Sanjay Lama - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Sanjay Lama

Journal of Heritage Tourism

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that supported or inhibited teach... more Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that supported or inhibited teacher participation in remote teaching. Teaching and learning in Nepal was predominantly face-to-face prior to the pandemic, and the previous studies showed that the use of educational technology in higher education was limited. Method: This exploratory case study draws on data derived from focus group discussions with teachers in higher education. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the impacts of different factors in sudden transition to remote teaching. Findings: Findings show that personal factors such as teachers’ sense of duty and their attitude towards technology use facilitated their practice despite technological (internet connection), organizational (directives on exams or online classes) and environmental (inconsistent power supply) issues. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: Continued uptake of technology by teachers and colleges and universities should be practiced to...

The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely disrupted many aspects of human life. Education is not immune... more The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely disrupted many aspects of human life. Education is not immune to it, rather affected drastically by urging to shift online immediately, wherever possible. Resource-constrained countries were more challenged by this crisis, as higher education institutions are predominantly operated in the traditional classroom settings. With such an abrupt transition to remote teaching and learning with limited resources, both teachers and students have accelerated in gaining new knowledge and adopted the technology gracefully. This study extends our previous work in exploring the facilitating and the inhibiting factors by teachers during remote learning processes to see how students at the receiving end, experienced the journey. By using a mixed method, students’ experience during the remote learning is explored. While returning to the normal mode of teaching post-pandemic, this study suggested that students would prefer to continue some aspects of online tools a...

The emergence of sustainable tourism has been seamlessly replacing many facets of traditional tou... more The emergence of sustainable tourism has been seamlessly replacing many facets of traditional tourism. ICT is regarded as an ideal partner to sustainable tourism as it can proficiently disseminate information and services. Several research studies have been conducted to study this synergy. This systematic review aims to investigate the emerging ICT discourse in sustainable tourism using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Relevant articles were searched in the most common databases. Out of 357 articles retrieved, 41 articles were selected for the final analysis based on inclusion-exclusion criteria. MS Excel and Zotero applications were used. It has been observed that most commonly researched topics in ICT in sustainable tourism include GIS, web applications, gaming, Augmented Reality, IoTs and social media. This review identifies a need for a larger body of research focusing on ICT use in sustainable tourism and supports its advancement by identifying future directions.

Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019, 2018

Although Nepal has tremendous tourism opportunities, the small and medium tourism enterprises (SM... more Although Nepal has tremendous tourism opportunities, the small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) that constitute the largest percentage of tourism service providers, are lagging behind in e-tourism adoption. This research conducts a comprehensive analysis of existing literature to propose an e-tourism adoption model based on the Technology-Organisation-Environment and e-readiness models. This model is supported by empirical data using qualitative in-depth interviews with seven key stakeholders and quantitative survey with 198 SMTEs. An operational model is outlined to identify the barriers and motivators for e-tourism adoption in Nepal. Implications of this model for key stakeholders such as the government, tourism organisations and tourism associations are discussed. As Nepal moves to a federal political structure, the findings and recommendation from this research are expected to help policy makers, tourism associations and SMTEs to develop specific e-tourism based programs in order to provide superior services to tourists.

Real social impact is not possible without the engagement of the local communities. The paper des... more Real social impact is not possible without the engagement of the local communities. The paper describes the first phase of an engaged research project in which we develop a digital platform which is able to support and enhance Community-Based Tourism in Developing Countries. With the help of a local community in Nepal, we co-develop and understand the requirements which need to be included in a digital platform to support Community-Based Tourism in Developing Countries. The data is collected through three focus groups which explore "Categories of Local Tourism products/services", "Education, Training, and Awareness Raising", and "Design structures of a Digital Platform". The participants of the focus groups were community leaders, local business owners, entrepreneurs, and tourism association representatives. The findings contribute to our understanding of supporting local entrepreneurism through digital platforms and help to make the world a better place with Information Systems.

Nepal is a popular travel destination because of its natural beauty and the Himalayas. The touris... more Nepal is a popular travel destination because of its natural beauty and the Himalayas. The tourism industry contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP. However, the 2015 earthquake created havoc by causing the loss of more than 9,000 lives, damaging many buildings, World heritage sites and trekking trails. Despite a substantial amount of foreign aid, overall recovery programs have not been effective. This empirical study focuses on the use of ICT tools for recovery in the tourism industry and uses mixed methods engaging tourism associations and organisations. Four ‘areas of concern’ regarding ICT use, are identified by using qualitative analysis and are validated through a survey of 198 tourism organisations. The findings show that the earthquake has significantly impacted the industry and the government has not adequately used ICTs in recovery activities. This study strongly advocates using ICT tools for post-disaster tourism resilience.

