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Tsunami Disaster Response: a Case Analysis of the Information

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Tsunami Disaster Response: a Case Analysis of the Information TSUNAMI DISASTER RESPONSE: A CASE ANALYSIS OF THE INFORMATION SOCIETY IN THAILAND Supaluk Joy Aswalap, B.A., M.B.A. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS December 2009 APPROVED: Brian C. O’Connor, Major Professor Florence Mason, Committee Member Robert J. Pavur, Committee Member Linda Schamber, Committee Member and Associate Dean Herman L. Totten, Dean of the College of Information Michael Monticino, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Aswalap, Supaluk Joy. Tsunami disaster response: A case analysis of the information society in Thailand. Doctor of Philosophy (Information Science), December 2009, 221 pp., 12 tables, 15 illustrations, references, 140 titles. The December 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami wrecked thousands of lives, homes, and livelihoods – losses that could have been avoided with timely and better information. A resource such as information is needed at a fundamental level much like water, food, medicine, or shelter. This dissertation examines the development of the Thai information society, in terms of the share of information workforce and the level of diffusion of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as, the role of the Thai information society in response to the tsunami disaster. The study combined the historical and political economy analyses in explaining factors influencing the growth of information workforce and the development of ICT in Thailand. Interviews conducted in 2007-08 revealed the Thai information society responded to the 2004 Tsunami – the first global internet-mediated natural disaster – in two areas: on-site assistance in collecting and recording identification information of tsunami disaster victims and on-line dissemination of disaster relief information. The effectiveness of ICT institutions in providing the tsunami disaster relief efforts and increasing the development of the information society were assessed using statistical procedures analyzing the perceptions of the Internet-based survey respondents. The disaster effects on survey respondents were also assessed. The study’s findings include: (1) the Thai information sector development pattern confirmed a key difference between development patterns of information sectors in developed and developing countries, (2) the increasing number of Thai information workers was due more to the expansion of government than the expansion in the manufacturing and service sectors during the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, (3) Thailand’s expansion of ICT infrastructure was influenced not only on the basis of economic profitability but also by political desirability, and (4) volunteers were crucial in humanitarian aid and disaster relief. Copyright 2009 by Supaluk Joy Aswalap ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my gratitude to my major professor, Dr. Brian O’Connor for his unfailing support, encouragement and true inspiration throughout the course of my study at UNT. I am deeply thankful to my committee members for their individual academic supervision and support: Dr. Robert Pavur for his invaluable insight into the multifaceted world of statistical analysis, Dr. Linda Schamber for her advice and constructive feedback on this research, and Dr. Florence Mason for her inspired coursework in information economics. I am particularly indebted to Rebecca Baker for copy editing work and being my friend on this journey. I am filled with gratitude to survey respondents and those who granted me interviews in Thailand, sharing their vivid experiences and making this dissertation possible. Lastly, I am grateful to my parents in Thailand for their unconditional love and support. iii CONTENTS TABLES ...................................................................................................................................... viii FIGURES ....................................................................................................................................... ix ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................................................ x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................... 1 Problem and Background ............................................................................................................ 1 Information Societies .............................................................................................................. 2 Information Workforce ........................................................................................................... 3 Information and Communication Technologies ..................................................................... 4 Impact of the Tsunami ............................................................................................................ 7 The Kingdom of Thailand ....................................................................................................... 9 Purpose ...................................................................................................................................... 11 Building Thai Information Society ....................................................................................... 12 Significance............................................................................................................................... 14 Departure from Past Research .............................................................................................. 14 Definition of Terms................................................................................................................... 15 Information Society .............................................................................................................. 15 Information Workforce ......................................................................................................... 15 ICT Core Indicators .............................................................................................................. 17 The Southeast Asian Tsunami .............................................................................................. 19 Tsunami Disaster Response .................................................................................................. 19 Scope and Limitations............................................................................................................... 20 Assumptions .............................................................................................................................. 21 CHAPTER II LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................... 22 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 22 Information Society Theories ................................................................................................... 22 Measurement of Information Workforce .............................................................................. 24 Information Workforce Growth ............................................................................................ 27 Perspectives in Political Economy ............................................................................................ 29 Perceptions of Information ................................................................................................... 31 Diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies ................................................... 32 Social Shaping of Technology .................................................................................................. 34 The Mutual Shaping of Technology and Society ................................................................. 35 A Structural Approach to ICT Diffusion .................................................................................. 36 The Structural Context .......................................................................................................... 36 The Role of Institutions ........................................................................................................ 43 The Role of Individuals and Groups ..................................................................................... 50 Government Policies ............................................................................................................. 51 The Impact of the Southeast Asian Tsunami ............................................................................ 53 iv Tsunami Mass Fatality Management .................................................................................... 53 Online Disaster and Humanitarian Information Dissemination ............................................ 59 CHAPTER III RESEARCH METHODS .................................................................................... 61 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 61 Research Framework ................................................................................................................ 61 Case Study Approach ............................................................................................................ 61 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................................. 62 Strategic
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