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International Development Informatics Association Conference

IDIA 2018: Locally Relevant ICT Research pp 109–124Cite as

Development Outcomes of Training for Online Freelancing in the Philippines

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Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 933))

Abstract

Impact sourcing focuses on training and hiring people who would otherwise not be able to land a job in the outsourcing business. The Philippine Government has initiated a training program to prepare people for online freelancing in socio-economically disadvantaged areas in the country.

We lack knowledge about the impact such training programs might have on marginalized individuals. Thus, this paper adds to previous research on impact sourcing by analyzing whether government-initiated training enables people in socio-economically disadvantaged areas to obtain online freelancing jobs. We analyze data from a survey and interviews with the Choice Framework.

We used an explanatory, mixed-methods approach. We used a survey to gather information from the trainees about their perception of the training. We also conducted interviews with trainees in selected locations.

The findings indicate that the trainees gained both technical and personal skills that enabled them to target jobs for which they were previously not qualified. However, structural challenges remained, such as a lack of a stable Internet connection in some areas.

This paper adds to previous research about impact sourcing, by examining how training can help marginalized people to obtain online freelancing jobs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Karsten Eskelund & Brian Nicholson

  2. Centre for Development Informatics, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

    Richard Heeks

Authors
  1. Karsten Eskelund
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  2. Richard Heeks
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  3. Brian Nicholson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Karsten Eskelund .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Kirstin Krauss

  2. University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

    Marita Turpin

  3. University of South Africa, Johannesburg, South Africa

    Filistea Naude

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Eskelund, K., Heeks, R., Nicholson, B. (2019). Development Outcomes of Training for Online Freelancing in the Philippines. In: Krauss, K., Turpin, M., Naude, F. (eds) Locally Relevant ICT Research. IDIA 2018. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 933. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11235-6_8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-11235-6_8

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-11234-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-11235-6

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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