Digital Innovations, Business and Society in Africa
NEW FRONTIERS AND A SHARED VISION
Can you name at least five popular African digital innovations, digital enterprises, digital entrepreneurs or digital platforms? Barely not many can answer this question, even with some thought. So why can’t many answer the question. The simple answer is that we don’t have a comprehensive reference telling Africa’s story in the digital economy or its response to new and emerging technologies. Apart from the success of mobile money, especially in East Africa, where are the other success stories? How do we replicate such success stories without knowing them?
For African enterprises, entrepreneurs and governments to take full advantage of new digital opportunities, we need a shared strategic understanding of what where we are, what we have and what we may need to have for the future. This book presents this shared strategic vision to guide future coordinated actions of African enterprises, entrepreneurs, consumers/citizens and governments in using new and emerging digital technologies.
CALL FOR BOOK CHAPTERS
Important Dates
Full chapter submission to Editors: January 31, 2021 (new extended date)
Editors Review Notification: March 5, 2021
Revised Chapter Submission: March 15, 2021
Submission of Final Book to Springer for Publication: March 30, 2021
THEMATIC AREAS OF INTEREST
The book seeks to showcase how consumers/citizens, entrepreneurs, organisations, institutions and governments are leveraging new and emerging digital innovations to disrupt and transform value creation and service delivery in Africa. The contributions in this book will help create a shared strategic understanding of what works in Africa and how Africa and other interested stakeholders take advantage of its success stories.
PART 1: Digital Innovation and Value Creation Processes
Exploring new and emerging digital business models (e.g. platform business, sharing economy, social media, smart products and services) and the enablers and inhibitors of their value creation
Exploring how technical and non-technical entities and structures combine to create value in digital platforms or networks
Exploration into what makes digital start-ups start and grow or fail to grow
Digital product or service innovations created by traditional non-digital businesses
Exploration into environmental (e.g. policy/legal, culture, financial, and technological infrastructure) enablers and inhibitors of digital businesses and their value creation
PART 2: Digital Disruption and Transformation
Exploration into how new and emerging digital technologies/services/information platforms (e.g. social commerce, social media journalism, fake news networks, blockchain, smart devices, cloud computing, Internet of Things, virtual/augmented reality, 3D/4D printing, big data, and Drones) challenge existing businesses
Evaluating the impact of digital disruption on different functions in the organisation - sales and marketing, finance, production, logistics, operations and distribution
Exploring the interrelationships between disruptive entrepreneurial behaviour and disruptive technologies - which one empowers the other
Evaluation of how users accept, reject or adapt to disruptive technologies
Successful or partially successful examples of the acceptance or adoption of disruptive technologies in public sector institutions/agencies
Case studies on how organisations and institutions respond to disruptive technologies in an industry (new media, fashion and beauty, tourism, hospitality, healthcare et cetera)
Case studies and discussions on relationship marketing on social media platforms and also in financial services marketing and fashion marketing
Case studies and discussions on generational Marketing and its impact on fashion marketing, retail marketing and financial services marketing in digital platforms
Case studies and discussions on social media, social commerce and issues with multidimensional trust, commitment and purchase behaviour
PART 3: Digital Innovations and Development
Successful or partially successful examples of the contributions of digital technologies in the achievement of sustainable development goals
Digital innovations which empower individuals, organisations and institutions to better respond to climate change challenges
Insightful case studies on digital technologies introduced by governments to promote democracy, information transparency and improve service delivery to citizens
Evaluation of adoption, use and impact of open data innovations
Successful or partially successful examples of collaboration between government, private sector and non-governmental institutions in responding to development challenges
Exploring the contributions or potential contribution of big data analytics to development in different sectors of the economy- health, agriculture, manufacturing, and governance
Editors
All inquiries should be directed to the attention of:
Prof. Richard Boateng Email: richboateng [@] ug.edu.gh
Dr. Sheena Lovia Boateng Email: slboateng [@] ug.edu.gh
Dr. Thomas Anning-Dorson Email: thomas.dorson.anning [@] wits.ac.za
Prof. Longe Olumide Babatope Email: olumide.longe [@] aun.edu.ng