ISSN: 2265-6294

Cell Phone Use by Street Hawkers: An Exploratory Study of Sindh Province, Pakistan

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Nazia Dharejo,Ikhtiar Ahmed Khoso,Abdul Jaleel Mahesar,Noor UN Nisa

Abstract

This exploratory study's goal is to learn more about how Pakistan's Sindh province's street sellers use mobile technology. Virtually all types of work, including informal work, have considerably benefited from increased availability to mobile devices. One such technology that has seen exponential adoption and use by street vendors is cell phones. In several metropolitan areas of Sindh province, street sellers engage in commercial activity known as street trading. However, little is known about how street vendors utilize mobile devices to look for new markets. In order to better understand the advantages and disadvantages of using technology to facilitate their trading activities, this study mapped the goals and requirements of street vendors in the Sindh province and those of their clients. Qualitative data was collected using in-depth interviews with 30 street traders and 30 customers. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results also indicate low challenges and high felt benefits of utilizing mobile phones, indicating chances to change the street vending business through the use of mobile technology. The actual advantages of mobile phone connection have not been completely understood by street sellers, and usage is typically relatively basic.

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