the promise of fiber optic - nrbuzz presentation by laura mann
TRANSCRIPT
Laura Mann and Mark Graham
Univers i ty of Oxford
Timothy Waema and
Charles Katua,Univers i ty of
Nairobi
Felix Akorli , Claude
Bizimana and Grace
Magambo,Nat iona l Univer s i t y
of Rwanda
Funded by :
Economic and Social Research
Counci l , UK
Depar tment of Internat iona l
Deve lopment , UK
„THE PROMISE OF FIBRE OPTIC
INTERNET‟
FOCUS: BPO AND ICT
IHUB, NAIROBI,
29TH OF JANUARY, 2013
DR. LAURA MANN
Email: [email protected]
Website and Blog:
www.lauraelizabethmann.com
Check out our project at:
www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/projects/?id=59
THE CABLES
1. TEA
2. TOURISM
3. BPO/ICT
THEORETICAL SKETCH
Distance and Time: Does the internet remove geographical boundaries and bring about a „global marketplace‟? (Cairncross 1997; Gillespie and Williams 1988; Friedman, 2005 and Gates, 1996)
Intermediation : Does the internet remove intermediaries? (Javalgi and Ramsey 2001; Benjamin and Wigland 1995; Zook 2002; Leinbach 2001; Drucker 1999; Couclelis 2004; Janelle and Hodge 2000; French and Leyshon 2004; Zook2005)
Positionality: Does the internet allow individuals and communities to forge new positionalities and identities? (Couclelis, 1996; Graham, 1998; Goodchild, 2004; Massey1993, 1994, 2005; Sheppard, 2002)
VALUE CHAIN
Kenyan company
Human Intermediary (Samasource, consultants or middleman)
American company (GM, Google, Amazon)
European company (Nokia, BT, French Health Services)
Technical intermediary (Elance.com or guru.com)
American company (GM, Google, Amazon)
THE VALUE CHAIN OF THE „BACK OFFICE‟
FASTER INTERNET
Media Analysis of the Arrival of the Cables
Fieldwork in Kenya: 40 Tea Managers (growers, cooperatives, producers, transporters, traders,
buyers, warehouses, etc.)
40 Tourism Managers (ticketing, tour guides, hotels, transportation, informal guides)
40 BPO/ITES Managers (call centres, software developers, Big ICT companies, system integrators, etc.)
Interviews with Policy -makers and other relevant stakeholders.
Fieldwork in Rwanda: The same process
METHODOLOGY
VISION 2030
“the top offshoring destination for Africa”
“sector of choice for employment for youth and young professionals”
BPO‟S FALL FROM GRACE
HANGING ON…
Kenyan company
Human Intermediary (Samasource, consultants or middleman)
American company (GM, Google, Amazon)
European company (Nokia, BT, French Health Services)
Technical intermediary (Elance.com or guru.com)
American company (GM, Google, Amazon)
INTERNATIONAL INTERMEDIARIES
PERSIST
FASTER INTERNET
Kenyan company
International Intermediaries
American company
European company
Kenyan Government and Kenyan company
100%
2008
10-20%
80-90%
2013
BPO
TURN AROUND
SOFTWARE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP
88mph incubation lab, Jan. 2013
1 RE-POSITIONING KENYA
Groundbreaking of Konza City, Jan 2013
2 BPO AS A EXPORT OR
IMPORT?
3 IMAGE
ANYTHING BUT FLAT
1)Opening sales offices in
other countries.
2)Buying foreign companies
in other markets with
existing clients.
3)Using Kenyan diaspora to
bring work and make
connections.
1)Using Kenya‟s diversity at
home to negotiate work in
other countries.
Laura Mann and Mark Graham
Univers i ty of Oxford
Timothy Waema and
Charles Katua,Univers i ty of
Nairobi
Felix Akorli , Claude
Bizimana and Grace
Magambo,Nat iona l Univer s i t y
of Rwanda
Funded by :
Economic and Socia l Research
Counci l , UK
Depar tment of Internat iona l
Deve lopment , UK
Questions?
www.lauraelizabethmann.com
You can also check out our
project website:
www.oii.ox.ac.uk/research/proj
ects/?id=59