Business, Technology and the New Normal: ICT Adoption and  Use among Women Traders

George Yamson; Marian Tsegah; Antonia Donkor; Eugenia Dedo Yamson; Baffour Osei Akoto

doi:10.51983/ajist-2023.13.1.3490

Authors

George Yamson UESD Library, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana
Marian Tsegah Department of Communication and Language, Central University, Ghana
Antonia Donkor The Balme Library, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana
Eugenia Dedo Yamson Department of Social Sciences, Central University, Ghana
Baffour Osei Akoto UESD Library, University of Environment and Sustainable Development, Somanya, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51983/ajist-2023.13.1.3490

Keywords:

COVID-19, Women, Information Communication and Technology, Business Enterprises

Abstract

The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic has compelled individuals and businesses to restructure and adapt the formerly ‘established’ ways of doing things to capitalize on the opportunities presented by ICTs. This circumstance has resulted in what is known as the “New Normal”. This entails a longer-term perspective in terms of business decisions to optimize the usage of the internet to continue to stay in business. To evaluate women’s knowledge, and ICT use during the pandemic in Yilo Krobo Municipality, the survey approach was used. A total number of 20,160 women are employed constituting 5.4% in the public sector, private formal 3.5%, private informal 90.8%, semi-public/parastatal 0.1% while NGO represents 0.2%. A statistical table was used to determine the sample frame and size resulting in a sample size of 322 from a population of 20,160 women employed with a confidence level of 95%. Three hundred and fifty (350) questionnaires were distributed and only 193 were completed, returned and used for analysis. With regards to ICT devices or services, the findings revealed that about 95% of the respondents had access to mobile phones and 70% of these respondents were connected to the internet through their mobile phone hotspot. The study discovered a low level of adequacy of knowledge of ICT use across variables such as age groups, educational attainment, and marital status.

References

Agyepong M. A., Yamson, G. C., Baffour O., A. Kwarteng, O.H., Mireku, A. A. (2022). Women, ICTs Usage and Structural Transformation in Ghana: A Study Of Manya And Yilo Krobo Municipalities. Journal of Environment and Sustainable Development (JESD), 1(1). Retrieved from https://www.jesd.uesd.edu.gh/index.php/main/article/view/2.

Bacqa, S. & Lumpkin G. T. (2021). Social Entrepreneurship and COVID-19. Journal of Management Studies, 58(1). DOI:10.1111/joms.12641.

Brennen, S. & Kreiss, D. (2014). Digitalization and Digitization. [online.] Retrieved from http://culturedigitally.org/2014/09/digitalization-and-digitization.

Faha, C., & Nana, K. (2011). Information and Communication Technologies and Firms Productivity in Cameroon. ICBE-RF Research Report No. 11/12. Retrieved from www.trustafrica.org/icbe, Dakar.

Gumus, M. A., Peter, A. A. & Musa, A. (2021). COVID-19 Pandemic: Effect of ICT on SMEs Performance in Jos North Plateau State. Redeemer’s University Journal of Management and Social Sciences, 4(1). Retrieved from https://runjmss.com/index.php/runoj.s/article/view/34.

Frempong, G. (2007). Trends in ICT Usage by Small and Medium Scale Enterprises in Ghana. African Technology Development Forum Journal, 4(1), 3-10.

Hwang, W., & Min, H. (2013). Assessing the impact of ERP on supplier performance. Industrial Management and Data Systems, 113(7), 1025-1047. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-01-2013-0035.

Kamutuezu, E. U., Winschiers-theophilus, H., & Peters, A. (2021). an Exploration of Factors Influencing the Adoption of ICT Enabled Entrepreneurship Applications in Namibian Rural. Proceedings of the 1st Virtual Conference on Implications of Information and Digital Technologies for Development, 2021, 468-480.

Krejcie, R. V., & Morgan, D. W. (1970). Determining sample size for research activities. Educational and psychological measurement, 30(3), 607-610.

Li, W., Ornstein, K. A., Li, Y., & Liu, B. (2021). Barriers to learning new technology to go online among older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 69(11), 3051-3057. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.17433.

Maikomo, J. M., Targema T. S., & Obun-Andy, M. K. (2021, September). COVID-19 and the New Normal in Developing Societies: An Appraisal of Nigerians’ Adaptation to Digital Life in Public and Private Spheres. Journal of Developing Societies, 37(3), 246-274. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0169796X21996830.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2018). Going Digital in a Multilateral World. An Interim Report to Ministers. Paris. Retrieved from www.oecd.org/mcm/documents/C-MIN-2018-6-EN.pdf.

Simumba, D. & Koopman, M. (2011). More effective information flow between researchers, extension officers and farmers in Zambia. Learning Brief, International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD). Livelihood, Zambia, January 2011.

Technical Centre for Agricultural and Rural Cooperation (CTA). (2019). The Digitalisation of African Agriculture Report 2018–2019. Wageningen, The Netherlands. Retrieved from [https://www.cta.int/en/ digitalisation-agriculture-africa](https://www.cta.int/en/ digitalisation-agriculture-africa).

Thukral, E. (2021). COVID-19: Small and medium enterprises’ challenges and responses with creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Strategic Change, 30, 153-158. DOI: [https://doi.org/ 10.1002/jsc.2399](https://doi.org/ 10.1002/jsc.2399).

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). (2021). How COVID-19 triggered the digital and e-commerce turning point. Retrieved from [https://unctad.org/news/how-COVID-19-triggered -digital-and-e-commerce-turning-point](https://unctad.org/news/how-COVID-19-triggered -digital-and-e-commerce-turning-point).

Wong, B. A. (2020). The digital economy represents a departure from the traditional zero-sum-game business model with its focus on shared value creation.