Mobile Money Users' Functionings and Freedoms: Amartya Sen's Capability Approach

Odoyo Collins Otieno,Samuel Liyala

doi:10.13189/wjcat.2018.060102

Abstract

Over the last decade Amartya Sen's Capability Approach has emerged as the leading alternative to standard economic frameworks for thinking about poverty, inequality and human development generally. Professor Sen has developed, refined and defended a framework that is directly concerned with human capability and freedom [1]. This framework as it looks at peoples' freedoms and the means that enable them attain such freedoms, was found suitable for this study. This study therefore looked at mobile money users' functionings and freedoms in both rural and urban settings. The framework was therefore established to be suitable in studying societal development that focuses on the people, the development being yearned for and the means to attain such development.

Highlights

Commonly known as m-commerce and electronic commerce, known as e-commerce, are technologies that are becoming popular in Africa currently; mobile commerce is perceived to in future surpass the electronic commerce as a method of digital transaction [2]
It is of utmost significance to eliminate all the barriers to mobile money use, or rather enhance all the functionings that facilitate the attainment of mobile money services freedoms among the mobile phone users
According to Kenya’s Economic Survey of the year 2003 [38], the major Information Systems and mobile technology challenges in the Kenya consisted of poor and inadequate information systems, inadequate IT infrastructure, limited skills in ICT, lack of appreciation of ICT, technology weaknesses exhibited by heavy reliance on inappropriate and obsolete technology, lack of skills on modern technology, lack of awareness of the changing technology, poor dissemination mechanisms between and among the various levels of enterprises, and poor technology linkages between the private and public sector institutions

Summary

Introduction

Commonly known as m-commerce and electronic commerce, known as e-commerce, are technologies that are becoming popular in Africa currently; mobile commerce is perceived to in future surpass the electronic commerce as a method of digital transaction [2].Mobile money services were introduced by private telecommunication providers in several countries around the world especially in Africa, Asia, and Latin America [3]. The concrete design of mobile money services may not be similar; the focus was to enable cheap and reliable money transfers between people that have access to a mobile phone. This is relevant for sending and receiving remittances, which is much more expensive and sometimes risky through the traditional formal and informal mechanisms [4]. Mobile money facilitates transfers between business partners [5], thereby reducing transaction costs and promoting market integration and exchange This service provides secure opportunities for saving, even in remote rural areas [6]

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion