Premium
Enterprise across the digital divide: information systems and rural microenterprise in Botswana
Author(s) -
Duncombe Richard,
Heeks Richard
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
journal of international development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1099-1328
pISSN - 0954-1748
DOI - 10.1002/jid.869
Subject(s) - icts , digital divide , business , knowledge management , economic growth , field (mathematics) , rural area , information system , public relations , information and communications technology , marketing , economics , computer science , political science , mathematics , pure mathematics , law , world wide web
This paper focuses on the role of information and information‐handling technologies within the many rural microenterprises that currently lack access to ICTs. On the basis of field research in Botswana, it finds that poor rural entrepreneurs rely heavily on informal, social and local information systems. While highly appropriate in many ways, these systems can also be constrained and insular. Priorities for breaking this insularity will be greater access to shared telephone services. ICTs may play a supplementary role. They will need to be based in intermediary organizations that can provide complementary inputs of finance, skills, knowledge and other resources. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.