Overflows of Technological Innovation in Emerging Economies: The Case of M-Pesa

28 Pages Posted: 12 Jun 2015

See all articles by Niall Hayes

Niall Hayes

Lancaster University

Gianluca Miscione

University College Dublin (UCD) - College of Business and Law; Oxford Internet Institute

Chris Westrup

The University of Manchester - Manchester Business School

Date Written: 2013

Abstract

This paper contributes to the debate on technological innovation in the domain of emerging economies. Using the example of M-Pesa, the well-known m-banking application developed in Kenya, we argue that technological innovation in emerging markets should be seen as arising from an assemblage of actors in which context matters. We develop this argument by drawing on concepts from the sociology of markets. Through our detailed empirical analysis of the career of M-Pesa in Kenya, we propose that innovation in this case is emergent, highly provisional and politically constituted. Overall we provide insights into the non-technological issues critical to technological innovation in emerging economies. We will conclude by discussing the implications for future mobile technological innovation specifically and technological innovation more broadly in emerging economies.

Keywords: Innovation; Assemblages; Framing; Overflow; M-Pesa

Suggested Citation

Hayes, Niall and Miscione, Gianluca and Westrup, Chris, Overflows of Technological Innovation in Emerging Economies: The Case of M-Pesa (2013). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2617305 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2617305

Niall Hayes

Lancaster University ( email )

Lancaster LA1 4YX
United Kingdom

Gianluca Miscione

University College Dublin (UCD) - College of Business and Law ( email )

Ireland

Oxford Internet Institute ( email )

1 St. Giles
University of Oxford
Oxford OX1 3PG Oxfordshire, Oxfordshire OX1 3JS
United Kingdom

HOME PAGE: http://www.oii.ox.ac.uk/people/?id=461

Chris Westrup (Contact Author)

The University of Manchester - Manchester Business School ( email )

Booth Street West
Manchester, M15 6PB
United Kingdom

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