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Not-for-profit organisations put considerable effort into community-based Information Technology (IT) projects to bridge the gap between the 'haves' and the 'have-nots' of the digital divide. However, the outcomes of these IT projects are often seen as problematic with service recipients failing to gain the intended benefits. This research takes a critical research approach to examining the role of service recipients as stakeholders in community-based IT projects. In this paper, the authors address the first element of critical research, that of considering 'what we think is known.' Using the lens of Bourdieu's forms of capital, the authors identify the power asymmetries among not-for-profit community stakeholders and provide an understanding of community characteristics that affect the delivery of project outcomes.

There are concerns that despite government initiatives to promote adoption of electronic commerce, SMEs still fail to realise e‐commerce related benefits. It may therefore, seem premature to discuss electronic marketplaces in the context of SMEs. However, if SMEs ignore e‐marketplaces a number of problems can result. E‐marketplaces present a significant threat to SMEs since they increase competition and leave non‐participants vulnerable to more e‐enabled firms. This paper examines the barriers and benefits of e‐marketplace participation by SMEs. The nature of e‐marketplaces is addressed and the benefits of participation are examined. Drawing on the literature, the barriers facing smaller firms in this environment are discussed. Identification of these barriers, such as lack of standards, supply chain integration and global trading, enables a greater understanding of how SMEs can plan effective strategies to gain from e‐marketplace participation.

This paper examines the perceptions of SMEs, local business associations and government workers in four regions of Western Australia regarding the adoption of electronic commerce. It first discusses the drivers and barriers that affect SME participation in e-commerce as identified by the literature, before offering an alternative to the notion oj SMEs as a homogenous group, The authors reflect on the concerns raised in a recent empirical study and offer some conclusions and recommendations.

This paper examines online communities and describes how they can be differentiated from other Internet supported group interactions. A definition of an online community is given and three generic types are identified. These types are defined by the community models based on the value proposition for the sponsors and members. The value proposition for members is strongly influenced by the model, as facilities and opportunities for interaction are structured by the site sponsors. Where online communities offer fulfillment of specific needs, people participate and become members. Additional benefits enhance the value of membership and encourage retention and greater interactivity. Significant benefits are gained from online communities for businesses, NGOs, other community organizations and individuals. Identifying the different types of communities and their characteristics is an important stage in developing greater understanding of how virtual communities can contribute to businesses, healthcare, community needs and a myriad of other contexts. Examples of the three generic types of online communities are included for further edification.

Part 2: Adoption and Diffiusion ; International audience ; Adoption and implementation of e-government within local government organizations are influenced by many external factors. These factors are often perceived as forces or pressures that influence local government decisions to adopt and implement the initiatives. This study uses the concept of coercive force from institutional theory to explain those external pressures influencing e-government adoption and implementation within a local government in Bali province in Indonesia. An interpretive case study approach is adopted to empirically understand the external pressures on local government adoption and implementation of e-government. Our findings show that four institutional external forces, central government, regulations, local citizens and limitation in financial resources, have strongly influenced the regency to adopt and implement e-government systems to improve their administration and services performance.

Researchers in electronic government have indicated a number of organizational barriers that hinder the adoption and implementation of electronic government. This paper proposes a research framework for analysing how organizational barriers influence the adoption and implementation of e-government at local levels. The framework is constructed based on four organizational dimensions; adaptability, involvement, mission, and bureaucracy drawn from organizational theories and e-government literature. We found that organizational barriers which are identified in major e-government literature link to the dimensions of organizational culture and effectiveness. Our conclusion is that the framework is relevant to understand organizational barriers influencing adoption and implementation of local e-government. The limitation of this study is that the framework has been developed based on the application of a theoretical lens on the e-government literature. It is now necessary to test this model in different contexts.

