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It is argued that one estate is achieving a higher level of inclusion because it combines teamwork with optimal levels of organizational slack. Further, this article discusses the optimal conditions for creating an information and communication technology (ICT) learning community and hence contribute to the debate on how best to overcome the digital divide. The possible implications of the findings are explored in terms of policy initiatives.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444807086475","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2008,3,20]],"date-time":"2008-03-20T11:04:29Z","timestamp":1206011069000},"page":"295-319","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["The digital divide and the theory of optimal slack"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"10","author":[{"given":"Terry","family":"Newholm","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK,"}]},{"given":"Kathy","family":"Keeling","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK"}]},{"given":"Peter","family":"McGoldrick","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK"}]},{"given":"Linda","family":"Macaulay","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Manchester, UK"}]},{"given":"Joanne","family":"Doherty","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Central Lancashire, UK"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2008,4,1]]},"reference":[{"key":"atypb1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/030630707600300303"},{"key":"atypb2","volume-title":"`The Digital Divide Myth', E-Commerce Times, 8 April, URL (consulted","author":"Brady, M.","year":"2000"},{"key":"atypb3","volume-title":"`Spanning the Digital Divide: Understanding and Tackling the Issues', URL (consulted","author":"Bridges Report","year":"2001"},{"issue":"9","key":"atypb4","first-page":"14","volume":"50","author":"Buhler, P.","year":"1989","journal-title":"Supervision"},{"key":"atypb5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1564-913X.2001.tb00217.x"},{"key":"atypb6","author":"Centre for Economic Policy Research","year":"2005","journal-title":"BBC News"},{"key":"atypb7","volume-title":"`Rural Africa Joins Mobile Revolution', BBC News, 6 December, URL (consulted","author":"Cronin, J.","year":"2004"},{"key":"atypb8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/14684520110410517"},{"key":"atypb9","volume-title":"Slack","author":"DeMarco,T.","year":"2002"},{"key":"atypb10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/255703"},{"key":"atypb11","volume-title":"paper presented at Home Oriented Informatics and Telematics Conference","author":"Doherty, J."},{"key":"atypb12","volume-title":"`Identifying Barriers to Learning for Transient People: North and West Lancashire Learning Partnership', URL (consulted","author":"Doherty, J.","year":"2002"},{"key":"atypb13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1461444805049146"},{"issue":"1","key":"atypb14","first-page":"68","volume":"14","author":"Geiger, S.W.","year":"2002","journal-title":"Journal of Managerial Issues"},{"key":"atypb15","volume-title":"Ethnography","author":"Hammersley, M.","year":"1995","edition":"2"},{"key":"atypb16","unstructured":"Hansen, M.T., N. 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