The information and communication technology (ICT) offices in rural areas of Iran have been developed as government provided counters under a national project in the past decades. The rural ICT offices were expected to benefit the rural people in various socio-economic dimensions such as health, social connectivity, crop diversity, agricultural productivity, occupational capability and the lifestyle in general. However, these middle range offices in Iran did not perform as expected, and thus they require an urgent restructuring to boost up their performances and to enhance their acceptability. This study investigates the effectiveness of the ICT systems and services in place in the Qazvin province of Iran with the purpose of identifying the major requirements needed to fix up the system. The focus of this study was around 10,000 people organised through rural ICT agents and their users in the rural area of Qazvin. The survey involves 138 rural ICT offices operated by 103 cooperative agents. Of them, 16 rural ICT offices were selected randomly, and 165 rural users connected with the selected offices were interviewed by the research team. Collected data have been analysed with structural equation modeling. The study shows that education, policy and management requirements deserve the highest attention, and therefore the best ways to improve the effectiveness of rural ICT offices. This study suggests that the effectiveness of rural ICT offices can be improved significantly through providing in-service education for ICT experts, arranging regular training programme for ICT office agents and using mass media to educate villagers on various aspects of ICTs.
AkterS., D’AmbraJ., & RayP. (2011). An evaluation of PLS based complex models: The roles of power analysis, predictive relevance and GoF index [Conference session]. Proceedings of the 17th Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS2011) (pp. 1–7), Detroit, Michigan, USA.
2.
AlibaygiA, KaramidehkordiM, & KaramidehkordiE. (2010). Effectiveness of rural ICT centers: A perspective from west of Iran. http://ac.els-cdn.com/S1877050910005661/1-s2.0-S1877050910005661-main.pdf
3.
AlshehriM., & DrewS. (2010). Implementation of e-government: Advantages and challenges [Conference session]. Proceedings of the International association for scientific knowledge (IASK) International Conference E-Activity and Leading Technologies & InterTIC 2010. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/143886366.pdf
4.
AminiA. M., MosharafP., & EbrahimiM. S. (2015). The need and use the rural ICT services in Iranian rural areas. Journal of Education and Learning, 9(4), 267–273.
5.
AzwaAmbad S. N., & WahabK. A. (2016). The relationship between corporate entrepreneurship and firm performance: Evidence from Malaysian large companies. International Journal of Business and Society, 17(2).
6.
BahariI., BarghiH., Rakhshani-e-MoghadamH., YousefzadehE., & MoradiN. (2016). Assessment of the performance of rural ICT offices in delivering services to rural regions (Case study: Villages of Sardasht County). Journal of Research & Rural Planning, 5(3), 1–24.
7.
BarclayD. W., HigginsC. A., & ThompsonR. (1995). The partial least squares approach to causal modeling: Personal computer adoption and use as illustration. Technology Studies, 2(2), 285–309.
8.
BluestoneJ., JohnsonP., FullertonJ., CarrC., AldermanJ., & BonTempoJ. (2013). Effective in-service training design and delivery: Evidence from an integrative literature review. Human Resources for Health, 11(1), 51. doi:10.1186/1478-4491-11-5.
9.
Charmchian LangroudiM., AhmadiM. R., & JanfazaF. (2012). Development modeling of presentable services in rural ICT centers in Qom province, Iran. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences, 3(8), 1701–1708.
10.
ChinW. W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In VinziV. Esposito, ChinW. W., HenselerJ., & WangH. (Eds.), Handbook of partial least squares: Concepts, methods and application (pp. 645–689). Springer.
11.
ChinW. W., & NewstedP. R. (1999). Structural Equation Modeling analysis with Small Samples Using Partial Least Squares. In HoyleR. (Ed.), Statistical strategies for small sample research (pp. 307–341). SAGE Publications.
12.
DubéL., McRaeC., WuY. H., GhoshS., AllenS., RossD., RayS., JoshiP. K., McDermottJ., JhaS., & MooreS. (2020). Impact of the eKutir ICT-enabled social enterprise and its distributed micro-entrepreneur strategy on fruit and vegetable consumption: A quasi-experimental study in rural and urban communities in Odisha, India. Food Policy, 90, 101787.
13.
DuncombeR. (2006). Using the livelihoods framework to analyze ICT applications for poverty reduction through microenterprise. Information Technologies and International Development, 3(3), 81–100.
14.
Food NationsAgriculture Organization of the United, & UnionInternational Telecommunication (2016). E-agriculture strategy guide. http://www.fao.org/in-action/e-agriculture-strategy-guide/en/
15.
FornellC., & LarcherD. (1981). Evaluating structural equation models with unobservable variables and measurement error. Journal of Marketing Research, 18(3), 39–50.
16.
GavedM., & AndersonB. (2006, June). The impact of local ICT initiatives on social capital quality of life (Chimera Working Paper). University of Essex.
17.
GeisserS. (1974). A Predictive Approach to the Random Effects Model. Biometrika, 61(1), 101–107.
18.
GiglerB. S. (2015). Development as a freedom in a digital age: Experience of the rural poor in Bolivia. World Bank.
19.
GowG. (2018). Introducing a technology stewardship model to encourage ICT adoption in agricultural communities of practice: Reflections on a Canada/Sri Lanka partnership project. In DuncombeR. (Ed.), Digital technologies for agricultural and rural development in the Global South (pp. 43–53). CABI International.
20.
GrimshawD. J., & KalaS. (Eds.). (2011). Strengthening rural livelihoods. The impact of information and communication technologies in Asia. Practical Action Publishing Ltd and The International Development Research Centre.
21.