International audience ; This paper describes research in progress to explore the role of culture in adoption of e-government at local government levels. The majority of research in electronic government highlighted cultural issues but they do not identify specific cultural traits influencing e-government adoption and use. From our literature review we identified four major cultural traits; adaptability, involvement, mission, and bureaucratic, that is explored in this research. Based on these cultural traits and other cultural issues surrounding the adoption of e-government, we develop a framework to explore the role of culture in adopting and using e-government systems at local government organizations. Evidences suggest that the adoption of e-government at local levels is either mandatory or voluntary which is followed by supportive policies from central governments. Our conclusion is that during the adoption process, the cultural traits contribute to the adoption and use of e-government systems.

PurposeMost electronic market (e‐markets)‐based research that has been undertaken has primarily focused on the design and development of systems to support electronic trading within national boundaries and it has been implied that conducting business through this medium is beneficial to the organisation. The purpose of this paper is therefore to examine the relative significance of economic, social, political and cultural factors and their interconnections in the transition to global e‐markets.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses an interpretive case study as this facilitates an understanding of how globalisation constructs affect the transition of organisations to the global market environment.FindingsThe case study has found the need for organisations to address a wide range of issues if they are to benefit from participation in global electronic marketplaces (e‐marketplaces). The development of information communication and technologies (ICT) has been viewed as a primary factor in the reduction of transaction costs and one which allows for a greater number of suppliers in electronic markets. A large supplier base is seen as an advantage by some since it improves the bargaining position of the buyer. Dealing closely with a small number of suppliers may reduce transaction costs and risk, but such costs and risks have been significantly reduced by the development of internet based e‐marketplaces where the market absorbs a high proportion of both. In the case study, an organisation moving to the e‐market because of the advantages of significantly reduced transaction costs has been seen.Originality/valueThe literature adoption of global procurement platforms stresses the economic benefits. However, few studies have examined the social, cultural and political factors that are part of the globalisation trend and how these impact on companies trying to make a transition to global procurement strategies. In this paper, it is revealed that the trend toward globalisation fuelled by ICT is affected by a complex array of economic, social, political and cultural factors. The economic benefits of globalisation cannot be fully realised without consideration of the social, political and cultural issues.

Purpose
The paper proposes a privacy-preserving artificial intelligence-enabled video surveillance technology to monitor social distancing in public spaces.


Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes a new Responsible Artificial Intelligence Implementation Framework to guide the proposed solution's design and development. It defines responsible artificial intelligence criteria that the solution needs to meet and provides checklists to enforce the criteria throughout the process. To preserve data privacy, the proposed system incorporates a federated learning approach to allow computation performed on edge devices to limit sensitive and identifiable data movement and eliminate the dependency of cloud computing at a central server.


Findings
The proposed system is evaluated through a case study of monitoring social distancing at an airport. The results discuss how the system can fully address the case study's requirements in terms of its reliability, its usefulness when deployed to the airport's cameras, and its compliance with responsible artificial intelligence.


Originality/value
The paper makes three contributions. First, it proposes a real-time social distancing breach detection system on edge that extends from a combination of cutting-edge people detection and tracking algorithms to achieve robust performance. Second, it proposes a design approach to develop responsible artificial intelligence in video surveillance contexts. Third, it presents results and discussion from a comprehensive evaluation in the context of a case study at an airport to demonstrate the proposed system's robust performance and practical usefulness.

In Australia, small and medium enterprises (SMEs), particularly rural SMEs, are perceived as being on the wrong side of the digital divide. Government at local and state levels has taken a leading role in the development of electronic marketplaces with an aim of improving SME participation. Many government departments now either own or sponsor electronic marketplaces. The aims of government agencies in creating e-marketplaces are often motivated by regional economic development issues. Whilst government entities may think e-marketplaces are an effective channel for implementing government policy, a number of complications can arise from this model. Despite the community development motivation, a major argument for e-marketplace development being put forward is the economic one and this has contributed to a narrow view of the e-marketplace concept and one, which for the time being at least, is likely to restrict its impact. Government sponsored e-marketplaces should consider the value of on-line business networks to share knowledge and potentially increase levels of innovation. The findings have implications for government sponsored e-marketplace initiatives around the world.