Richard Boateng

Mobile Phones and Financial Services in Developing Countries: A review of concepts, methods, issues, evidence and future research directions

Abstract Research concerning mobile phones and financial services in developing countries has undergone rapid growth in recent years. This paper seeks to improve understanding of the current state of knowledge by reviewing the content of 43 research articles. A framework is developed that differentiates research activity according to a lifecycle model that incorporates financial needs, design, adoption and impact. The review finds that research to date has resulted in a high level of practitioner involvement, providing valuable links from the mobile phone industry to the research community but, as a consequence, research has become too narrowly defined. Thus, issues of assessing financial need and the measurement of impact have been comparatively neglected, while application design and adoption studies have received greater attention. This paper suggests a future direction for research and practice within the mainstream of micro-financial services and finance for the poor, correcting this imbalance, and contributing towards the mobiles-in-development-research agenda.

Corporate social responsibility activity reportage on bank websites in Ghana

Purpose – The concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) has witnessed a resurgence in the management literature in recent years. This might be due to a renewed focus on corporate governance and ethical practices of companies the world over. This current study seeks to focus on how banks operating in Ghana communicate their CSR programmes and intentions via their corporate websites.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework was adapted from the extant literature and was used as the basis of a content analysis of 16 banks in Ghana. This paper adopts a qualitative research approach drawing upon available information from the websites of these 16 banks.Findings – One of the banks that had won the most CSR awards at the Ghana banking awards had the poorest CSR communication content on its corporate website. It was also noted that banks that had never won a CSR award previously seemed to have a better organised structure in respect of their CSR activities on their websites. These findings clear...

Preliminary Insights into M-commerce Adoption in Ghana

Utilizing case studies of farmers and fishermen in Ghana, we investigated the mobile commerce (m-commerce) idiosyncrasies of two rural businesses. We specifically examined the investment cost associated with m-commerce, and the m-commerce adoption practices of farmers and fishermen in selected rural districts in Ghana. We adopted a qualitative research approach and conducted in-depth interviews with management and operational personnel, in our target respondent firms. We found that m-commerce facilitates cost reduction for farmers and fishermen, and affords them opportunities for deepening internal and external business relationships. M-commerce also facilitates the delivery of time-sensitive information, which enhances decision-making in transactions. Whilst m-commerce clearly enhances various value delivery propositions for the farming and fishing companies we profiled, it cannot entirely replace their business value chains. The originality of this study lies in the fact that, it is one of the few scholarly investigations focusing on m-commerce from the perspective of a sub-Saharan country.

E-commerce and socio-economic development: Conceptualizing the link

Purpose – E‐commerce is diffusing into developing countries (DCs), and is assumed to help deliver the international development agenda. But how can the connection between e‐commerce and socio‐economic development be conceptualised? The aim of this paper is to analyse that connection by drawing from the development studies discipline to take a broader perspective on e‐commerce than that so far provided by firm‐level research.Design/methodology/approach – The authors adopt a literature survey approach, drawing their conceptual foundations from development studies, and supplementing this from the e‐commerce literature.Findings – The paper develops a new, integrated model that explains the way in which e‐commerce can contribute to socio‐economic development.Research limitations/implications – This new model can help provide a foundation for future research on e‐commerce in DCs; research on e‐commerce policy as well as impact assessment research.Practical implications – The discussion and model provide develop...

When Web 2.0 becomes an organizational learning tool: evaluating Web 2.0 tools

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the link between Web 2.0 and organizational learning through a framework that assesses its adaptability as a learning tool.Design/methodology/approach – This is a conceptual paper using arguments from organizational learning literature.Findings – The authors show that, as learning tools, Web 2.0 tools should be able to create interaction, enable knowledge sharing, access pre‐knowledge, and generate and store new knowledge.Research limitations/implications – The constructs are stepping stones towards a complete learning organization.Practical implications – The proposed framework brings organizations closer to prioritizing and evaluating learning tools and aligning them to dynamic social interactions in the workplace.Social implications – The proposed framework can inform the development of policies and procedures concerning the use of Web 2.0 tools by employees in the workplace.Originality/value – The framework opens a new insight to the evaluation p...