HairJ. F., BlackW. C., BabinB. J., & AndersonR. E. (2010). Multivariate Data Analysis (7th ed.). Prentice Hall.
22.
HarrisC. A., & HarrisR. W. (2011). Information and communication technologies for cultural transmission among indigenous peoples. The Electronic Journal on Information Systems in Developing Countries, 45(2), 1–19.
23.
HeeksR. (2018). Information and communication technology for development. Routledge.
24.
HeeksR., & StanforthC. (2015). Technological change in developing countries: Opening the black box of process using actor-network theory. Development Studies Research, 2(1), 33–50.
25.
HenselerJ., RingleC. M., & SinkovicsR. R. (2009). The use of partial least squares path modeling in international marketing. Advances in International Marketing, 20, 277–319.
26.
HockC., RingleC. M., & SarstedtM. (2010). Management of multi-purpose stadiums: Importance and performance measurement of service interfaces. International Journal of Services Technology and Management, 14(2–3), 188–207.
27.
ImaniB, HajalizadehA, JahangiriA, HeydarvandM, EftekharardebiliK, & EbrahimiE. (2012). The challenges of ICT development in rural area case study: Village Aleni, Meshkin Shahr in Ardebil Province. Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 6(9), 674–682.
28.
KassemH. S., Abdel-MagieedM. A., El-GamalH. M., & AldosariF. O. (2019). Measuring quality of the agricultural extension pamphlets: Scale construction and standardization. Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology, 21(1), 27–35.
29.
LashgararaF., KarimiA., & MirdamadiS. M. (2012). Effective factors on the villagers use of rural tele centers. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 7(13), 2039–2091.
30.
MinS., LiuM., & HuangJ. (2020). Does the application of ICTs facilitate rural economic transformation in China? Empirical evidence from the use of smartphones among farmers. Journal of Asian Economics, 70, 101219.
31.
MolaeihashjinN., AmiriM., & MohammadiM. (2013). The role of the offices of information and communication technology (ICT) in the rural sustainable development of Meshkin shahr Township. Human Geography Research, 44(4), 147–168.
32.
NazariM. R., & HassanM. S. B. H. (2011). The role of television in the enhancement of farmers agricultural knowledge. African Journal of Agricultural Research, 6(4), 931–936.
33.
NgE., & TanB. (2018). Achieving state-of-the-art ICT connectivity in developing countries: The Azerbaijan model of technology leapfrogging. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 84(3), e12027.
34.
PalviaP., BaqirN., & NematiH. (2018). ICT for socio-economic development: A citizens’ perspective. Information & Management, 55(2), 160–176.
35.
PervanM., CurakM., & Pavic KramaricT. (2018). The influence of industry characteristics and dynamic capabilities on firms’ profitability. International Journal of Financial Studies, 6(1), 4.
36.
RatickS., & SchwarzG. (2009). Monte Carlo simulation. In KitchinR., & ThriftN. (Eds.), International Encyclopedia of human geography (pp. 175–184). Elsevier.
RosenbergerS. (2014). ICTs and Development, what is missing? (Working Paper). Institute of Development Research and Development Policy. http://www.donorscharter.org/resources/ICT-Development-What-is-Missing.pdf
39.
RezaeiA., SalmaniM., RazaghiF., & KeshavarzM. (2017). An empirical analysis of effective factors on farmers adaptation behavior in water scarcity conditions in rural communities. International Soil and Water Conservation Research, 5(4), 265–272.
40.
SaraeiS., & AminiA. M. (2012). A study of service quality in rural ICT renters of Iran by SERVQUAL. Telecommunications Policy, 36(7), 571–578.
41.
SeddighM. J. (2004). The plan for information technology for sustainable human development, with the assistance of the organization for management and planning. The UNDP, Isfahan: Barin Danesh Pajouhan Institute (In Persian).
42.
StoneM. (1974). Cross-validatory choice and assessment of statistical predictions. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 36(2), 111–147.
43.
StratigeaA. (2011). ICTs for rural development: Potential applications and barriers involved. Netcom, 25(3/4), 179–204.
44.
TaberK. S. (2018). The use of Cronbach’s alpha when developing and reporting research instruments in science education. Research in Science Education, 48(6), 1273–1296.
45.
TaherdoostH. (2016). Validity and reliability of the research instrument; how to test the validation of a questionnaire/survey in a research. International Journal of Academic Research in Management (IJARM), 5(3), 28–36.
46.
TripathiA. M., SinghA. K., & KumarA. (2012). Information and communication technology for rural development. International Journal on Computer Science and Engineering (IJCSE), 4(05), 824.
47.
Van der VeldenM. (2018). ICT and Sustainability: Looking Beyond the Anthropocene. In KrepsD., EssC., LeenenL., & KimppaK. (Eds.), This changes everything: ICT and climate change: What can we do? (pp. 166–180). Springer International Publishing.
48.
VinziV. E., TrincheraL., & AmatoS. (2010). PLS path modeling: From foundations to recent developments and open issues for model assessment and improvement. In VinziV. Esposito, ChinW. W., HenselerJ., & WangH. (Eds.), Handbook of partial least squares: Concepts, methods and application (pp. 47–82). Springer.
49.
WalshamG. (2017). ICT4D research: reflections on history and future agenda. Information Technology for Development, 23(1), 18–41.
50.
World Bank. (2016). Digital dividends.
51.
World Bank. (2017). ICT in agriculture: Connecting smallholders to knowledge, networks, and institutions(Updated ed.).
52.
ZhouJ., YuL., & ChoguillC. L. (2021). Co-evolution of technology and rural society: The blossoming of Taobao villages in the information era, China. Journal of Rural Studies, 83, 81–87.
