Customer Acquisition among Small and Informal Businesses in Urban India: Comparing Face‐to‐face and Mediated Channels

Donner, Jonathan

doi:10.1002/j.1681-4835.2007.tb00222.x

Cited by 42 publications

(21 citation statements)

References 19 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Donner, 2004;Donner, 2007). In this Policy Arena, Donner and co-author Marcela Escobari make use of a conceptual framework that is very well-known in organisation/management studies -the value chain model developed by Michael Porter -in order to structure their investigation of ICTs' contribution to development.…”

Section: Policy Arena Issue 1: Mobiles and Enterprisementioning

confidence: 99%

Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to development?

Heeks

2010

J of Intl Development

350

239

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This editorial introduces the three papers in this Policy Arena on the contribution of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to development. Contribution in terms of technology diffusion and use - especially of mobile phones - is easy to detect. But focus has only recently shifted along the 'ICT-for-development value chain' from these indicators of ICT readiness and availability, to the question of development impact. In part, the absence or poor quality of ICT impact assessment to date derives from its lack of conceptual foundations. This editorial maps out the intellectual roots of the emerging sub-discipline of 'development informatics' to show where such foundations may come from. It also summarises the conceptualised contributions made by each of the Policy Arena papers. The papers draw on models of enterprise value chains, empowerment and Sen's capability theory to demonstrate ICTs' contribution to conceptions of development as economic growth, as sustainable livelihoods, and as freedom. Of course, not all ICT initiatives succeed, and the editorial provides a good practice summary drawn from experiences of success and failure. It moves beyond the perennial call for practitioners and policy makers to incorporate impact assessment as part of this good practice. First, by identifying the need to address motivational and structural issues around impact assessment. Second, by calling on policy makers to be more aware of the transformational potential of ICTs in development; so-called 'Development 2.0'. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

show abstract

Section: Policy Arena Issue 1: Mobiles and Enterprisementioning

confidence: 99%

Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to development?

Heeks

2010

J of Intl Development

350

239

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…What the Kerala and Niger studies do not offer, however, is requisite detail about the shape of interpersonal networks and the resilience of faceto-face communication in the light of these new technologies. One recent exception, also from India, is Donner's (2007) work on the role of ICT and customer acquisition and retention. Though revealing similar findings to this paper on Tanzania -that face-to-face interactions dominate customer interactions even among those with access to ICTs -Donner does well not to dismiss altogether the benefits of mediated communication.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Running out of credit: the limitations of mobile telephony in a Tanzanian agricultural marketing system

Molony

2008

J. Mod. Afr. Stud.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A B S T R A C TPoor farmers often lack credit to purchase agricultural inputs, and rely on their buyers to provide it. This paper considers the effects of mobile phones on traders of perishable foodstuffs operating between Tanzania's Southern Highlands and Dar es Salaam's wholesale market, with a particular focus on the importance of credit in the relationship between potato and tomato farmers and their wholesale buyers. It argues that the ability to communicate using these new information and communication technologies (ICTs) does not significantly alter the trust relationship between the two groups. It also suggests that farmers, in effect, often have to accept the price they are told their crops are sold for -irrespective of the method of communication used to convey this message -because their buyers are also their creditors. In this situation, many farmers are unable to exploit new mobile phone-based services to seek information on market prices, and potential buyers in other markets. Doing so runs the risk of breaking a long-term relationship with a buyer who is willing to supply credit because of their established business interaction. It is suggested that, under a more open system than currently exists in Tanzania, mobile-payment ('m-payment ') applications should target these creditor-buyers as key agents in connecting farmers to the credit they so often require.

show abstract

“…As we can see, the former papers mentioned above (Gebreab 2002;Sesay 2004;Shanmugavelan 2004;Vodafone 2005;Karger 2006;Donner 2007;Sey 2008;Dalvit 2015;Pradhan and Bajracharya 2015) have a strong economical focus. With regard to continuing research, it is somewhat difficult that there is an interference of mobile phones user's behavioural factors with other cultural factors, which cannot even be exactly determined without precise investigations.…”

Section: Research Problemsmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…A case study on post war Sierra Leone was provided by Sesay (2004), highlighting the role of mobile phones in that specific context. Donner (2005Donner ( , 2007 …”

Section: Research On Indigenous Use Of Mobile Phonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Impact of Mobile Phones on Indigenous Social Structures: A Cross-cultural Comparative Study

Groh

2016

Journal of Communication

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Mobile phones are part of a major growth industry in so-called Third World countries. As in other places, the use of this technology changes communication behaviour. The influence of these changes on indigenous social structures was investigated with a mixed-type questionnaire that targeted parameters such as: in-group vs. out-group communication, involvement with dominant industrial culture and the use of financial resources. Data was collected from indigenous representatives at the United Nations, as well as in Africa from subjects of various cultural backgrounds, and from a control group in Berlin. The results reflect widespread use of mobile phones among indigenous persons, having a segregating effect within the indigenous community, but also enhancing ingroup communication and especially the use of the indigenous language. Mobile phones also facilitate moves from village to town, with the opportunity of frequently communicating with other in-group members.

show abstract

Customer Acquisition among Small and Informal Businesses in Urban India: Comparing Face‐to‐face and Mediated Channels

Cited by 42 publications

References 19 publications

Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to development?

Do information and communication technologies (ICTs) contribute to development?

Running out of credit: the limitations of mobile telephony in a Tanzanian agricultural marketing system

The Impact of Mobile Phones on Indigenous Social Structures: A Cross-cultural Comparative Study

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About