Rethinking the Digital Divide: Towards a Path of Digital Effectiveness

The digital divide is a complex and dynamic phenomenon. Despite extensive studies on the digital divide and its impact, developing countries, in particular, are still searching for sustainable solutions to reduce the digital gap in order to leverage their investments in information and communication technologies (ICT) toward the attainment of greater economic and social benefits and increased global competitiveness. Research has shown that the earlier focus on this phenomenon targeted physical access and diffusion of ICT as an indicator of digital readiness to reap ICT benefits. However, there has been growing attention to the effectiveness of deployment and use. In this paper we set out to extend the analysis by providing another perspective, involving a digital effectiveness framework (DEF), which describes progressive levels of capabilities and associated benefits along a path toward digital effectiveness. The DEF is derived from the theoretical foundations and scholarly work in knowledge management, diffusion of innovation, and institutionalism and includes constructs such as knowledge acquisition, access, adoption, exploitation and innovation. The implications for research are discussed.