Mobile Phone Use, Bricolage, and the Transformation of Social and Economic Ties of Micro-Entrepreneurs in Urban Morocco

In this article, I explore ways in which urban micro-entrepreneurs use the mobile phone as a tool to organize a newly networked work life. Based on ethnographic and survey evidence, first, I argue that mobile phone use expands the productive opportunities of certain types of activities by enhancing social networks, reducing risks associated with employment seeking, and enabling bricolage or freelance service work, leading to higher incomes. Second, I demonstrate how the use of mobile phones for bricolage jobs begins to transform, rather than simply augment and reinforce, the social and economic ties of micro-entrepreneurs. Third, I explore ways in which the mobile phone is distinct from traditional technologies. Finally, I hope my findings could highlight new ways to think about designing innovative mobile applications to serve the needs of micro-entrepreneurs in the developing world

Small-Scale Irrigation in a Multiethnic Oasis Environment: the Case of Zaouit Amelkis Village, Southeast Morocco

This paper examines the social organization of a small-scale irrigation system in a multiethnic setting in the Ziz Valley, southeast Morocco. It is focused on the analysis of the Zaouit Amelkis village irrigation system and its management. The village of Zaouit Amelkis paints a complex historical and ecological picture where ethnicity, power, and religious ideology function to manage local resources. This paper claims that the traditional land owning groups, Arabs and Berbers have, over time, extorted labor from the landless, low-status group, the Haratine, for the operation and maintenance of the village’s irrigation system. Key words: ethnicity, water management, land tenure, Southeast Morocco

Transition digitale ou transformation digitale : Revue de littérature pour éclairer la vision des PME et celle de leur écosystème

“Digital transformation-TFD” and “Digital transition-TD” are two expressions that refer to all the actions mobilized by companies wishing to integrate the digital world in order to benefit from its opportunities, to be more efficient and to succeed in their markets.  Although, “transition” and “transformation” are two notions used interchangeably, the majority of researchers in management sciences very often use the expression “digital transformation” in their scientific articles, to describe this phenomenon of change linked to the rise of digital technology.  In this context, our present paper consists in exploring and analyzing the debate on these two expressions which have become the topical subject of the business world to forge a clear vision in favor of SMEs, and to make the various stakeholders understand and clarify of their ecosystem the objectives of each of them before adopting them in their modes of operation.  Therefore, we tried to focus on a non-exhaustive literature review to compare the two expressions.  The literature review shows that the etymological origins of the two terms are not mutually exclusive, they offer nuanced perspectives on how to describe, interpret and sustain change.  Therefore, science writers need to have a strong understanding of how these two terms can be used and make their choices logically and unambiguously so as not to distract readers from understanding. Keywords: Digital transformation, digital transition, SME, ecosystem JEL Classification: Paper type: Theoretical research« Transformation digitale-TFD » et « Transition digital-TD » sont deux expressions qui font référence à l’ensemble des actions mobilisées par les entreprises souhaitant intégrer le monde digital pour pouvoir bénéficier de ses opportunités, d’être plus performantes et de réussir dans leurs marchés. Bien que, la « transition » et la « transformation » sont deux notions utilisées de manière interchangeable, la majorité des chercheurs en sciences de gestion utilisent, bien souvent, l’expression de la « transformation digitale » dans leurs articles scientifiques, pour décrire ce phénomène de changement lié à l’essor du digital. Dans ce contexte, notre présent papier consiste à explorer et analyser le débat sur ces deux expressions qui sont devenues le sujet d’actualité du monde des affaires pour forger une vision claire en faveur des PME, et de faire comprendre et éclaircir aux différentes parties prenantes de leur écosystème les objectifs de chacune d’elles avant de les adopter dans leurs modes de fonctionnement. De ce fait, nous avons essayé de nous focaliser sur une revue de littérature non exhaustive pour comparer les deux expressions. L’examen de la littérature montre que les origines étymologiques des deux termes ne s’excluent pas mutuellement, ils offrent des perspectives nuancées sur la façon de décrire, d’interpréter et de soutenir les changements. De ce fait, les rédacteurs scientifiques doivent avoir une compréhension importante sur la façon dont ces deux expressions peuvent être utilisées et font leurs choix de manière logiques et sans ambiguïté, pour ne pas distraire la compréhension chez les lecteurs. Mots clés : Transformation digitale, transition digitale, PME, écosystème. Classification JEL : Type de l’article : Recherche théoriqu

