How are 'New' and 'Old' Actors Shaping Financial Inclusion? The Case of Mobile Money in Ghana - Dr PK Senyo (University of Southampton) Event

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Financial technology firms (FinTech's) have emerged as viable additions to the traditional financial landscape, potentially playing an important tole in addressing financial inclusion. However, limited research theorises how these new entrants and incumbents work together to reshape the financial landscape and and address financial inclusion. In this paper, we undertake a theory-generation case study encompassing interacting organisations in Ghana, where, like many other African countries the recent growth in mobile payment ser4vices has led to the pursuit of new opportunities for financial inclusion amidst a turbulent and challenging financial landscape. We conceptualize three types of practice through which incumbent and new FinTech's reshape the financial landscape: (1) innovative and collaborative, (2) protectionist and equitable, (3) legitimizing and sustaining practices. Based on this conceptualization, we build a model to address financial inclusion and discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our study. Finally, we offer a multi-level set of predictors of technology driven financial inclusion.