Is ICT a Prospect for Young Professionals to Mature Business Within SME`s in East Africa Community?

Authors

  • Murtaza Hussain Shaikh Department of Business Administration, Kyungsung University, South Korea
  • Isabelle Habineza Department of Business Administration, Kyungsung University, South Korea

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24203/ajet.v9i5.6772

Keywords:

Integration, SME, Marketing Strategy, Motivation, Professionals

Abstract

Nowadays, young individuals in the East African community are using information and communication technologies in different ways, some as an opportunity to make a conversation with relatives and others take it as a distraction. Information and communication technology is an opportunity for young individuals to grow businesses. Young professionals need to investigate in small and medium-sized enterprises and should not only expect to get jobs elsewhere. The issue is that young professionals in the East African community cannot compete with each other when their mindset on doing business through small and medium-sized enterprises are taken differently and the levels of economic of these countries are very different. This article is motivated by the researcher’s observation analysis about young professionals in the East Africa community who know information and communication technologies, and unfortunately, they use them in a way that cannot make small and medium-sized enterprises successful. The main goal of this study is to describe information and communication technologies as an opportunity to buy or sell goods or services through small and medium-sized enterprises. This study will provide a better understanding to the lecturer, especially young professionals to take information and communication technologies positively as an opportunity to grow business through small and medium-sized enterprises and to know the strategy to use to sell products and how to manage consumer’s behavior through their needs. Young professionals need to build business skills and linkages with local and international businesses by exchanging business ideas and information via information and communication technologies.

References

Collis, J. & Hussey, R. (2009). Business Research: A practical guide for undergraduate and postgraduate students, 3rd edition, New York, Palgrave Macmillan.

Curtain, R. (2001). Promoting Youth Employment through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT): Best Practice Examples in Asia and the Pacific, Australian National University, p19.

EAC Secretariat. 2013. EAC Youth Policy, Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania. Available online at https://www.eac.int/overview-of-eac (Accessed on 14th June 2021).

Fjose, Grunfeld and Green (2010). SMEs and Growth in Sub-Saharan Africa: Identifying SME Roles and Obstacles to SME Growth.

Futrell, M.C. (2009). ABC’s of Relationship Selling through Services: Tenth Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York, p22-84.

Grobe, S.P. (2017). Understanding industrialization and youth employment policy in the East African Community: Regional rhetoric, national drive, European Centre for Development Policy Management, p3.

InfoDev, (2011). Transforming East Africa ICT Sector by Creating a Business Engine for SMEs: SMEs and the East Africa ICT Sector, p1.

Johnston, W.M. and Marchall, W.G. (2013). SalesForce Management: Leadership, Innovation Technology. Eleventh Edition, Taylor & Francis Group: New York, p 139.

Kariuki N., J. (2011). Convergence of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sectors in the East African Community (EAC): Challenges for the current legislative and regulatory frameworks and lessons from the European Union experience, p5.

Kroeze, H.J. (2011). The Role of ICT within small and Medium Enterprises in Gauteng. The University of South Africa.

Maquire S., Koh S.C.L., and Magrys A. (2007). The adoption of e-business and knowledge management in SMEs. Benchmarking: An International Journal, Vol.14 No. 1.

Martin, L. (2005). Internet Adoption and Use in Small Firms: Internal Processes, Organizational Culture and the Role of the Owner-Manager and Key Staff; New Technology, Work and Employment.

Matambalya, F., Wolf, S. (2001). The role of ICT for the performance of SMEs in East Africa: Empirical evidence from Kenya and Tanzania, University of Bonn, Center for Development Research (ZEF), p3.

Mayor M. & al (2010). Dictionary of Contemporary English, for advanced learners. New Edition. German: Longman, p 1811.

O’ Guinn, A. (2013). Integrated Marketing Communications: Promo Instructor Edition, South-Western Cengage Learning, p86-92.

Ritchie, B. and Brindley, C. (2005). ICT adoption by SMEs: Implications for Relationships and Management, New Technology, Work and Employment, p30.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research methods for business students, 5th edition, Harlow, Pearson Education.

Southern, A. and Tilley, F. (2000). Small Firms and Information and Communication Technologies 9ICT): Toward a Typology of ICTs Usage, New Technology, Work and Employment, p15.

Yin, R. K. (2003). Case study research: Design and methods, 3rd edition, SAGE Publications, London. The United Kingdom.

Downloads

Published

2021-11-04

How to Cite

Shaikh, M. H. ., & Habineza, I. . . . (2021). Is ICT a Prospect for Young Professionals to Mature Business Within SME`s in East Africa Community? . Asian Journal of Engineering and Technology, 9(5). https://doi.org/10.24203/ajet.v9i5.6772