Technological well-being: using service ecosystems to improve individual and collective well-being

Abstract

It is estimated that roughly 80% of the world's population lives on less than USD$10 per day. Nearly 50% of the world's population lives on less than USD$7 per day. Just under 10% of the world's population lives on less than USD$2.15 per day. The concept of bottom of the pyramid (BoP) refers to those who are the most socio-economically disadvantaged, typically defined as those living on between USD$2 and USD$8 per day. BoP therefore refers to more than 50% of the world's population, with only a slight increase in daily budget taking up 80% of the world's population. The global pyramid has a very wide base and a very narrow top. Much of what is assumed to be commonplace or easily accessible in the developed world is either not in existence for those stuck at the BoP, or is hidden behind paywalls that cannot be surmounted. But the need for well-being and mental health support, alongside all the other elements many take for granted, are still present. A key to improving both the quality of life and possible access to better services is the implementation of relevant, robust and useful technology. There are too many people forced to exist in the BoP situation for support to be provided solely in a face-to-face, human-to-human form. Technology, and the development of better, more sophisticated AI is allowing benefits to be targeted at those who need them most.There is a perception that those who are in the BoP bracket are reliant on state or local support, utilizing handouts to get by. Yet the reality is that the majority of those in the group of the very lowest of global earners do not have access to even these basic functions that many in developed nations take for granted. As such, huge portions of people stuck in these levels of poverty rely on what they can produce for themselves, and typically sell wherever possible. For those who produce agricultural products, including food, additional barriers are put in place in order for others to profit from their work, and to gatekeep avenues of further development or revenue. The difficulties of engaging with and having influence over the market forces within the agricultural industry often mean that individual producers are left taking whatever they are offered, and continuing to struggle without any sign of respite. Yet here is where technology has been demonstrated to help.The work of Shukla et al. (2023) has looked at the impact of the e-Choupal platform on the BoP farmers in India. This platform allows the Agri Business Division of ITC Limited, the parent company of e-Choupal, to connect over four million rural farmers in India on one platform, and source agricultural products from these farmers in an efficient and effective way. ITC Limited has invested in internet-connected computer terminals across the rural farmers' network, allowing them access to the e-Choupal platform. These terminals are run by a sanchalak – a locally trained farmer – who pays for the cost of installing and maintaining the terminal, but in turn earns a small fee on all transactions completed on their terminal. On this platform the local farmers can sell their products, but because they are doing so directly with the ITC Limited Agri Business Division, there are no middleman profit cuts or fees to contend with. This means that ITC Limited can offer these farmers much higher prices for products and still trade itself at a competitive price.Yet the key benefit of this network, as identified by Shukla et al. (2023) is that it allows farmers access to services and support for well-being that would never otherwise be possible to find. The sanchalak, being an experienced and trained farmer, can facilitate the engagements of the other local farmers with, for example, soil technicians, doctors, financial advisors, all over the e-Choupal platform, who themselves are now able to access millions of additional customers. This technological accessibility is having profound impacts on the well-being of the rural farming community in India and is likely going to improve production and profitability for these BoP farmers. Whilst this enterprise by ITC Limited is capitalist in nature – they are seeking to enhance their revenue streams – it does show that there can be real world well-being benefits to connectivity and the use of technology. In this instance, everyone wins, and the extra productivity can be seen to come with the benefit of increased well-being.The review is based on “Wellbeing implications of BoP marketing: a service ecosystem approach” by Shukla, Y., Singh, R., Dwivedi, P. and Chatterjee, R., published in Journal of Services Marketing.

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