The role of information and communication technology (ICT) in mobilization of sustainable development knowledge: a quantitative evaluation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to aim to quantitatively evaluate the importance of ICTs for sustainable development. A hypothesis about the criticality of ICTs to sustainable development has been tested. The consequences of other ICT elements on knowledge management also have been evaluated. Design/methodology/approach – This research is carried out using surveys and interviews among members of the KM/ICT sustainable development community. Findings – It has been found that ICT is critical for sustainable development. In effect, many respondents agreed that due to the geographical separation and multifaceted nature of international sustainable development, it cannot be carried out without ICT's support. However, for ICT infrastructure to be translated into worthwhile returns, the organization must adopt knowledge‐oriented ICT infrastructure. This is substantiated by ICT's role in decision quality, knowledge sharing, inter‐organizational links, and the contribution to the resolution of the implicit conflict between sustainability and economic growth. Research limitations/implications – There was a imited amount of data subjected to statistical analysis. This may skew some of the results, and inflate the experimental error. However, the limited data is ascribable to the restricted nature of the targeted population itself. Originality/value – The results in this paper address major issues surrounding the role of ICTs in sustainable development. The tackling of these issues is essential to the success of ICT in the sustainable development realm. The understanding and extrapolation of these results form a valuable guidance to the KM practitioners in supporting sustainable development.