Does quality matter for innovations in low income markets? The case of the Kenyan mobile phone sector

Christopher Foster

Technology in Society, 2014, vol. 38, issue C, 119-129

Abstract: Growing interest in lower income groups as consumers in emerging and developing markets has led to discussion on the issue of product quality, but so far work has generally focussed on simple goods rather than technology and innovations. However with innovations, one would expect that product quality would be more crucial in order to push trust of complex products amongst inexperienced users. Thus, this paper seeks to build understanding around issues around quality of innovations; focussing on what quality declines mean for vulnerable low income groups, and the types of policy approach that can be undertaken to improve quality.

Keywords: Inclusive innovation; Developing countries; Quality; ICTs; Base-of-the-pyramid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:teinso:v:38:y:2014:i:c:p:119-129

DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2014.03.003

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