Technology Adoption & Impact

The program on Technology Adoption and Impact covers problems often neglected by technologies. There is a genuine need to understand how to evaluate professional systems, and how to validate ICT technologies by end users. This is critical for optimum financial and social returns from these substantial investments, and is particularly relevant in the context of advanced installations for business applications with very large pools of users operating long duration applications. The effective use of ICT is fundamental to economic growth and community development. The Australian Productivity Commission (2001) showed that the adoption of ICTs contributed about one-third of Australia's productivity surge in the 1990s. This improvement was due to their use mainly in the distribution and financial sectors, rather than through the production of ICT goods. Strategic and "smart" ICT use will further productivity gains in all sectors and assist with social issues such as ageing, education, health and security.

This EII program will support research that enhances understanding of how people create, seek, obtain, manage, evaluate, use, and categorise information, and the impact of ICT on individuals, organisations, institutions, communities and society; research that advances the organisation, governance, application, management, and use of information and ICT; research that breaks down barriers to satisfy the information needs of people and to extend their use of information and ICT; research that reduces economic losses and social costs through inappropriate applications and implementations of technology; and finally, research that supports excellence in analysis, design, development, use, and management of information systems, services, and products in business, government and community contexts.

Program Coordinator

Prof. Shirley Gregor is ANU Endowed Chair in Information Systems at the Australian National University, Canberra, where she heads the Electronic Commerce Research Group.  Professor Gregor is also the Associate Dean Research for the Faculty of Economics and Commerce. Dr Gregor has led several large projects in the e-commerce area funded by the Meat Research Corporation, the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, and the Australian Research Council. Dr Gregor’s publications include 3 edited books, 10 book chapters and over 60 papers in reputable conferences and journals. Professor Gregor was inaugural President of the Australasian Association of Information Systems 2002-2003 and is currently Vice-President of the Australian Council of Professors and Heads of Information Systems.