Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines

Georges D. MBONDO

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines

Georges D. MBONDO

Published in International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (Volume 1, Issue 5)

Received: 24 July 2013 Published: 30 September 2013

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Abstract

This article attempts to verify whether tontines constitute a social learning platform for the appropriation of technology that underlies patterns of adoption and use of the Internet in sub-Saharan Africa. It uses for this purpose a survey of 2650 households in the cities of Douala, Buea and Limbe and employs initially two zero-inflated count data models to highlight the Intensity of the practice of tontines and after, simple probit models to detect the presence of favorable peer effects in the association tontines on the likelihood of adoption and use of the Internet in Cameroonian households. The results show that, while in ROSCA-type tontines social learning is uncertain because of neutral peer effects, in association tontines within socio-professional groups peer effects are positive and reinforce the process of adoption. These results confirm the studies on dissocializing Internet carried in United States and Europe at the beginning of the dynamics of its diffusion. However and more important, the results presented here show that peer effects play positively on social learning and technology appropriation that underlie the adoption and use of the Internet not in tontine of ROSCA-type, but in the tontine envisaged in professional groups according to their propensity to use modern values for jobs.

Published in	International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization (Volume 1, Issue 5)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
Page(s)	39-49
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2013. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Social Learning, Technology Adoption, Peer Effects, Count Data Models, Internet, Sub-Saharan Africa, Probit Models

References

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Georges D. MBONDO. (2013). Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 1(5), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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ACS Style

Georges D. MBONDO. Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. Int. J. Econ. Behav. Organ. 2013, 1(5), 39-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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AMA Style

Georges D. MBONDO. Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. Int J Econ Behav Organ. 2013;1(5):39-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11,
  author = {Georges D. MBONDO},
  title = {Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines},
  journal = {International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization},
  volume = {1},
  number = {5},
  pages = {39-49},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  abstract = {This article attempts to verify whether tontines constitute a social learning platform for the appropriation of technology that underlies patterns of adoption and use of the Internet in sub-Saharan Africa. It uses for this purpose a survey of 2650 households in the cities of Douala, Buea and Limbe and employs initially two zero-inflated count data models to highlight the Intensity of the practice of tontines and after, simple probit models to detect the presence of favorable peer effects in the association tontines on the likelihood of adoption and use of the Internet in Cameroonian households. The results show that, while in ROSCA-type tontines social learning is uncertain because of neutral peer effects, in association tontines within socio-professional groups peer effects are positive and reinforce the process of adoption. These results confirm the studies on dissocializing Internet carried in United States and Europe at the beginning of the dynamics of its diffusion. However and more important, the results presented here show that peer effects play positively on social learning and technology appropriation that underlie the adoption and use of the Internet not in tontine of ROSCA-type, but in the tontine envisaged in professional groups according to their propensity to use modern values for jobs.},
 year = {2013}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines
AU  - Georges D. MBONDO
Y1  - 2013/09/30
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
T2  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
JF  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
JO  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
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VL  - 1
IS  - 5
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Author Information

Georges D. MBONDO

Department of Public Economics, University of Douala, Groupe de Recherche en Economie Théorique et Appliquée, Douala Cameroon

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Georges D. MBONDO. (2013). Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization, 1(5), 39-49. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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ACS Style

Georges D. MBONDO. Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. Int. J. Econ. Behav. Organ. 2013, 1(5), 39-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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AMA Style

Georges D. MBONDO. Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines. Int J Econ Behav Organ. 2013;1(5):39-49. doi: 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11,
  author = {Georges D. MBONDO},
  title = {Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines},
  journal = {International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization},
  volume = {1},
  number = {5},
  pages = {39-49},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijebo.20130105.11},
  abstract = {This article attempts to verify whether tontines constitute a social learning platform for the appropriation of technology that underlies patterns of adoption and use of the Internet in sub-Saharan Africa. It uses for this purpose a survey of 2650 households in the cities of Douala, Buea and Limbe and employs initially two zero-inflated count data models to highlight the Intensity of the practice of tontines and after, simple probit models to detect the presence of favorable peer effects in the association tontines on the likelihood of adoption and use of the Internet in Cameroonian households. The results show that, while in ROSCA-type tontines social learning is uncertain because of neutral peer effects, in association tontines within socio-professional groups peer effects are positive and reinforce the process of adoption. These results confirm the studies on dissocializing Internet carried in United States and Europe at the beginning of the dynamics of its diffusion. However and more important, the results presented here show that peer effects play positively on social learning and technology appropriation that underlie the adoption and use of the Internet not in tontine of ROSCA-type, but in the tontine envisaged in professional groups according to their propensity to use modern values for jobs.},
 year = {2013}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Social Learning through Social Networks and Technological Appropriation: The Role of Peer Effects in the Adoption and Use of the Internet in Cameroonian Tontines
AU  - Georges D. MBONDO
Y1  - 2013/09/30
PY  - 2013
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
T2  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
JF  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
JO  - International Journal of Economic Behavior and Organization
SP  - 39
EP  - 49
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-7616
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijebo.20130105.11
AB  - This article attempts to verify whether tontines constitute a social learning platform for the appropriation of technology that underlies patterns of adoption and use of the Internet in sub-Saharan Africa. It uses for this purpose a survey of 2650 households in the cities of Douala, Buea and Limbe and employs initially two zero-inflated count data models to highlight the Intensity of the practice of tontines and after, simple probit models to detect the presence of favorable peer effects in the association tontines on the likelihood of adoption and use of the Internet in Cameroonian households. The results show that, while in ROSCA-type tontines social learning is uncertain because of neutral peer effects, in association tontines within socio-professional groups peer effects are positive and reinforce the process of adoption. These results confirm the studies on dissocializing Internet carried in United States and Europe at the beginning of the dynamics of its diffusion. However and more important, the results presented here show that peer effects play positively on social learning and technology appropriation that underlie the adoption and use of the Internet not in tontine of ROSCA-type, but in the tontine envisaged in professional groups according to their propensity to use modern values for jobs.
VL  - 1
IS  - 5
ER  -

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