Information Technology & Tourism, 2020

E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences... more E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences. While small tourism service providers in the developed economies can efficiently take advantage of e-tourism by partnering with global online platforms such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com, small tourism service providers in developing countries often struggle to reach global markets due to factors that are unique to the country they operate in. The aim of this study, therefore, is to identify the key barriers and motivators of e-tourism adoption for small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in developing countries. Nepal is selected as the case study due to its enormous tourism potential that is plagued by typical challenges. Based on the 'Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE)' framework and 'e-readiness' model, this study identified ten key factors that affect e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal. A mixed-method approach, using interviews with seven key stakeholders and a survey with 198 SMTEs, were employed for data collection and validation of the proposed factors. Finally, an e-tourism adoption model highlighting the barriers and motivators for e-tourism by SMTEs is presented. This research found that e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal is affected by environmental factors related to national infrastructure, market size, country-specific contextual factors and organizational factors comprising e-tourism awareness, ICT resources, value proposition, and top management support. This study offers implications for policy and practice towards effective e-tourism adoption in other developing countries.

Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2018, 2018

Developing countries lack e-tourism competencies despite attractive destinations to offer. Nepal ... more Developing countries lack e-tourism competencies despite attractive destinations to offer. Nepal is one of the developing countries with its natural beauty and diverse cultural heritage that has great tourism potential. This research is aimed at identifying barriers of e-tourism adoption in developing countries, using Nepal as a case study. Based on the Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) and e-readiness models, and our literature review, we propose ten factors that affect e-tourism adoption. We applied mixed methods to validate these factors using seven interviews with relevant stakeholders and a survey of 198 tourism organisations in Nepal. The results demonstrate that e-tourism adoption is affected by environmental factors such as lack of national infrastructure, market size, and country-specific contextual factors. Similarly, organizational factors include lack of e-tourism awareness, lack of resources, low value proposition and limited top management support. Finally, we discuss these factors and its implication to policy and practice.

Journal of Heritage Tourism

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that supported or inhibited teach... more Objectives: The purpose of the study was to examine the factors that supported or inhibited teacher participation in remote teaching. Teaching and learning in Nepal was predominantly face-to-face prior to the pandemic, and the previous studies showed that the use of educational technology in higher education was limited. Method: This exploratory case study draws on data derived from focus group discussions with teachers in higher education. Thematic analysis was employed to explore the impacts of different factors in sudden transition to remote teaching. Findings: Findings show that personal factors such as teachers’ sense of duty and their attitude towards technology use facilitated their practice despite technological (internet connection), organizational (directives on exams or online classes) and environmental (inconsistent power supply) issues. Implication for Theory and/or Practice: Continued uptake of technology by teachers and colleges and universities should be practiced to...

The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely disrupted many aspects of human life. Education is not immune... more The COVID-19 pandemic has immensely disrupted many aspects of human life. Education is not immune to it, rather affected drastically by urging to shift online immediately, wherever possible. Resource-constrained countries were more challenged by this crisis, as higher education institutions are predominantly operated in the traditional classroom settings. With such an abrupt transition to remote teaching and learning with limited resources, both teachers and students have accelerated in gaining new knowledge and adopted the technology gracefully. This study extends our previous work in exploring the facilitating and the inhibiting factors by teachers during remote learning processes to see how students at the receiving end, experienced the journey. By using a mixed method, students’ experience during the remote learning is explored. While returning to the normal mode of teaching post-pandemic, this study suggested that students would prefer to continue some aspects of online tools a...

The emergence of sustainable tourism has been seamlessly replacing many facets of traditional tou... more The emergence of sustainable tourism has been seamlessly replacing many facets of traditional tourism. ICT is regarded as an ideal partner to sustainable tourism as it can proficiently disseminate information and services. Several research studies have been conducted to study this synergy. This systematic review aims to investigate the emerging ICT discourse in sustainable tourism using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Relevant articles were searched in the most common databases. Out of 357 articles retrieved, 41 articles were selected for the final analysis based on inclusion-exclusion criteria. MS Excel and Zotero applications were used. It has been observed that most commonly researched topics in ICT in sustainable tourism include GIS, web applications, gaming, Augmented Reality, IoTs and social media. This review identifies a need for a larger body of research focusing on ICT use in sustainable tourism and supports its advancement by identifying future directions.

Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2019, 2018

Although Nepal has tremendous tourism opportunities, the small and medium tourism enterprises (SM... more Although Nepal has tremendous tourism opportunities, the small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) that constitute the largest percentage of tourism service providers, are lagging behind in e-tourism adoption. This research conducts a comprehensive analysis of existing literature to propose an e-tourism adoption model based on the Technology-Organisation-Environment and e-readiness models. This model is supported by empirical data using qualitative in-depth interviews with seven key stakeholders and quantitative survey with 198 SMTEs. An operational model is outlined to identify the barriers and motivators for e-tourism adoption in Nepal. Implications of this model for key stakeholders such as the government, tourism organisations and tourism associations are discussed. As Nepal moves to a federal political structure, the findings and recommendation from this research are expected to help policy makers, tourism associations and SMTEs to develop specific e-tourism based programs in order to provide superior services to tourists.

Real social impact is not possible without the engagement of the local communities. The paper des... more Real social impact is not possible without the engagement of the local communities. The paper describes the first phase of an engaged research project in which we develop a digital platform which is able to support and enhance Community-Based Tourism in Developing Countries. With the help of a local community in Nepal, we co-develop and understand the requirements which need to be included in a digital platform to support Community-Based Tourism in Developing Countries. The data is collected through three focus groups which explore "Categories of Local Tourism products/services", "Education, Training, and Awareness Raising", and "Design structures of a Digital Platform". The participants of the focus groups were community leaders, local business owners, entrepreneurs, and tourism association representatives. The findings contribute to our understanding of supporting local entrepreneurism through digital platforms and help to make the world a better place with Information Systems.

Nepal is a popular travel destination because of its natural beauty and the Himalayas. The touris... more Nepal is a popular travel destination because of its natural beauty and the Himalayas. The tourism industry contributes significantly to the nation’s GDP. However, the 2015 earthquake created havoc by causing the loss of more than 9,000 lives, damaging many buildings, World heritage sites and trekking trails. Despite a substantial amount of foreign aid, overall recovery programs have not been effective. This empirical study focuses on the use of ICT tools for recovery in the tourism industry and uses mixed methods engaging tourism associations and organisations. Four ‘areas of concern’ regarding ICT use, are identified by using qualitative analysis and are validated through a survey of 198 tourism organisations. The findings show that the earthquake has significantly impacted the industry and the government has not adequately used ICTs in recovery activities. This study strongly advocates using ICT tools for post-disaster tourism resilience.

Information Technology & Tourism, 2020

E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences... more E-tourism plays a pivotal role in delivering services to tourists by enhancing travel experiences. While small tourism service providers in the developed economies can efficiently take advantage of e-tourism by partnering with global online platforms such as TripAdvisor or Booking.com, small tourism service providers in developing countries often struggle to reach global markets due to factors that are unique to the country they operate in. The aim of this study, therefore, is to identify the key barriers and motivators of e-tourism adoption for small and medium tourism enterprises (SMTEs) in developing countries. Nepal is selected as the case study due to its enormous tourism potential that is plagued by typical challenges. Based on the 'Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE)' framework and 'e-readiness' model, this study identified ten key factors that affect e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal. A mixed-method approach, using interviews with seven key stakeholders and a survey with 198 SMTEs, were employed for data collection and validation of the proposed factors. Finally, an e-tourism adoption model highlighting the barriers and motivators for e-tourism by SMTEs is presented. This research found that e-tourism adoption by SMTEs in Nepal is affected by environmental factors related to national infrastructure, market size, country-specific contextual factors and organizational factors comprising e-tourism awareness, ICT resources, value proposition, and top management support. This study offers implications for policy and practice towards effective e-tourism adoption in other developing countries.

Australasian Conference on Information Systems 2018, 2018

Developing countries lack e-tourism competencies despite attractive destinations to offer. Nepal ... more Developing countries lack e-tourism competencies despite attractive destinations to offer. Nepal is one of the developing countries with its natural beauty and diverse cultural heritage that has great tourism potential. This research is aimed at identifying barriers of e-tourism adoption in developing countries, using Nepal as a case study. Based on the Technology, Organization and Environment (TOE) and e-readiness models, and our literature review, we propose ten factors that affect e-tourism adoption. We applied mixed methods to validate these factors using seven interviews with relevant stakeholders and a survey of 198 tourism organisations in Nepal. The results demonstrate that e-tourism adoption is affected by environmental factors such as lack of national infrastructure, market size, and country-specific contextual factors. Similarly, organizational factors include lack of e-tourism awareness, lack of resources, low value proposition and limited top management support. Finally, we discuss these factors and its implication to policy and practice.