Understanding the use of digital payments in Brazil: An analysis from the perspective of digital divide measures

This paper analyzes the factors that influence the use of digital payments in Brazil from the perspective of digital divide studies. For this purpose, the research uses the microdata of the 2019 edition of a Brazilian nationwide survey named ICT Households Survey. The main findings demonstrate that women, as well as users of low-income social class, were less likely to use digital payments. The results also indicate that although different studies highlight the relevance of mobile phones as a means to promote digital financial inclusion to low-income groups, this paper\u27s findings show that the exclusive use of mobile phones to access the Internet had a negative impact on the use of digital payments. These results demonstrate the need to better understand the implications of the exclusive use of this type of device in harnessing digital financial services in the context of developing countries of the global South

Treating speaking in its own right: an exploratory study

Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Comunicação e Expressão. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Letras/Inglês e Literatura Correspondente.The present study investigates the implications of the treatment of speaking in its own right (mainly based on McCarthy, 1998) to the speaking performance of Brazilian learners of English as a foreign language. This was done through the comparison of the speaking performance of two groups of students (one that received the treatment of speaking in its own right for forty-five hours, and another one that did not receive the treatment) on a pre-test/post-test basis. The group that received treatment consisted of fourteen participants, whilst the control group had ten participants. Speaking performance was operationalized in terms of fluency, accuracy, complexity and weighed lexical density. Results were analyzed statistically with paired-sample and independent-sample t-tests. Findings suggest that the effectiveness of the treatment of speaking in its own right in the EFL classroom is not as linear as it might be expected, as none of the groups analyzed showed an overall consistently significant increase or decrease from the pre-test to the post-test, and the groups did not present significantly different gains after the period of treatment. These results are important in the sense that they imply the need for implementations to the treatment of speaking in its own right, such as more time for treatment, specific material that addresses such treatment, and more empirical research to have a better understanding of the results that the treatment may bring to the speaking performance of L2 learners. O presente estudo investiga as implicações do tratamento da fala como habilidade específica (baseado principalmente em McCarthy, 1998) para a performance da fala de aprendizes brasileiros de inglês como língua estrangeira. A pesquisa foi conduzida atraves da comparação entre a performance de fala de dois grupos (um que recebeu o tratamento específico de fala, e outro que não recebeu o mesmo tratamento), usando a abordagem de pré- e pós-teste. O grupo que recebeu o tratamento tinha quatorze participantes, enquanto que o grupo controle tinha dez. A performance de fala foi operacionalizada em termos de fluência, acurácia, complexidade e densidade lexical. Os resultados foram analizados estatisticamente através de t-testes. As descobertas sugerem que a eficácia do tratamento da fala como habilidade específica não é tao linear como pode parecer a princípio, pois nenhum dos grupos apresentou ganho ou perda significante na performance da fala depois do período de tratamento, além de que os grupos nao apresentaram ganhos significamente diferentes entre si. Esses resultados são importantes devido ao fato de que eles indicam a necessidade de implementações para o tratamento da fala como habilidade específica, tais quais mais tempo, e um material didático específico para o tratamento, além da necessidade de mais estudos empíricos que permitam um melhor entendimento dos resultados que o tratamnto pode trazer para aprendizes de língua estrangeira

Designing Solidarity Cryptocurrencies: Dialogic Tension Between Community-Centered and Techno-Centered Design Frames

While cryptocurrencies are related to profit-driven actors, communitarian movements have decades of experience with social-driven currencies, such as community currencies. This research investigates the meshing of these two disparate worlds that results in the design of a solidarity cryptocurrency, a phenomenon that connects the blockchain infrastructure of cryptocurrency to scaling the social perspective of community currencies. However, making the connection between these two technologies brings a new question to IS design: how can different frames from multiple social actors be integrated into designing a solidarity cryptocurrency infrastructure? We drew upon the design ethnography methodology and actively participated in designing a solidarity cryptocurrency to answer that question. Based on concepts from infrastructuring, a multi-relational and socio-technical approach to infrastructure designing, we propose that designing a solidarity cryptocurrency lies on a dialogic tension between techno-centered and community-centered frames, representing the relational process that emerges when connecting two disparate technologie

