The importance of information and communication technology in women-owned businesses in Kigali, Rwanda

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify the importance of ICT in women-owned businesses in Kigali. It envisages that integrating ICT in their enterprises can lead to business performance, growth, and sustainability. Therefore, to answer the research questions that drove the study, research questions were formulated to identify the factors that influenced women to engage in entrepreneurial activities in Kigali, Rwanda; the constraints they face; how ICT could intervene to mitigate or solve those constraints, and the role played by stakeholders to support ICT integration among women-owned SMEs in Kigali. The positivist philosophy with deductive reasoning underpinned this study. A quantitative approach was used to collect cross-sectional survey data from 409 women-owned SMEs in Kigali. The respondent were selected purposively. Data were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 and Stata version 16. The findings revealed that unemployment was the primary reason for women entrepreneurs launching SMEs. Constraints they experienced included HIV/AIDS, lack of entrepreneurship skills, and lack of market opportunities. However, they did not leverage the Internet enough to challenge the constraints they experienced. But, the cellphone was found to be more useful in their business activities. Interestingly, stakeholders strongly supported the integration of ICT among them by providing training and connecting them to networks via the Internet. This study contributes to the body of knowledge due to covering a gap in using ICT in SMEs. Most studies have focused on Western nations and male enterprises. The few conducted in developing countries such as Rwanda suggest a sustainable need to uncover the necessity for ICT in women-owned businesses in Rwanda and other developing nations. The new model developed is unique. Adding it to the body of knowledge could be used by entrepreneurs to improve their business performance; it could serve as a reference and didactic material in business education and training.