Advancing E-Commerce Beyond Readiness in a Developing Country: Experiences of Ghanaian Firms

This paper identifies factors affecting the assimilation of electronic commerce in Ghana and the solutions that Ghanaian firms have developed. Drawing from the elements of two electronic commerce readiness frameworks, the study analyzes the readiness of Ghana to support the conduct of electronic commerce at the firm-level. The study covers the government, technology, market and culture readiness factors. Findings suggest that social networks, managerial capabilities and government commitment have an attendant effect on adoption and use of tangible resources like electronic commerce applications. The findings imply that future research and practitioner efforts should focus on developing a broader perspective to address electronic commerce challenges encompassing issues like how firms can advance to more complex forms of e-commerce after initial e-commerce adoption.

E-commerce in least developing countries: Summary evidence and implications

ABSTRACT We undertook a review and classification of research on electronic commerce (e-commerce) in developing countries. We analyzed 181 articles published in a broad range of journals covering e-commerce, global information technology, and development issues. The analysis provides a roadmap that not only indicates the current state of e-commerce for development research but also identifies gaps and priorities for future research. This will be of significant value to both academics and practitioners who are working on, or plan to work on, e-commerce in developing countries.

Mobile phones and micro-trading activities - conceptualizing the link

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of mobile phones on the micro‐trading activities of traders in Ghana. The study aims to develop a conceptual model analyzing the impact of mobile phones on pre‐trade, during‐trade and post‐trade activities.Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach consisting of a descriptive survey of 136 traders and a case study of two traders was adopted.Findings – The findings suggest that traders primarily use mobile phones to monitor goods and pricing strategies, scheduling deliveries, and addressing inquiries and complaints in during‐trade activities. Traders, including those with no formal education, also use mobile phones as calculators in post‐trade activities. This innovative use of mobile phones is a function of their pre‐knowledge which may have been developed through formal education and/or social networks. Improving information management through mobile phones directly or indirectly contributes to the economic empowerment of the tr...

Perceived Benefits and Management Commitment to E-business Usage in Selected Ghanaian Tourism Firms

We set out in this article to generate a preliminary understanding of the benefits of e‐business to tourism firm players in Ghana. We also sought to ascertain the commitment of top management to e‐business development in Ghanaian tourist firms. We investigate our research issues by surveying 60 tourism firms. Of the 60 questionnaires we administered, 43 were deemed usable and we report our findings by means of descriptive statistics. We find that in conformance with the theory of planned behaviour, top management commitment, perceived strategic value of e‐business and organizational readiness are critical to e‐business adoption. In spite of the fact that e‐business holds the promise of delivering benefits to Ghana tourism firms, their understanding of e‐business/ICT still remains at an operational level. The value of this study lies in the fact that it is one of the few studies focussing on e‐business adoption in the West African tourism sector, in spite of the growing importance of this sector.

MOBILE PHONES IN HEALTH CARE IN UGANDA: THE APPLAB STUDY

This study explores the preliminary lessons in the use of mobile phones to promote access to health care information in Uganda. The project under study is the AppLab Uganda Project which operates a Health Tips application, educating users on sexual and reproductive health. Data was collected through in‐depth interviews with project developers, partners, medical practitioners and IT journalists and a survey of 149 people randomly selected from two tertiary educational institutions in Uganda. Findings tend to suggest that the need to access health information via mobile text messages is mediated by cost incentives, misconceptions of brand name ‘Google SMS’, and content relevance. There are questions concerning the appropriateness of text messaging as compared to using voice calls to access health information. These issues have implications on the objectives of the health care project and the individual strategies of project partners. Preliminary conclusions emphasize the need to integrate a referral system to registered health professionals and facilities and the need for education and/or a marketing strategy with an indigenous branding to address the misconception of the brand name ‘Google SMS’. Implications for research, policy, and practice are outlined.