Mobile social money: an exploratory study of the views of managers of community banks

This article aims to evaluate the adoption potential of a digital social currency model using mobile phones. Despite the significant literature concerning both social currencies and mobile payments, there are few studies with a focus on social currencies being operationalized via mobile payments. An important aspect of the literature on mobile payments and social currencies is the role that both instruments may play in the financial inclusion. Despite the absence of lasting experiences for an empirical analysis in Brazil, we believe that there may be synergy between these two types of payment instruments. To evaluate the potential of a mobile digital social currency, we conducted interviews with community bank managers, focusing on their perceptions of acceptance of this innovative model in their communities. As a theoretical basis, we articulated the concept of transformational framing, originated from the perspective of interpretive frames of collective action. As a result, we identified a transformational discourse by which community bank managers create new meanings and understandings of this emerging payment system model.O objetivo deste artigo é avaliar o potencial de adoção de um modelo de moeda social digital via celulares. Apesar da existência de uma literatura significativa tanto sobre moedas sociais quanto sobre pagamentos móveis, quase não há estudos sobre moedas sociais operacionalizadas via pagamentos móveis. Um aspecto importante da literatura sobre pagamentos móveis e sobre moedas sociais é o papel que ambos os instrumentos podem representar para a inclusão financeira. A despeito da inexistência de experiências duradouras para uma avaliação empírica no Brasil, acreditamos que há potencial sinergia entre esses dois tipos de instrumentos de pagamento. Para avaliar o potencial de uma moeda social digital via celulares, fizemos entrevistas com gestores de bancos comunitários sobre a percepção de aceitação desse modelo inovador em suas comunidades. Como base teórica articulamos o conceito de framing de transformação, originado da perspectiva de frames interpretativos de ação coletiva. Como resultado, identificamos um discurso transformacional em que os gestores dos bancos comunitários criam novos significados e entendimentos sobre esse modelo de sistema de pagamentos emergente.El propósito en este artículo es evaluar el potencial para la adopción de un modelo de moneda social digital por medio de teléfonos móviles. Aunque exista una literatura significativa tanto sobre monedas sociales como sobre pagos móviles, son pocos los estudios relativos a monedas sociales en operación por medio de pagos móviles. Un aspecto importante de la literatura, sea con relación a los pagos móviles o la moneda social, es el papel que ambos los instrumentos pueden representar para la inclusión financiera. A pesar de que apenas existen experiencias concretas para una evaluación empírica en Brasil, se supone que hay potencial sinergia entre estos dos tipos de instrumentos de pago. Para evaluar el potencial de una moneda social digital operada por medio de móviles, se llevaron a cabo entrevistas con directivos de bancos comunitarios sobre la aceptación de este modelo innovador en sus comunidades. Como base teórica, se articula el concepto de framing de transformación, que parte de la perspectiva de marcos interpretativos de acción colectiva. Como resultado, se identificó un discurso de transformación en el que los directivos de los bancos comunitarios crean nuevos significados e interpretaciones de este modelo de sistema de pago emergente

Correspondentes Bancarios como Canal de Distribuicao de Servicos Financeiros: o Papel dos Gestores de Rede

Este artigo investiga o surgimento e o papel dos gestores de rede, um segmento de empresas recentemente constituído, mas que tem se revelado importante para a estruturação do canal de correspondentes bancários (CBs). A partir de um desenho de pesquisa qualitativo e de entrevistas com executivos de bancos e empresas gestoras de rede, o artigo apresenta: (i) o histórico deste segmento, e (ii) os diferentes papéis que ele exerce na administração das redes de CBs dos bancos. Essas questões se justificam uma vez que não se encontram em estudos anteriores referências a esse segmento ou ao papel exercido por ele no uso da tecnologia de CBs. Desta forma, o artigo contribui para aprofundar o conhecimento sobre um elemento decisivo na expansão dos correspondentes, canal estratégico para a expansão dos serviços bancários junto à população de baixa renda

