The emergence of Kenya's 'Silicon Savannah': Building ICT entrepreneurship ecosystems in resource-scarce contexts and mobile technology's potential to tackle unemployment

This dissertation investigates the evolution of Kenya’s Internet communication technology (ICT) ecosystem and explores the barriers and subsequent enabling processes encountered when growing an ICT ecosystem in a resource-scarce context. Drawing upon 12 in-depth case studies of Kenyan tech entrepreneurs and 45 interviews with technology experts this dissertation provides a holistic perspective on the barriers and enablers that Kenyan technology entrepreneurs encounter across the areas of culture, human capital, finance, policy, entrepreneurial support systems, and markets. Together with relevant theory on how ecosystems emerge and advance the thesis develops a model that explains how ICT ecosystems can emerge in resource-scarce contexts. The model shows how locally available enabling processes may be drawn on to substitute and establish missing condition factors. Furthermore, this dissertation analyzes mobile technology's potential to tackle unemployment in Kenya and provides a critical evaluation of the embedded economic and developmental opportunity.:1. Introduction 1 1.1 The potential of mobile technology to tackle unemployment in Kenya 1.2 Kenya’s emerging “Silicon Savannah” 1.3 Introduction to the research context 1.3.1 Country Context: Kenya the East-African economic hub and its unemployment challenge 1.3.2 The “Silicon Savannah”: Kenya’s ICT entrepreneurship ecosystem 2. Literature chapter 2.1 Basic theoretical concepts 2.2 Mobile for development 2.2.1 Mobile for development fields 2.2.2 Critics of the M4D stream 2.2.3 Contextual challenges faced by M4D initiatives 2.3 Mobile for work (mWork) 2.3.1 The Virtual Economy: A market for virtually traded scarcities 2.3.2 Mobile Micro Work 2.3.3 Mobile for Recruitment 2.4 The ecosystem view on entrepreneruship 2.4.1 Theoretical basis: Cluster Theory and Regional Innovation Systems Theory 2.4.2 Distinguishing features of Entrepreneurship Ecosystem functioning 2.4.3 Emergence and development of ICT entrepreneurship ecosystems over time 2.4.4 The role of Policy in fostering EE growth 2.5 The context for entrepreneurship in Kenya 2.6 Technology entrepreneurship in Kenya: Challenges faced in the Silicon Savannah 3. Methodology Chapter 3.1 Research Design 3.2 Data collection and access 3.2.1 mWork sample selection 3.2.2 Interview conduct with mWork and other local ICT entrepreneurs 3.2.3 Sample selection and interview conduct with “Silicon Savannah” experts 3.3 Data Analysis 3.3.1 Interview data analysis 3.3.2 Case analysis: within case and cross case analysis 3.3.3 Development of the Model of Ecosystem Emergence 3.4 Measurement of mWork development impact 3.5 Other Methodological Considerations 3.5.1 Researcher‘s Role 3.5.2 Ethical Considerations 3.5.3 Credibility of findings 4. mWork in Kenya 4.1 Introduction: mWork in Kenya 4.2 Case presentation 4.2.1 mWork segment: Market Research 4.1.2 mWork Segment: Recruiting 4.2.3 mWork Segment: Mobile Micro Work 4.2.4 mWork segment: Market intermediaries 4.2.5 Overview of mWork Cases 4.3 Cross-case analysis 4.3.1 Feasibility of mWork approaches and challenges faced 4.3.2 Feasibility of business models suggested by literature in a Kenyan context 4.3.3 Overcoming challenges to mWork in Kenya: Four successful examples 4.4 Development impact of mWork 4.4.1 Development impact of mWork Segment Mobile Micro Work 4.4.2 Development impact of mWork segment market research 4.4.3 Development impact of mWork segment recruiting 4.4.4 (Potential) development impact of mWork segment: Market intermediary 5. The Kenyan “Silicon Savannah” 5.1 Empirical Findings: Barriers and enablers to technology entrepreneurship in Kenya 5.5.1 Ecosystem dimension: Culture 5.1.2 Ecosystem dimension: Supports 5.1.3 Ecosystem dimension: Human capital 5.1.4 Ecosystem dimension: Finance 5.1.5 Ecosystem dimension: Policy 5.1.6 Ecosystem dimension: Markets 5.2 Discussion of findings in the wider discourse of the Silicon Savannah 5.3 The unique nature of the phenomenon of technology entrepreneurship in Kenya 5.4 Main growth barriers in the “Silicon Savannah” and ICT EE s in the GS 5.5 Main growth enablers in the “Silicon Savannah” and early ICT EE s in the GS 5.6 Development trajectory of ICT EE s in resource-scarce contexts 6. Conclusion 6.1 Conclusion on the opportunity of mWork in Kenya 6.1.1 Summary of main findings 6.1.2 Theoretical implications 6.1.3 Practical implications 6.1.4 Limitations and further research 6.2 Conclusion on Kenyas “Silicon Savannah” 6.2.1 Summary of main findings 6.2.2 Theoretical implications 6.2.3 Practical implications and recommendations 6.2.4 Limitations and further research References Appendi