Competing institutional logics in ICT4D education projects: A South American study

We take an institutional logics perspective to explain why design-reality gaps persist in ICT4D projects. From case study interviews at development agencies at work on two national education projects, one in Argentina and one in Uruguay, we show how two main institutional logics strongly shaped thought and action among development staff. The presence of an education sector professionalism logic aimed at creating real changes in education was not surprising because both projects were directed towards the education domain. Yet, this logic in many ways was secondary to a technology sector professionalism logic that focused on superior performance in product development, solving problems with technology, and evaluating technology uptake. We show how these two logics competed over time and within projects. We conclude by noting that an institutional logics perspective helps explain the persistence of design-reality gaps by making clear, for example, why solutions such as participatory design may fall short because they fail to come to terms with competing logics.

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