Information Systems Research Forum

The Demographic Challenge: Societal Aging and its Implications for IS Research

Björn Niehaves 
European Research Center for Information Systems

1200 - 1330
Thursday 18 March 2010

Room NAB 4.21

Elderly citizens, a strongly growing population group in western societies, are often excluded from the information society and thus also from benefiting from e-service delivery (age-divide). Current research, however, lacks a thorough understanding of potential factors that influence private internet usage. Hence, we aim at explaining senior citizens' private internet use and identifying important influencing factors. We will present a model based on both technology acceptance and digital divide research and test it against comprehensive survey data. Results show that elderly citizens often don't see the value in using the internet (performance expectancy). Other issues, such as material access or computer skills, appear to be less of a problem (nowadays). We will discuss some best-practice projects that have potential to bridge the digital divide among the elderly.

Bjoern Niehaves is Schumpeter Fellow of the Volkswagen Foundation and heads the public sector research unit at the European Research Center for Information Systems, Muenster University, Germany. After the completion of his PhD studies in Information Systems (2006) and Political Science (2008), Bjoern's research interests now revolve around Design Science, Business Process Management, E-Government, Network Theories, and ICT & Aging. In 2006 (Best Dissertation Award of Muenster University), 2007 (Best Paper Award at EGOV), 2008 (Best Paper Award at E-SOCIETY), and 2009 (e|Gov Innovation Award) his work has received additional recognition. Bjoern held visiting positions at Harvard University (Cambridge, MA), Copenhagen Business School (Copenhagen), Waseda University (Tokyo), and the Royal Institute of Technology (Stockholm). He serves as Associate Editor of the European Journal of Information Systems (EJIS) and is listed as one of "40 under 40" in Science, Germany's promising young researchers (Capital 12/2009).
 

If you are a visitor from outside LSE, please send a confirmation to m.zachariadis@lse.ac.uk. You will need to sign in at the reception desk of the New Academic Building. Please note places will be available on a first-come-first-serve basis - registration is not required for LSE students and staff.

Please note that public events organised by ISIG are normally videoed and streamed from our website. If you do not wish to appear in the video please inform the camera operator before the start of the session and seat yourself where you will not be inadvertently be in the field of view of the camera. If you do not inform us of your wish not to be recorded we will presume your consent to being included in the video.

For any further queries regarding this seminar or to request information about future events please contact Frances White. Research Coordinator.

page last updated 19 February, 2010

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