THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION
The research seeks to understand how small medium and micro enterprises in theVhembe District use information and communication technology (ICT) in localeconomic development (LED). The study was conducted against the backgroundof national policy debates about the potential of ICT to promote local economicdevelopment which tends to focus more on evaluating government sponsoredinitiatives than on the actual impact of ICT in local economies. The findingsindicate that different SMMEs are introducing ICT in their businesses withvarying levels of awareness, access, uses, benefits and contribution to LED. Thelevel of awareness, access, use, benefits and the experience of SMMEs in thecontribution of ICT in local economic development can be understood in terms ofthe different sizes, sectoral dynamics, level of sophistication and location theory.The findings also indicate that some of the SMMEs have experienced LED in theform of new jobs being created with the introduction of new technologies.Furthermore, it emerges from the experience of some of the SMMEs that the useof ICT results in economic growth (increases revenue) which enable SMMEs tocontribute to the development of local infrastructure and the payment/purchase oflocal services and goods. In other words, the findings suggest that the introductionof new technologies directly leads to LED, while the use of the technologiesresults in economic growth, which enable the SMMEs to further contribute tolocal economic development. Although other SMMEs have not yet effectivelyintroduced ICT, they believe that from the experience of others, the introductionand the use of ICT could lead to local economic growth and economicdevelopment. While some of the SMMEs have reaped results from the use of ICT,others are yet to experience the benefits of using ICT. A set of recommendationsis presented focusing on mechanisms to promote the use of ICT by SMMEs in theVhembe District
Year of publication: |
2011-06-02
|
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Authors: | Nkuna, D. Robert |
Subject: | Information technology | Economic development |
Saved in:
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