The main elements of the ISED ecosystem framework (1 st research question)

was used to answer first three sub-questions was grounded theory method. The decision to use grounded theory methodology was supported by the scarce of existing theory regarding elements of ICT-based socio-economic development ecosystem. The method of data analysis for answering last (forth) sub-question was a two-round Delphi research method.

To develop different parts of the intended ICT-based socio-economic development Ecosystem framework within this research project a sound literature evaluation was conducted and relevant literature were applied. These literature are literature related to Ecosystem metaphor, the capital portfolio of sustainable livelihood framework (SLF, 1999), the resource portfolio of choice framework (Klein, 2010) and dimensions of socio-economic development (Madon, 2000 and Baqir, 2009). All These resources together helped us to determine the semi-structured interview protocol, focus group discussions (FGDs), and questionnaire as three important sorts of data gathering techniques.

 The first three sub-questions:

For first three sub-questions we improved interview protocol (Appendix 1) through guidelines of the grounded theory method. Also data collecting process was managed in two phases

1) In December 2013 through 14 semi-structured interviews and 1 focus group discussion with 12 participants as techniques of data gathering.

2) During July 2014 by the September 2014 through 11 semi-structured interviews as technique of data gathering.

The semi-structured interviews and FGDs in December 2013 were conducted during the Sixth International Conference on Information and Communication Technologies and Development (ICTD2013) hosted at the Cape Town University, South Africa. All the interviewee were ICT sector representatives and ICTD experts which have attended in this conference. We employed a purposive sampling procedure to choose participants and respondents which cover all geographical regions from Canada, USA, Australia, Africa, Europe and Asia. Initial findings of

literature review that formed the questions of interview protocol, besides these phase of interviews (December 2013) were applied for determining elements of ISED ecosystem framework. The questions of FGDs and semi-structured interviews with ICTD experts and ICT sector representatives got ahead regarding interviewees’ answers. Each interview lasted more or less 30 minutes and the focus group discussion lasted about 3 hours.

For analyzing these semi-structured interviews the Cresswell (2006) suggestions were followed.

Firstly, all interviews were transcribed. Then all transcribed interviews were read and annotated (memo writing) to extract main and more frequent concepts as codes. This step certified that the all extracted codes are grounded in collected data. The content analysis to extract codes from transcribed interviews was mainly manual. It means that we did not apply NVIVO software. After extracting initial findings as codes, these findings were described to clarify various aspects of these codes. In next step, categories were defined based on codes and their descriptions. All these steps enabled us to generalize findings in order to convert them in to a pattern. Lastly, based on the initial analysis of coding and relations among them an ISED ecosystem framework was developed. This ISED ecosystem framework as the basis of an integrated theory was improved in next phase of data collection.

As mentioned in section 3.1, the data gathering and data analysis were conducted in an iterative cycle. So in the next phase of data gathering, 11 ICTD experts were interviewed during July 2014 to September 2014. Since in the quantitative part (3^rd research question) of this study Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region was aimed, all interviewees were selected from ICTD experts in MENA region. Eight interviews were done on Skype and three interviews with Iranian ICTD experts were done in their offices. Then all the previous stages that explained in first phase of data gathering were followed to analyze collected data in this phase. The consequences of these two phase of analyses are the presented ISED ecosystem framework.

 The forth sub-question:

To answer the forth sub-question a two-round Delphi research method was used. Through this method I applied an iterative process for achieving consensus from experts in ICT for

development (ICTD) area in MENA region about dimensions of ICT-based socio-economic development as the outcomes of ISED ecosystem framework.

To increase the degree of consensus on dimensions of ICT-based socio-economic development, the following steps were pursued.

At first, by reviewing literature related to dimensions of ICT-based socio-economic development especially, proposed dimensions by Baqir (2009) and Madon (2000), a questionnaire (Appendix 2) including initial list of ICT-based socio-economic development dimensions was designed.

Then I achieved consensus by conducting series of surveys using this questionnaire over the two rounds of Delphi research method. 15 experts were selected to answer the designed questionnaire from Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

In first round, the prepared questionnaire was distributed to the participants. In this round, experts also had opportunity to add new dimensions that they considered important to fill possible gap in the initial list of socio-economic development dimensions. Moreover, the perception of participants about progressive and disturbing (Avgerou, 2010) impacts of socio-economic dimensions was asked in this round of Delphi research method. Consensus began forming in this round. After receiving the completed questionnaire, Researcher started to analyze the completed questionnaire and then based on the new results began to modify questions or define additional questions to verify these results. The revised questionnaire based on the participants’ responds was distributed to the participants to start second round of Delphi method. In second round similar procedures of first round were pursued.

As a result of conducting a two-round Delphi research method a set of ICT-based socio-economic development dimensions has been finalized as the outcome of proposed ISED ecosystem framework which explains both progressive and disturbing impacts of ICT. Then we categorized the modified list of ICT-based socio-economic development dimensions on the basis of five areas of freedoms that have been suggested in Sen’s capability approach (1999).

What are the main elementsincluded in the ICT-based socio-economic development (ISED) ecosystem framework?

Table 10. Research design for first research question

Sub-Questions Theoretical background Types of data

sources Research

the resource portfolio of choice framework (Klein,2010)

- Discourses on ICT and development

- Capability approach (Sen, 1999) - Progressive and disruptive transformation aspects of ICT-based socio-economic development (Avgerou, 2010) - concrete evidence of ICT contribution to socio-economic

The next step after developing the ISED ecosystem framework was developing a hierarchical structure accordance to different parts of this framework.