Jones et al. 2008)

http://www.hcibook.com/alan/papers/IT-Sustainable-Growth-2010/

Alan Dix 8/4/2010