The Impact of ICT Practices in Small and Medium Enterprises in Harare, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The discussion of information technology has been a major concern in SMEs businesses over recent decades. There tend to be a considerable information technology (ICT) knowledge base which exists in Zimbabwean SMEs though there have been no comprehensive studies on ICT which has been conducted. ICT has become a strategic issue in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the transport sector in Harare. However, ICT practices by SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe are currently unknown. It is against this background that this study investigated ICT practices in small to medium enterprises in Harare, Zimbabwe. This study sought to establish the meaning attached to ICT by SMEs in the transport sector in Harare, Zimbabwe, establish the factors that influence the adoption of ICT in SMEs, establish the extent to which SMEs in the transport sector in the transport sector are using ICTs in their businesses or to enhance the sustainability of their business operation and to examine the challenges by SMEs in the transport sector in adopting ICT practices by SMEs in the transport sector in Harare, Zimbabwe. The literature on ICT showed that the following areas have not been explored: the meaning attached to ICT by SMEs in the transport sector in Harare, Zimbabwe is currently unknown, the impact of ICT on SMEs in the transport sector in Harare, Zimbabwe is currently unknown. Data for this study was collected through 220 questionnaires and six semi-structured and open-ended interviews with owner-managers of SMEs in the Harare Region of Zimbabwe. The systematic random sampling method was adopted to select respondents for quantitative research while the purposive method was used to select respondents for qualitative research. The SPSS version 21.0 was adopted to analyze quantitative data while the reduction method was adopted for qualitative data. Findings reveal that there is no standard meaning for ICT in Harare, Zimbabwe. SMEs in Harare consider ICT as having no quantifiable benefits. Legal, economic and ethical factors motivate SMEs in the transport sector in Harare to engage in ICT. SMEs in Harare, Zimbabwe engage in legal, economic and ethical ICT activities. Money, weak legislation and managerial attitudes are major barriers to ICT practice by SMEs in the transport sector in Harare, Zimbabwe.