Avian haemosporidian diversity on Sardinia: a first general assessment for the Insular Mediterranean

The Western Palearctic is one of the most investigated regions for avian haemosporidian parasites (Haemoproteus, Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon), yet geographic gaps in our regional knowledge remain. Here, we report the first haemosporidian screening of the breeding birds from Sardinia (the second-largest Mediterranean Island and a biodiversity hotspot), and the first for the insular Mediterranean in general. We examined the occurrence of haemosporidians by amplifying their mtDNA cytb gene in 217 breeding birds, belonging to 32 species. The total prevalence of infected birds was 55.3%, and of the 116 haplotypes recovered, 84 were novel. Despite the high number of novel lineages, phylogenetic analysis did not highlight Sardinia-specific clades; instead, some Sardinian lineages were more closely related to lineages previously recovered from continental Europe. Host-parasite network analysis indicated a specialized host-parasite community. Binomial generalized linear models (GLMs), performed at the community level, suggested an elevational effect on haemosporidian occurrence probability (negative for Haemoproteus; positive for Leucocytozoon) likely due to differences in the abundance of insect vectors at different elevations. Furthermore, a GLM revealed that sedentary birds showed a higher probability of being infected by novel haplotypes and long-distance migrants showed a lower probability of novel haplotype infection. We hypothesize that the high diversity of haemosporidians is linked to the isolation of breeding bird populations on Sardinia. This study adds to the growing knowledge on haemosporidians lineage diversity and distribution in insular environments and presents new insights on potential host-parasite associations

Size-assortative mating in a long-lived monogamous seabird

Mate choice is a key process in animals to optimize the ftness benefts of reproduction, and it is generally guided by phenotypic features of potential partners that mirror reproductive abilities. Assortative mating occurs when there is within-pair selection for specifc functional traits that can confer ftness benefts. Assortative mating can be positive if mates are more similar, and negative if they are more dissimilar than expected by chance. Mate choice is particularly important in long-lived species with biparental care, such as procellariforms that form long term monogamous bonds. We assessed the mating strategy of a sexually dimorphic Mediterranean procellariform, the Scopoli’s Shearwater (Calonectris diomedea), by testing for assortative mating according to bill (in accordance with previous studies on a sister species) and tarsus size (proxy of body size). We found that shearwaters adopted a positive size-assortative mating by tarsus length, while mating for bill size was random. Moreover, tarsus length was positively correlated with the duration of incubation shifts, when individuals are fasting on eggs. The observed assortative mating could be the results of choice by similarity between individuals, likely because partners with similar relative size have similar tolerance to fasting. Alternatively, the observed pattern could be the product of mutual mate choice, with a selection for large size that could confer competitive abilities in nest selection, defense, foraging aggregations and fasting ability. While our data suggest strong assortative mating in the Scopoli’s Shearwater (R=0.4), we cannot fully disentangle the multiple processes at play acting on mate choice.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia - FCTinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

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

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.Research was undertaken in the mobile phone sector in Kenya where firms have increasingly focussed on diffusion amongst low income consumers. Here it was found that quality has become an increasing contested and problematic terrain. In the short term, decline in quality is often acceptable for inexperienced low income users, but in the longer term this becomes detrimental to innovations both in terms of trust and expense amongst consumers, as well as effecting the livelihoods of informal entrepreneurs who are often part of delivery of innovations to low income groups.Policy around quality was found to be present, but was limited by two key tenets. First, where implementation actors were unclear, public standards on quality tended to collapse into private standards followed only by diligent firms. Second, standards were often applied at a firm level which missed out on issues emerging amongst downstream diffusion actors often involved in adaptations which linked to quality variability.Undertaken and focussed correctly, policy on product quality drives diffusion of innovation and supports a level playing field, which in the long term supports more inclusive innovations. A lack of focussed policy can lead to the risk of rejection of innovation and 'big bang' policy interventions that are detrimental to the trust in innovations amongst low income groups. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd