The Application of the SCT and the ANP Model to Refine the Most Critical ICT Determinants in Minimizing the Digital Divide

This research cross-employed the social cognition theory (SCT) and the analytical network process (ANP) model in qualitative analyses and the multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) methodology in quantitative measurements to comprehensively re-identify the most critical information communication technology (ICT) determinants in minimizing the digital divide (DD). After measuring the complete importance of related priority weight (eigenvector) from the survey results given to various experts, the complete synthetically comparative index numbers (SCIN) from the evaluation model used conveyed two distinct consequences. First, the highest SCIN scores for the ANP, F-ANP, and G-ANP models are 0.5516, 0.3771, and 0.4791, respectively, and are located in the “ICT can positively minimize the level of DD†(ICTCPMDD) column in the summarized results table. Secondly, the highest evaluated weighted score of assessed criteria of 0.5801 is located in the Diversified Mobile Applications (DMAPP) column. From these results, there are two contributive findings that can be deduced. First, ICT indeed proved the determinative influences and interplays in the level of DD which means that the undeveloped, developing, and emerging regions are apparently able to minimize the level of DD by means of the ICT development. Second, the Diversified Mobile Applications (DMAPP) is the most critical determinant of ICT in minimizing the level of digital divide.