Emerging literature from developing countries speak volumes of innovative application of mobile telephones to support the economic activities of the micro and small enterprises…
Abstract
Purpose
Emerging literature from developing countries speak volumes of innovative application of mobile telephones to support the economic activities of the micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Invariably the technology is improving the efficiency of these operatives and boosting their competitiveness. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the contributions of mobile telephones to the development of micro and small enterprises in less urban and rural areas of Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology used was basically questionnaire administration and was augmented by focus group discussions to collect data from MSEs in six locations in the country. The sample size was 600 enterprises and the selection was based on the International Standard Industrial Code.
Findings
The majority of the respondents were positive about the impact of mobile telephones on their businesses in terms of ease of contact with customers and suppliers, reduced cost of transportation and profitability. However, there is the urgent need for the development of innovative services to meet the changing needs of the enterprises.
Originality/value
Generally, these findings will contribute to the emerging empirical evidence of the strategic role mobile telephones are playing in the economies of developing countries.
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Michael L. Best and Dhanaraj Thakur
The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the telecommunications policy process in immediate post‐conflict countries and how that process differs from…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an understanding of the telecommunications policy process in immediate post‐conflict countries and how that process differs from traditional settings.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors consider the case of Liberia, a country that recently emerged from a protracted civil war. The authors focus on the Liberian Telecommunications Act of 2007 and the processes through which this act came about by applying a modified research framework. This framework identifies several factors in the literature that are posited to influence the policymaking process in developing countries. The authors also include other factors based on previous studies in post‐conflict countries. The aim is to test the usefulness of this framework using the 2007 act. The authors apply it through the use of interviews with key actors in the government, industry, and international agencies. This was supplemented by secondary data from published reports and other sources.
Findings
From the framework the authors identify the main factors influencing the telecoms policy making process in Liberia such as a weak and nascent institutional environment, intra‐governmental competition, limited human and technical resources, the supportive (especially initially) role of the international actors such as the World Bank, and the dominance of elite groups in decision‐making. The authors then make suggestions on overcoming some of existing challenges to the sector.
Originality/value
This paper looks at the intersection of research in telecommunications policy, policy processes and post‐conflict countries, an area in which there is currently very little work. The results indicate that several dimensions of the framework are germane to the post‐conflict case and that some of these observations are also relevant to the future development of telecommunications in these countries.
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The purpose of this paper is to present research evidence on mobile phone sharing practices in a developing country context.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present research evidence on mobile phone sharing practices in a developing country context.
Design/methodology/approach
The study adopted an exploratory approach, using a combination of in‐depth interviews, non‐random surveys and field observations of mobile phone users and mobile payphone service providers.
Findings
The paper finds that there are multiple dimensions to mobile phone sharing and that it is an important means of giving respondents the ability to communicate under different circumstances of need. However, most research respondents preferred or were aspiring to personal phone ownership and a reduction of the need to share. This preference was demonstrated in respondents' attitudes and actual behavior with respect to sharing phones with family and friends, as well as the use of payphones.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the exploratory and largely qualitative research approach, the findings may not be generalizable. The results provide evidence that could feed into the development of hypotheses about mobile phone sharing practices in similar contexts.
Originality/value
The paper investigates ideas about mobile phone sharing using mixed methods. It draws attention to the importance of research‐based evidence for a fuller understanding of user behavior.
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This paper aims to offer an analysis of the market structure in the mobile telephony market in Latin America and its impact on its development. Given the importance of mobile…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to offer an analysis of the market structure in the mobile telephony market in Latin America and its impact on its development. Given the importance of mobile services as a mean of ICT access to low income groups, the objective behind this analysis is to understand how the trend in market structure may impact the use of mobiles by low‐income sectors of the population in Latin America.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyses the process of consolidation that the region experiences today in the mobile market and identifies the effect this concentration has had on mobile welfare indicators such as penetration. It examines the links between variables associated with market concentration and known to influence mobile penetration such as tariffs, pricing strategies and spectrum allocation.
Findings
The results do not identify a strong association between market concentrations and pricing, which appears to contradict standard textbook reasoning. However, there appears to be a strong correlation between prices and radio spectrum allocation; countries that have a very low spectrum allocation are the ones that have the highest prices.
Originality/value
The value of this analysis lies in the identification of a straightforward regulatory policy suggestion that supports results form other empirical studies; regulators need to allocate more spectrum in order to promote competition.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine how the prevailing widespread and popular access to mobile phones among Jamaica's poor may be used to support the public policy goal of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine how the prevailing widespread and popular access to mobile phones among Jamaica's poor may be used to support the public policy goal of transitioning these users from mainly voice to more advanced applications, including m‐government, personal educational growth and teleworking, via increased connectivity to mobile internet and other forms of broadband access.
Design/methodology/approach
The article analytically reports the findings of two national usage studies of low‐income mobile respondents in Jamaica.
Findings
There is a prevailing positive disposition among Jamaicans of all social classes for the use of higher levels of work‐related communications technologies, once these are priced in a manner that make them accessible. This is a strong foundation upon which to build crucial technology links to key business and economic opportunities. Mobiles are potential bridges for low‐income users from their present voice‐dominated usage to higher end applications such as further education, better access to public services and other more intensive work‐related uses.
Practical implications
If made more accessible, mobile internet could help bridge information and education gaps experienced by the financially impoverished majority. More low‐income people could be connected through such simplified protocol platforms as .Mobi and into wider use of M‐services.
Originality/value
The empirical studies indicate for the first time that low income users of mobile phones are not just engaged in idle chatter but have a higher order economic and survival motivation in their patterns and uses of the mobile phone.
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Rohan Samarajiva and Nuwan Waidyanatha
Over 50 percent of the disasters occur in Asia and in the past five year disasters in the region have killed around half million people. Most of these deaths could have been…
Abstract
Purpose
Over 50 percent of the disasters occur in Asia and in the past five year disasters in the region have killed around half million people. Most of these deaths could have been prevented if reliable and effective early warning systems were in place. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the use of the emerging mobile technology for disaster risk reduction.
Design/methodology/approach
LIRNEasia field tested five wireless technologies, including mobile phones, in 32 tsunami affected villages in Sri Lanka; where members in the village were provided training with emergency response planning and given one or more of the technologies for receiving hazard information. Further lessons were learned by sharing knowledge, through a consultation process, on early warning systems with stakeholders in India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
Findings
The evaluation process concluded mobile phones as the reliable, effective, and affordable solutions for alerting last‐mile communities. Disaster risk reduction can be improved using mobile application and leverage the explosive diffusion of the technology even among the poor in developing countries.
Practical implications
Coordination within government, including communication to first responders responsible for evacuation and localized warnings, and communication to mass media who serve a critical function in public warning, can be achieved through the use of an SMS engine supplemented as necessary by an informative and robust website. Cell broadcasting can serve as an extremely useful addition to the conventional public warning methods, especially in countries with significant mobile penetration.
Originality/value
The paper is intended for governments, researchers and practitioners working in the field of emergency communication.
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The purpose of this article is to identify policy issues arising from discrepancies between the various sources of numbers of customers for mobile networks.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to identify policy issues arising from discrepancies between the various sources of numbers of customers for mobile networks.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews and analyzes a range of statistics, and then draws out policy implications.
Findings
Survey data report much lower numbers of customers than operators, indicating delays in achieving MDGs and market distortions.
Research limitations/implications
There is a lack of data on the reasons for ownership of multiple mobile SIM cards.
Practical implications
There is a need for more extensive surveys to identify reasons for ownership of multiple mobile SIM cards. The analysis can be incorporated into policy and regulatory decision making.
Originality/value
The paper takes an analytic approach, suggesting areas for further work.
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Telecom network roll‐out is crucial for economic development, and with the advent of mobile telephony, it is increasingly achievable. Mobile adoption in many countries has…
Abstract
Telecom network roll‐out is crucial for economic development, and with the advent of mobile telephony, it is increasingly achievable. Mobile adoption in many countries has surpassed fixed line connections. This paper, however, proposes that regulators need to look beyond teledensity to anticipate future access to information infrastructure. Prepaid mobile especially does not provide a solid foundation for future information services. Different stages of regulatory and network development determine the conditions for mobile (and prepaid mobile) adoption at a national level. Likewise, access to further or future information services will be affected by the kind of network now being established and by regulatory conditions which either recognise or ignore national and regional differences.
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Rebecca Gregory, Chang Su-Russell, Luke T. Russell and Carley Barrett
Purpose: Death is a universal inevitability of life, though parents and adults often report difficulty or concerns about discussing the topic with children. This investigation…
Abstract
Purpose: Death is a universal inevitability of life, though parents and adults often report difficulty or concerns about discussing the topic with children. This investigation reports on how parents of very young children (ages 3–6) have or would discuss death with their child, and what parents consider in navigating such discussions.
Methodology: In-depth interviews were conducted with parents (N = 24) of very young children (ages 3–6) to develop a grounded theory of parents actual and anticipated approaches to discussing death with children.
Findings: Parents generally described either seeking to protect children’s “innocence” by avoiding or limiting conversations of death, or, seeking to promote children’s socioemotional competence in confronting the complexities of death through more extensive discussions. We identified four factors we hypothesize may influence parents intended strategies for navigating these approaches: (1) parents’ past and current experiences related to death, (2) children’s exposure to deaths, (3) cultural and personal beliefs about death, and (4) parents’ knowledge and awareness of their child’s cognitive competences. While protection of children’s “innocence” and cultivation of children’s socioemotional competences are not opposing goals, these concepts appeared to be situated on a continuum.
Originality/Value: Given the prevalence of death in contemporary media, and an ongoing global pandemic, young children’s exposure to death will remain heightened for the foreseeable future. Family scholars and practitioners would be wise to prepare to assist families and children thoughtfully and compassionately. We further explore tools, resources, and strategies parents and professionals have found helpful in navigating these discussions.