Shared Smartphones – a Tool for Power or Empowerment? : A qualitative study about female microenterprises in Ghana

• Main Authors: Klintberg, Siri, Melkon, Sevana
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Uppsala universitet, Institutionen för informatik och media 2020
• Subjects: Female microenterprises; Smartphones; Digital Divide; Feminist Standpoint; Social relations; Business Administration; Företagsekonomi; Media and Communications; Medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-412787

Aim – The paper aims to acknowledge female microentrepreneurs' situation, using a feminist perspective, by identifying affecting aspects and factors when relying on borrowing a smartphone in order to run their business. Further, the study will have the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 8. Decent work and economic growth, and number 10. Reduced inequality, as an overall guideline.  Design / methodology / approach – To acknowledge the female microentrepreneurs' situation, we used feminist standpoint to understand the female mictroentreprenuers. The method for the data collection was a qualitative approach, conducting semi-structured interviews in the urban area of Accra, with a total of 15 female microentrepreneurs. The data were analysed and generated five concepts; relation to the mobile owner, feelings about borrowing, limitations with borrowing, impact of smartphone use in the microenterprise and impact of smartphone use for the female.  Findings – The findings of this paper point to the importance and positive aspects of using a smartphone when running a business, but also how smartphones have become a symbol of power when borrowing, as the female microentreprenuers are in reliance of the mobile owner. The study found six salient aspects affecting the social relations when borrowing a smartphone; relationships, mutual understanding, compensation, attitude, control and dependence. Further, four factors; customer relations, marketing, self-empowerment and financial empowerment, had an impact on the female microentrepreneurs and their businesses.  Originality / value – By using a feminist standpoint, this study extends the existing knowledge of the usage of smartphones in order to run a business and how operating a business empowers females. It also expands the current understanding about how borrowing a smartphone affects female microenterprises.