Date of Conferral

4-20-2026

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Management

Advisor

Teresa Lao

Abstract

The digital divide reflects policy relevant disparities in access to and effective use of internet based information resources, as experienced and interpreted by individuals navigating regulatory environments and governance conditions in the rural Philippines. Policymakers need to understand how the digital divide affects business owners and working-class people, with the impact of high costs and poor internet infrastructure in remote areas of the Philippines. Many of these business owners and working-class people lack access to the privileges and benefits of high-speed internet access. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of these business owners and working-class people to acquire a deeper understanding of their day-to-day challenges, where internet access is expensive and unreliable. Maslow’s theory of motivation and the concept of care grounded this study. The participants comprised 13 business owners and working-class people who live in the rural areas of the Philippines. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Four themes emerged from the thematic analysis: (a) internet access is a human right, (b) promote public cooperation and education, (c) corruption must be stopped, and (d) empathy and positive social change. Policymakers and legislators can use this knowledge to inform the development of sustainable, evidence-based strategies to effectively address the underlying source of the rampant technological disparity in the rural Philippines. Implications for positive social change include the potential for business entrepreneurs and political leaders to implement effective solutions to the digital divide, enhancing access to information-age products and services that improve the overall quality of life across rural Philippines.

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