Towards a Framework for the Adoption and Use of Information and Communication Technology for Empowering Women Entrepreneurs: Case of Egypt

Abstract

This study investigates the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in empowering women entrepreneurs, with a focus on the Egyptian context. The study draws upon the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), to identify five chief factors that affect ICT adoption: Perceived Usefulness (PU), Perceived Ease Of Use (PEOU), Social Expectancy (SE), Facilitating Conditions (FC), and Personal Traits (PT). These factors were also confirmed by five Heads of NGOs supporting women entrepreneurs in Egypt. This paper presents the first stage of our research which involves gathering qualitative data through semi-structured interviews with six Egyptian women entrepreneurs from Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria Egyptian governorates. This research aimed to empirically explore the existence of the five factors that affect ICT adoption leading to the development of a conceptual framework. Our qualitative study allowed us also to obtain rich information regarding the interviewees' experience with ICT adoption and usage and the benefits reaped in terms of increasing all facets of Power and Social Capital. The study revealed that access to technology and education does not pose any barriers for the participants because they live in big cities with good Internet infrastructure. In addition, all participants are highly educated and have relatively high living standards. They are also exposed to several opportunities such as funding and training support from government entities and NGOs. However, they all expressed their need to acquire advanced training in different software applications. Furthermore, the study confirmed that ICT offers significant opportunities for women's empowerment and can reduce societal challenges such as age and male-dominant culture. Being considered among the middle class or above, the outcome of using ICT is not directed to financial reasons; it is primarily towards confidence and self-satisfaction.