Growing trust
between people and
digital financial services
People
Digital
financial
services
Ethnographic Framework Overview
Financial inclusion empowers people to manage their money better, save it smarter, and buy and sell goods and services that improve their lives. But people only use financial services they trust. Six key cultural factors describe people’s relationships with money. The framework categorizes people’s financial concerns, supporting digital financial service providers to better understand their customers, put their needs at the center, and build trusted relationships that empower financial inclusion.
Historical Roots Of Monetary Transactions
Past experiences with financial institutions and the historical performance of the financial sector influence peoples’ perception to digital financial services, and can be either a driver or barrier to uptake. The strength of existing social financial networks among family, friends, or colleagues can also foster or hinder DFS popularity, depending on the market context.
Past experiences with financial institutions and the historical performance of the financial sector influence peoples’ perception to digital financial services, and can be either a driver or barrier to uptake. The strength of existing social financial networks among family, friends, or colleagues can also foster or hinder DFS popularity, depending on the market context.
For some, a lack of historical roots can drive people to embrace new digital financial services, precisely because there is no historical context to influence their perceptions, making people more willing to evaluate services on their own merit.
For others, historical perceptions about money present barriers that are passed on from one generation to the next.
Historical Roots Of Monetary Transactions
Driver to trust
For some, a lack of historical roots can drive people to embrace new digital financial services, precisely because there is no historical context to influence their perceptions, making people more willing to evaluate services on their own merit.
Historical Roots Of Monetary Transactions
Barrier to trust
For others, historical perceptions about money present barriers that are passed on from one generation to the next.
Economic Hierarchies
Social inequalities can form large economic divisions over time. To overcome these inequalities, individuals need both access to financial services -- and to feel socially empowered to try and cross these divisions.
Social inequalities can form large economic divisions over time. To overcome these inequalities, individuals need both access to financial services -- and to feel socially empowered to try and cross these divisions.
Compared to traditional banks, DFS are often seen as more accessible and affordable alternatives for people who have long been excluded from formal financial services.
Despite DFS being perceived as more inclusive, there is also an element of self-exclusion by people who view financial services entirely out of reach for the poor or uneducated.
Economic Hierarchies
Driver to trust
Compared to traditional banks, DFS are often seen as more accessible and affordable alternatives for people who have long been excluded from formal financial services.
Economic Hierarchies
Barrier to trust
Despite DFS being perceived as more inclusive, there is also an element of self-exclusion by people who view financial services entirely out of reach for the poor or uneducated.
Mobility Of People And Money
Domestic remittances was the launch case for DFS in Africa, providing a sought-after solution to safe and fast fund transfers in economies often characterized by the mobility of people, money, and goods.
Domestic remittances was the launch case for DFS in Africa, providing a sought-after solution to safe and fast fund transfers in economies often characterized by the mobility of people, money, and goods.
A cultural norm that recognizes the need for money and goods to move is a driver for use and adoption of DFS, and permits DFS services to integrate into familiar norms.
A society's willingness to trust intermediaries to transport and complete transactions over time and distance influence how much resources move.
Mobility Of People And Money
Driver to trust
A cultural norm that recognizes the need for money and goods to move is a driver for use and adoption of DFS, and permits DFS services to integrate into familiar norms.
Mobility Of People And Money
Barrier to trust
A society's willingness to trust intermediaries to transport and complete transactions over time and distance influence how much resources move.
Risk Perceptions
People make financial choices based on their perceptions of risk. Social networks amplify positive and negative experiences about technology, consumer protection and money.
People make financial choices based on their perceptions of risk. Social networks amplify positive and negative experiences about technology, consumer protection and money.
Digital financial services can reduce risk and build trust by providing better solutions for protecting people and their money.
A lack of information on risk in the financial system in general, and for DFS in particular, has created distrust towards DFS in some markets. This is especially true for unclear information regarding consumer protection.
Risk Perceptions
Driver to trust
Digital financial services can reduce risk and build trust by providing better solutions for protecting people and their money.
Risk Perceptions
Barrier to trust
A lack of information on risk in the financial system in general, and for DFS in particular, has created distrust towards DFS in some markets. This is especially true for unclear information regarding consumer protection.
Technological Appropriation
The uptake of DFS is strongly linked to experiences with the technology and knowledge of how the technology works, as well as fears of what the new technology may bring. Technological appropriation is not only related to skill and technical literacy, but also how it may change social customs or habits.
The uptake of DFS is strongly linked to experiences with the technology and knowledge of how the technology works, as well as fears of what the new technology may bring. Technological appropriation is not only related to skill and technical literacy, but also how it may change social customs or habits.
Technology can be empowering for people seeking financial opportunities and willing to develop new skills and ways of transacting with others.
People sometimes fear how new technology might change social customs or habits. Low technological or financial literacy can contribute to these concerns. Technology that delivers individual empowerment might pose social disruption, in family relations for example.
Technological Appropriation
Driver to trust
Technology can be empowering for people seeking financial opportunities and willing to develop new skills and ways of transacting with others.
Technological Appropriation
Barrier to trust
People sometimes fear how new technology might change social customs or habits. Low technological or financial literacy can contribute to these concerns. Technology that delivers individual empowerment might pose social disruption, in family relations for example.
Networks Of Belonging
Social networks play an important role in the daily subsistence of people. In African markets, semi-formal social financial networks have often played a central role in the absence of formal financial services.
Social networks play an important role in the daily subsistence of people. In African markets, semi-formal social financial networks have often played a central role in the absence of formal financial services.
Belonging to a financial community, like a semi-formal credit club or savings society, provides social security in a way commercial financial services providers may not. It can also opt to affirm social relationships to drive DFS usage and social trust.
DFS can be seen to challenge trusted social relationships, as belonging to one group may imply exclusion from another.
Networks Of Belonging
Driver to trust
Belonging to a financial community, like a semi-formal credit club or savings society, provides social security in a way commercial financial services providers may not. It can also opt to affirm social relationships to drive DFS usage and social trust.
Networks Of Belonging
Barrier to trust
DFS can be seen to challenge trusted social relationships, as belonging to one group may imply exclusion from another.