I had a hi-five moment at work today. I managed to get a 75 years old grandmother to sign documents online. She did it feeling very comfortable with the system. It was one of the apply online, sign all disclosures and print out your certificate situations. Each time I get a client to do all of these online, the time and energy on administrative process is cut by as much as 60%. This by itself is no reason for a hi-five in mid-afternoon, but the granny is. At the end of the exercise I felt like I had broken the sound barrier or something at par with that, you know it can be done, you doubt it will be done, getting it done does not bring about world peace, but doing it reinforces the possibilities of the changes in social structure that technology can create.
What is the internet worth to you every month? For me I’d say just about a months salary. The Internet is so important to my day to day activities that I may as well hit the golf course if my ISP goes down, and I work in financial services not IT. More importantly I allowed myself to wonder about the social opportunity cost of not having the net. My mental exercise became more interesting as I projected this line of thought on Nigeria. The penetration of the web in Nigeria that is. On one side the infrastructure and on the other hand the social side of accepting the Internet as a valid tool for trade.
The increased availability (price and variety) of netbooks coupled with the completion of the Nigeria’s undersea cable promises to address the infrastructure side of this puzzle. The social side of technological adoption, in this case Internet penetration, makes for more interesting study and speculation. Let me start by disclosing that I do not subscribe to the ‘mobile phones will be the tool of choice for Africans’ argument. Personally I think this is an oversimplification and the result of bunch of erroneous assumptions. More so my population of interest do not consist of those for which mobile phones will suffice as the main tool for running day to day business. I am interested in the bunch that can afford $200 cell phones. Observing this group has they adjust to the disruptions caused by the adoption of the Internet will prove to be an interesting natural experiment. Would Africans use the web just like the early adopters or would some of the disruption prove too traumatic to the point that there would be a revolt or at least a resistance.
How would we cope with the shake-up in industrial organization. Would workers perform tasks from home? Would the business processes adjust to the opportunities presented by the web or would the web only be adopted to the extent that our customs and traditions allow? For instance, there was a certain CEO of a certain Airline operating in Nigeria who seemed to enjoy a mandatory morning salute a bit more than average. He demanded that employees arise with a chorus of ‘good morning’ as he strolled in every morning. Agreed, this scenario may be an extreme case, some Nigerian ethnic groups attach a large premium to the symbolic aspects of respect in human relationship. How would Nigerians handle a threat to stiffly hierarchical pyramid of the work place that is extension of our customs and traditions?
To be continued….
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Nope! I too do not agree with the belief of web penetration trough cell phones. It’s the result of the same kind of over speculation on trends and aspirations about people residing on the continent.
With that said, I have a clear theory on internet penetration in Africa (like may others). I tested the concept already, but implementation would require further funding. So for now, its under wraps !
I never really thought about the impact on our customs and tradition. I guess it is one of those things!
My initial thoughts. In which Africa country can a child call the police if his/her parent/teacher flogs him/her? (it is irrelevant who is right/wrong) Maybe South Africa. I don’t know. In Europe, probably most countries. As the legal framework of a country improves, I think their traditions and customs disappear. I would argue that customs are essentially localised laws. So what is my point?
As internet penetration increases, people are perhaps more wealthy. Rule of law improves – legal framework becomes more established and sophisticated. If your employer wants un-necessary respect by force – I guess “call the police or see you in court” types will be more common.
As I’m writing this comment, I wonder how Asian countries (e.g South Korean) with hierarchical pyramid in the work place have coped with the change?