Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System

This article contributes to the discussion of everyday domestic finance technologies by looking at CajaVecina, a correspondent banking network coordinated by BancoEstado, a leading Chilean financial institution. Differences in perceptions between actual users and designers of ICT for development pro...

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Main Authors: Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia, José Ignacio Alarcón, Bernardo Batiz-Lazo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SAGE Publishing 2022-04-01
Series:SAGE Open
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221089974
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author Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia
José Ignacio Alarcón
Bernardo Batiz-Lazo
author_facet Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia
José Ignacio Alarcón
Bernardo Batiz-Lazo
author_sort Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia
collection DOAJ
description This article contributes to the discussion of everyday domestic finance technologies by looking at CajaVecina, a correspondent banking network coordinated by BancoEstado, a leading Chilean financial institution. Differences in perceptions between actual users and designers of ICT for development projects (ICT2D) emerged from structured interviews with executives of financial intermediaries, customers, and shopkeepers. The extent to which independent merchants operating CajaVecina’s bespoke terminals confront and solve the “design-actuality gap” questioned whether the CajaVecina system enabled neighborhood retail stores to act as a de facto bank branch. Empirical results suggested that was not the case. Instead of following strict contractual behavior, participants in the correspondent banking network addressed a design gap through social interaction and leveraging relationships with repeat customers. This behavior builds on information emanating from what they called “operating quotas.” Operating quotas enabled BancoEstado to diversify risk, document financial services habits, and forecast the performance of merchants (particularly small, independent retail shops). Merchants used trends in operating quotas to tailor services offered through the CajaVecina terminal while aiming to increase the loyalty of trusted customers. These results further the understanding of correspondent banking services aiming to increase financial inclusion by providing evidence of a previously unexplored aspect of these networks, where social dimensions take precedence over economic, financial, and technological aspects.
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spelling doaj.art-3a3d3d8be440448ea79f80a45dfbfd112022-12-22T02:52:53ZengSAGE PublishingSAGE Open2158-24402022-04-011210.1177/21582440221089974Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking SystemJuan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia0José Ignacio Alarcón1Bernardo Batiz-Lazo2Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, ChileMinisterio de Salud, Santiago, ChileNorthumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UKThis article contributes to the discussion of everyday domestic finance technologies by looking at CajaVecina, a correspondent banking network coordinated by BancoEstado, a leading Chilean financial institution. Differences in perceptions between actual users and designers of ICT for development projects (ICT2D) emerged from structured interviews with executives of financial intermediaries, customers, and shopkeepers. The extent to which independent merchants operating CajaVecina’s bespoke terminals confront and solve the “design-actuality gap” questioned whether the CajaVecina system enabled neighborhood retail stores to act as a de facto bank branch. Empirical results suggested that was not the case. Instead of following strict contractual behavior, participants in the correspondent banking network addressed a design gap through social interaction and leveraging relationships with repeat customers. This behavior builds on information emanating from what they called “operating quotas.” Operating quotas enabled BancoEstado to diversify risk, document financial services habits, and forecast the performance of merchants (particularly small, independent retail shops). Merchants used trends in operating quotas to tailor services offered through the CajaVecina terminal while aiming to increase the loyalty of trusted customers. These results further the understanding of correspondent banking services aiming to increase financial inclusion by providing evidence of a previously unexplored aspect of these networks, where social dimensions take precedence over economic, financial, and technological aspects.https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221089974
spellingShingle Juan Felipe Espinosa-Cristia
José Ignacio Alarcón
Bernardo Batiz-Lazo
Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
SAGE Open
title Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
title_full Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
title_fullStr Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
title_full_unstemmed Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
title_short Local Adaptation of Work Practices: The Case of BancoEstado’s “CajaVecina” Correspondent Banking System
title_sort local adaptation of work practices the case of bancoestado s cajavecina correspondent banking system
url https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221089974
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