Analysis of local development and digital communication in rural community spaces in Ecuador
Keywords:
Local development, digital communication, rural communities, community participation, information technologies.Abstract
This research examines the potential for digital communications to support the development of rural communities in Ecuador by analyzing how well the use of technology enhances both organizational and participatory processes as well as community-based management. A quantitative methodology was chosen for this study and utilized a descriptive-correlational design in order to quantify the relationships between variables within a population of 80 individuals living in rural areas of Ecuador. In determining the size of the sample based upon a 95% confidence interval, a total of 67 subjects participated in the study. A nine-item structured questionnaire utilizing a five-point Likert scale was created to obtain information related to digital communications and local development. Descriptive statistical data and Spearman and Kendall nonparametric correlation coefficients were utilized to analyze the resulting data. Overall, the findings of this research demonstrated that respondents perceive both the independent variables (digital communications) and the dependent variable (local development) at moderate levels, suggesting that there currently exists an effective level of digital communications amongst other functional renditions of community networks; thus the process of solidifying community networks will occur in phases. Additionally, there was found to be a strong positive relationship between respondents' observations of digital communications and local development, meaning that enhancements to digital resources would positively affect the climates of organizational, participatory and overall community-based management across all communities.
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