research-article

Making it "pay a bit better": design challenges for micro rural enterprise

Authors:

Alan ChamberlainAuthors Info & Claims

CSCW '14: Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing

Pages 687 - 696

https://doi.org/10.1145/2531602.2531618

Published: 15 February 2014 Publication History

Abstract

This paper reports on a field study of small market in Wales undertaken as part of broader research project aimed at developing IT solutions to support rural enterprise. The project is predicated on the assumption that the primary challenge facing rural enterprise is that of scale and that IT solutions could and should add value by enabling growth. The study suggests that many rural enterprises are micro in character, that they are not driven by the need to grow, and that value is and can be added in different ways that reflect the social values oriented to and employed by micro businesses and their consumers. The paper elaborates vernacular understandings of supply chains and their coordination, along with business and consumer motivations to consider alternative possibilities for design that place emphasis on making micro rural enterprise "pay a bit better" rather than scaling it up.

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Cited By

Johnson IVlachokyriakos V(2024)Socio-digital Rural Resilience: An Exploration of Information Infrastructures Within and Across Rural Villages During Covid-19Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374008:CSCW1(1-30)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637400
Scuri SFerreira MJardim Nunes NNisi VMulligan C(2022)Hitting the Triple Bottom LineProceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491102.3517518(1-19)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3491102.3517518
Wang Y(2021)Living in a City, Living a Rural LifeACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/344897928:3(1-29)Online publication date: 29-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3448979
Show More Cited By

Index Terms

Making it "pay a bit better": design challenges for micro rural enterprise
1. Human-centered computing
  1. Collaborative and social computing

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cover image ACM Conferences

CSCW '14: Proceedings of the 17th ACM conference on Computer supported cooperative work & social computing

February 2014

1600 pages

ISBN:9781450325400

DOI:10.1145/2531602

General Chairs:
Susan Fussell
Cornell University
,
Wayne Lutters
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
,
Program Chairs:
Meredith Ringel Morris
Microsoft Research
,
Madhu Reddy
Penn State University

Copyright © 2014 ACM.

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Published: 15 February 2014

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CSCW'14: Computer Supported Cooperative Work

February 15 - 19, 2014

Maryland, Baltimore, USA

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CSCW '14 Paper Acceptance Rate 134 of 497 submissions, 27%;

Overall Acceptance Rate 2,235 of 8,521 submissions, 26%

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CSCW '25

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October 18 - 22, 2025

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Cited By

Johnson IVlachokyriakos V(2024)Socio-digital Rural Resilience: An Exploration of Information Infrastructures Within and Across Rural Villages During Covid-19Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36374008:CSCW1(1-30)Online publication date: 26-Apr-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3637400
Scuri SFerreira MJardim Nunes NNisi VMulligan C(2022)Hitting the Triple Bottom LineProceedings of the 2022 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3491102.3517518(1-19)Online publication date: 29-Apr-2022
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3491102.3517518
Wang Y(2021)Living in a City, Living a Rural LifeACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/344897928:3(1-29)Online publication date: 29-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3448979
Leal DKrüger MTeles VTeles CCardoso DRandall DWulf V(2021)Digital Technology at the Edge of CapitalismACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/344807228:3(1-39)Online publication date: 29-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3448072
Kahn ZBurrell J(2021)A Sociocultural Explanation of Internet-Enabled Work in Rural RegionsACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction10.1145/344370528:3(1-22)Online publication date: 3-Jul-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3443705
Umbelino GLewis DGerber EEasterday M(2021)An Emergent Understanding of Mentor Strategies for Career Development in Emerging FieldsExtended Abstracts of the 2021 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3411763.3451800(1-6)Online publication date: 8-May-2021
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3411763.3451800
Hardy JWyche SVeinot T(2019)Rural HCI ResearchProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/33592983:CSCW(1-33)Online publication date: 7-Nov-2019
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3359298
Hardy JDailey DWyche SSu NEvers VNaaman MFitzpatrick GKarahalios KLampinen AMonroy-Hernández A(2018)Rural ComputingCompanion of the 2018 ACM Conference on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing10.1145/3272973.3273008(463-470)Online publication date: 30-Oct-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3272973.3273008
Bates OFriday AAllen JCherrett TMcLeod FBektas TNguyen TPiecyk MPiotrowska MWise SDavies NMandryk RHancock MPerry MCox A(2018)Transforming Last-mile LogisticsProceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3173574.3174100(1-14)Online publication date: 21-Apr-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3173574.3174100
Knowles BBates OHåkansson MMandryk RHancock MPerry MCox A(2018)This Changes Sustainable HCIProceedings of the 2018 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3173574.3174045(1-12)Online publication date: 21-Apr-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3173574.3174045
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