Taxonomy for Understanding Digital Community Currencies: Digital Payment Platforms and Virtual Community Feelings

Community currencies are known for decades and observed in developing and developed countries. They are, usually, created to fight financial and social exclusion and promote local development. Although there are several community currency projects around the world, very little studies have covered the particular case of those that circulating in digital format. Regarded as a way to improve management of community currency systems, new implementations based on plastic cards cell phones, or blockchain technologies, are becoming more common, as technology is becoming more accessible and financial crisis creates opportunities for the emergence of alternatives to the traditional financial system. If technology is expected to collaborate in transparency, costs and speed of transactions, it also imposes challenges to communities that implement them. In this scenario, the objective of this article is to explore conflict and benefits of the community currency that circulates in a digital format, investigating this phenomenon as a particular case of digital payment platform. Analyzing 22 digital community currencies, we propose a taxonomy that divided them in four groups, and then explore emergent conflicts and benefits for each of them

Role of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in improving microcredit : the case of correspondent banking in Brazil

Copublished with the École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal (HEC-Montréal

Emotions of L2 Learners in Different Contexts and Modes

Considering the role of emotions in L2 use/learning and in different contexts and modes (online, hybrid, in-person), the present study aims to analyze and discuss the role of different emotions that emerged in those three contexts and modes. With that aim, we draw on two different sets of data produced as part of larger studies to discuss the role of emotions in online, in-person and hybrid settings in Brazil, Spain, the UK and the USA. Overall, results point to the need to address native-speakerism in L2 education as well as unpleasant feelings related to online learning and/or to abrupt transitions in learning modes

Mobile Platform for Financial Inclusion: the Case of an Unsuccessful Pilot Project In Brazil

This paper presents an investigation of a pilot project that implemented a mobile payment platform in a poor community in Brazil. This project involved the creation of a network of organizations that includes a local microfinance institution, a large retail bank, a mobile phone operator, an international credit card company, and an acquirer, as well as small local merchants. The paper describes the process in which this platform was created and how it was maintained until it failed, one year after starting. Two conceptual approaches were combined for developing a theoretical understanding of this pilot project first to describe the process of interorganizational network establishment and second to analyze its evolution during its first year of operation. The study points to the critical role played by governance processes, the environmental dynamics and how it can compromise the success of establishment and maintenance of such inter-organizational networks

FUTEBOL E A PESQUISA EM SISTEMAS DE INFORMAÇÃO: AFIRMANDO A IDENTIDADE BRASILEIRA

Pensatas are reflection papers that do not present abstract, the way they are published at Revista Eletronica de Sistemas de Informação. They are invited by the Editorial Committee and are published as provided by the authors, not being submitted to double blind review. The authors are not commited to the scientific rigor that characterizes all other sections of the journal. Instead, authors are invited to express their feelings, wishes and expectations about the Information Systems field without too much concern for reasoning. The idea is that they are absolutely free to write whatever comes to their minds. We are counting on their recognized experience and previous contributions to the field as the main guidance to their writing here.The editors.Pensatas são textos de reflexão que, da forma como publicados na Revista Eletrônica de Sistemas de Informação, não apresentam resumo. São escritos mediante convite do comitê editorial e não são submetidos ao processo de double blind review. Neles, os autores não têm compromisso com o rigor científico que caracteriza todas as outras seções do periódico. Trata-se de espaço destinado para que exprimam suas percepções, desejos e expectativas com relação à área de Sistemas de Informação, sem maior preocupação com racionalizações. Estão absolutamente livres para escrever sobre o que lhes vier à cabeça. Estamos contando com a sua reconhecida experiência e contribuições prévias para a área como a principal diretriz para nortear sua escrita, neste caso.Os Editores