fieldwork and analogies in emerging markets research kentaro toyama microsoft research india march...
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Fieldwork and AnalogiesIn Emerging Markets Research
Kentaro ToyamaMicrosoft Research India
March 13, 2008
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Outline
Introduction
Fieldwork to Resolve Contradictions
Analogies for Intuition
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Multidisciplinary ResearchAishwarya Lakshmi Ratan
–Public Administration and International Development
Jonathan Donner
– Communications
Nimmi Rangaswamy
– Social Anthropology
Indrani Medhi– Design
Kentaro Toyama (Group Lead)
– Computer Science
Paul Javid– Computer Science
Society
Group
Technology
Individual
Society
Group
Technology
Individual
Innovation
Understanding
Impa
ct
Innovation
Understanding
Impa
ct
Rikin Gandhi– Astrophysics
Randy Wang
Computer Science –
Saurabh Panjwani– Computer Science
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Computers in Agriculture
Rural Microfinance and IT Rural Kiosk Entrepreneurs
MultiPoint Digital Study Hall
IT and MicroentrepreneursGovernment and Kiosks
Udai Singh PawarAssistant Researcher
Randy WangResearcher
Jonathan DonnerResearcher
Aishwarya Lakshmi RatanAssociate Researcher
Nimmi RangaswamyAssociate Researcher
Rikin GandhiAssistant Researcher
Renee KuriyanResearch Intern
Information ecology of small businesses in developing markets
Multiple mice to multiply the value of PCs in schools.
DVD exchange over postal service and TVs as display for rural education
Study on the challenges and uniqueness of rural kiosk entrepreneurs
Experiments with computing and communication systems in agriculture
The state’s role in rural kiosk projects, with a focus on Kerala and Andhra
Text-Free UI
Indrani MedhiAssistant Researcher
UIs without text for users who are illliterate and may never have seen a computer before
Can computers help existing structures for rural microfinance?
Sample ProjectsMSR India: TEM
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TEM Geography
- Projects studied
- TEM projects
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Fieldwork to Resolve Contradictions
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Resistance to Technology…Many factors inhibit use of
technology:
• High cost
• Reluctance to depart from habits and traditions
• Fear of breaking technology
• Lack of awareness of technology’s functional value
• Barriers of education or literacyA child trying to explain to
her mother what is on a laptop screen.
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But, Computers have GlamourExamples of interest in computing
technology:
• Retention rates at schools rise when the school has PCs.
• Rural PC kiosk owners see a rise in their confidence and status in community.
• Office service staff eager to learn about PCs and how to use them.
These examples have little to do with computer function.
A kiosk operator running a near Tiruvallur, Tamil
Nadu
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Poverty is Systemic…Stable system makes escape
difficult:
• Lack of money means lack of time to do anything other than survive.
• Lack of time means less time for education.
• Lack of education means fewer job opportunities.
• Lack of job opportunities means lack of money.
“Shocks” to household create downward spiral, and there are always shocks:
• Health problem requires loan• Loan incurs interest• Interest payments prevent capital
accumulation
A government-sponsored mid-day meal in a Tamil
Nadu school.
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But, Households still Functional“Good enough” solutions exist:
• Credit: All kinds of loans available
• Healthcare: Traditional medicines, primary healthcare services
• Agriculture information: agriculture extension, word of mouth, salesmenA kiosk operator running
a near Tiruvallur, Tamil Nadu
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11
Cheap Alternatives to PC Functionality
PC/Internet capability BOP Alternative BOP Cost (US$ per
hour)
Search for information Social networks Free
Health information Government health clinic FreeAgriculture information Government agricultural extension Free
Accounting Notebook and calculator 0.01
Data exchange Bicycle (local 10 kms, few hours) 0.10
Entertainment Movie in a theatre 0.10
Music CD player + buying pirated CDs (MP3) 0.12
News TV + cable 0.12
Education Private school in Bangalore 0.12
PC/internet access 1 hour in an Internet café 0.25
Voice communication Public pay/ mobile phone to mobile/landline 1.50
Figures are for typical costs in urban India.
(For total talk time, 0.10 -- 0.50?)
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Persistent Lack of Money…
Bangalore guideline for 45 minutes of housework a day: Rs. 150 (US$3)… per month!
Typical daily wage for agricultural labor: Rs. 60 per day (US$1.33; Rs. 30 for women)
Public-school teacher’s salary varies from Rs. 3000 to Rs. 8000 (US$67-178) per month.
Teachers on a school trip in Karnataka
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But, Willingness to SpendLuxury and aspirational
consumption not unusual:
• Weddings costing Rs. 1 lakh (US$2200) in rural villages not infrequent (cf., avg. per capita GDP of ~US$700)
• Mobile phone ring tones popular even at Rs. 10 (US$0.20) per song
• Photography services to “enhance” photos popular. Cost range from Rs. 100 to Rs. 600 (US$2-12)
A Photoshop’ed photo of a village bride (Maharashtra)
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Information is Critical…General lack of information hampers
quality of life:
• Hygiene and healthcare knowledge shallow or superstitious
• Poor fundamental and vocational education impedes career growth
• Very practical knowledge not readily available:– Government schemes for the
poor– Job information– Value of savings and investment
A 12-year-old enrolled in typing lessons at a rural
PC kiosk
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But, Information not the BottleneckAccess to information not the
problem:
• Physical transfer of goods/cash often required. Transport infrastructure is poor.
• Levels of formal education very low, even with literacy. Education required to distinguish good information from bad.
• Other factors…– No faith in information source– Lack of time or money– Rigid mindsets
A petty shop owner in Tamil Nadu
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Computing Needs Minimal…
Information processing rarely required…
• Little use of documents, charts, spreadsheets.
• Paper , pen, and manual calculation difficult to out-do:– Low cost– Lightweight, durable– Additional training not required
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But, Technology can Help!
To draw interest of community.
To process and analyze aggregate data.
To streamline or improve existing processes.
Focus group on a potential technology-for-agriculture
project
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Fieldwork Resolves ContradictionsIssues that are contradictory in the abstract, often resolve up close:
• Resistance to new technology – But computers have glamour
• Poverty systemic and multi-dimensional– But households functional
• Stark lack of money– But willing to spend
• Information critical…– But rarely the bottleneck
• Computing needs are minimal– But there are opportunities!
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Analogies for Intuition
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For-Profit for Non-Profit?
Soup kitchens brand themselves another wayand serve a different kind of community.
Four-star restaurants brand themselves one way, and serve a particular clientele.
The importance of branding in serving food…
It’s difficult to serve both client groups in one physical location.
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More Power Isn’t Always Better
Is a helicopter the best option for commuting to school?
– High up-front cost– High operating costs– Limited infrastructure – Requires training to operate– Requires professional
maintenance
Not necessarily, despite…
– Great PR: “Rural girl makes village proud by becoming a helicopter pilot.”
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More Power Isn’t Always Better
Is a PC the best option for village information access?
– High up-front cost– High operating costs– Limited infrastructure – Requires training to operate– Requires professional
maintenance
Not necessarily, despite…
– Great PR: “Proud owner of village PC kiosk saves $3000 okra crop.”
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What’s “Good Enough”?
If you wanted this, at $20K but couldn’t afford it…
Would you buy this at $10K?
And, what about this, at $3K?
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Summary
Introduction
Fieldwork to Resolve Contradictions
Analogies for Intuition