An Exploratory Study Of The Contextual Factors That Influence Success Of Ict Projects In Developing Nations: A Case Study Of A Telecommunications Company In Ghana

Abstract

Organizations use various information and communication technologies (ICTs) to support business operations. In the developing world, ICT has promise for socio-economic development of the people. Successful project implementation is necessary in order to obtain the needed benefits from ICT endeavors. Factors that contribute to the successful implementation of ICT projects are well known. However, the implementation of ICT projects in developing countries is a more recent phenomenon that has not been well researched. In this paper we use a case study of ICT project implementation within one company in Ghana to highlight factors that underlie the implementation of ICT projects and how these factors collectively impact project success. The study shows that some of the factors identified as important in developed nations were relevant in the developing nation environment. However, the relative ranking of the importance of the factors was different between developed and developing nations. The study also identified additional factors that were relevant in the developing nation context. Our study is informed by the diffusion innovation theory, Hofstede’s cultural theory and DeLone and McLean’s IS success model. We present a framework that ties the ICT project success factors together and can serve as a guideline in ICT implementations in similar environments.