World Applied Sciences Journal 11 (1): 114-117, 2010
ISSN 1818-4952
© IDOSI Publications, 2010
Corresponding Author: Dr. Kamaruzaman Jusoff, Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia, E-mail: kjusoff@yahoo.com.
114
Influencing Factors for Effective Community ICT Hubs
Suzana Basaruddin, Haslinda Sutan Ahmad Nawi, Nur Syufiza Ahmad Shukor,
1 1 1
Kamaruzaman Jusoff, Nor Azah Jahari and Hamdan Saleh
2 3 4
Faculty of Industrial Information Technology, Universiti Industri Selangor,
1
Jalan Timur Tambahan, 45600 Bestari Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Faculty of Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia,
2
43400 UPM Serdang, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Faculty of Business, Universiti Industri Selangor, Shah Alam Campus,
3
40000 Shah Alam, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Faculty of Social Science and Industry Study, Universiti Industri,
4
Selangor Jalan Timur Tambahan, 45600 Bestari Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia
Abstract: Government provides public ICT hubs to ensure that community is ICT literate. Selangor state
government sponsors public ICT hubs in order to address the digital divide issues especially in the rural area.
This study was designed to determine the factors that influence the success and sustainability of ICT hubs that
were provided by the Selangor State Government, Malaysia. Detailed analysis of 26 ICT hubs through
questionnaires, interviews and observation were conducted. The results contributed to the formulation of 27
influencing factors and were categorized to three-perspectives: technology (five factors); organizational (sixteen
factors); and environment (six factors).
Key words: ICT hub %Influencing factors %Technical-organizational-environment perspectives
INTRODUCTION simulate ICT literacy. As in other project, this ICT hubs
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) that are important for their stakeholders. Imran and Gregor
usage has become important in today’s society. The role [9] analyzed the influencing issues on the ICT for public
of ICT in archiving is very important. [1]. Home users, project success. From the analysis of Imran and Gregor
organizations and communities are now relying on the ICT [9], it was reported that Malaysia ICT related project
for various reasons. Saghafi et al. [2] in their paper success and sustainability was influenced by the
hooked up ICT and e-government. Effective usage of ICT environment and the management of the ICT service
hubs especially at the rural area had helped to solve the provider in order to set the policy and administration
shortage of ICT facilities in schools [3]. Visser and (Table 1).
Twinomurinzi [4] studied on how ICT hubs can dissolve Jacobs and Herselman [10] from Tshwane
unnecessary expenses to community. This refers to University of Technology, in South Africa, listed five
electronic and online transactions widely available for the best practices for successful ICT hubs which include
society. Ulrich and Chacko [5] suggested government to sustainability; ownership; relationships; services;
drive ICT initiatives. Governments have to acknowledge and financial. In another research done by the
the importance of ICTs [6]. Malaysian government work University of Ghana and Ghana Center of e-Governance,
hard in optimizing the usage towards the transformation they concluded that it is important to provide the e-
of Malaysian into a knowledge society [7]. The government application as a service to the public [11]. In
government had put much effort in enhancing the ICT a study by Kamalabadi et al. [12]; of adopting technology
literacy and usage among the societies [8]. ICT hubs are or application there are three factors should involved
one of project initiate by Selangor state government to that are technological, organizational and environmental.
project has their own success and sustainability factors