The START-Net work: ICT & Mobile Applications

While tourism has often been proposed as a mechanism for equitable and sustainable development in developing countries, most destination communities remain relegated to the role of passive "tourees" who are unable to participate in economic opportunities often controlled by tourism retail monopolies. Guided by information systems (IS) research on mobile and temporarily interconnected systems (MTIS), this work examines the ubiquitous nature of information services for users on the move. That is, users that are largely dependent on mobile telephones and temporary tourism services. Stakeholder interviews included local South African micro-entrepreneurs from under-resourced rural and peri-urban communities and other national and regional stakeholders. The findings informed the development and early implementation of a web marketplace for tourism micro-entrepreneurs (i.e., www.peoplefirsttourism.com) that bridges hyper-connected consumers with under-resourced micro-entrepreneur...

While tourism has often been proposed as a mechanism for equitable and sustainable development in developing countries, most destination communities remain relegated to the role of passive "tourees" who are unable to participate in economic opportunities often controlled by tourism retail monopolies. Guided by information systems (IS) research on mobile and temporarily interconnected systems (MTIS), this work examines the ubiquitous nature of information services for users on the move. That is, users that are largely dependent on mobile telephones and temporary tourism services. Stakeholder interviews included local South African micro-entrepreneurs from under-resourced rural and peri-urban communities and other national and regional stakeholders. The findings informed the development and early implementation of a web marketplace for tourism micro-entrepreneurs (i.e., www.peoplefirsttourism.com) that bridges hyper-connected consumers with under-resourced microentrepreneurs who use simple mobile phones. Further, this study builds on interdisciplinary research to enrich discussions about ICT for Development (ICT4D).

The Journal of Community Informatics

A unique Participatory Entrepreneurship Development (PED) project was implemented in an informal settlement (Zandspruit) in South Africa. The purpose of the project was to stimulate, among local members of the community, the establishment of innovative, needs-based ICT-related businesses. Training was offered in participatory methods, the process of business development (including needs assessment, business idea generation, business modelling, feasibility analysis, and business plan writing), and sensitization to possible ICT solutions as inspiration for innovation. Participants were expected to propose ICT business solutions for the community, by the community. Results were mixed, with perhaps the most important insight that lack of in-depth ICT knowledge might be the crucial inhibiting factor for community-driven pro-poor ICT-related entrepreneurship.

Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies, 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the role of mobile technology and related service platforms in supporting informal micro-entrepreneurships in rural Ghana. It aims to extend our knowledge through the development of a conceptual model.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research design used in-depth semi-structured interviews with five micro-entrepreneurship owners in the Kwahu South District in the Eastern region of Ghana. Identification of potential case firms was facilitated by a local official. Interview data were analysed thematically.FindingsMobile technology engendered pride and emotional connectedness and, being easy to use, helped to increase business confidence. Adoption advantages included improved communications with customers and business partners, and effective stock control, providing competitive advantage. Further understanding of mobile technology’s role in improving business processes is needed.Research limitations/implicationsThis exploratory res...

2016

SMEs have been one of the reliable sources of income and employment worldwide. Mobile technologies have widely been used in performing a number of activities for SMEs. Mobile phone technology is maintained by a single or few operators which leave end­users with huge relief as they no longer deal with technical issues. However, despite the notable advantages of using mobile phone technology in SMEs, their values have been explained in a generic way. Specifics on direct and indirect benefits and concerns on particular aspect and circumstances have not been explored. The main challenge is that it is difficult to single out the values of a technology in organisations because there are other separate factors which also contribute to the overall performance. Identifying specific values of mobile technology on the performance of SMEs is vital for improving the utility of such performance in accomplishing the strategic objectives. This study explores values of mobile phone technology in Tan...

This research has sought to propose a strategy for the sustainable use of ICT in the tourism sector in Zimbabwe. In order to achieve the above-mentioned objective, this research, which is a comprehensive case study into the tourism sector of Zimbabwe, has deployed semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observations and netnograghy to collect the data. The case study was carried out, in accordance with the case study guidelines, as outlined by Yin, and guided by the interpretive paradigm. After a further analysis of the results, the results that pointed to the same aspect were grouped together; and various deductions were made, as a diagnosis of the identified problem. The identified problems were synthesised into seven diagnostics. A guiding policy was then identified for each of the diagnostics, leading to a set of coherent actions, derived from each of the identified guiding policies. The research also showed the implementation of the coherent set of actions that consist of three layers. These are: government, regulator and service providers. This research contributes to ICT4D literature; and it has provided an ICT strategy for sustainable development in the tourism sector for appropriate interventions from government and other role-players in the tourism sector.

International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Invention

The purpose of the present article is to highlight the importance of technological advancement and the role of travel technology providers in the tourism industry. The present study also highlighted the current technological changes and trends in the tourism and hospitality industry. A systematic study of the existing and emerging technologies in the tourism sector and how travel technology providers help entrepreneurs to organize and automate the travel business is presented in the form of a viewpoint. Travel technology providers help tourism enterprises by providing services like API integration, customer relationship management (CRM), portal and website designing, and more. Covid-19 has scaled up the technological changes and boosted digital entrepreneurship worldwide, bringing various technological trends to the tourism and hospitality industry. To meet the needs of modern-day travelers, travel agents and tour operators are considering taking their travel business online and opt...

2020

This paper reports the findings of a study whose purpose sought to identify strategies to addressing the discord and disharmony between entrepreneurial policy and practice in developing countries such as South Africa. Beginning in the early days of its democracy in 1994, the South African government identified entrepreneurship as an all-encompassing strategy to address a plethora of socioeconomic challenges including unemployment and economic growth. In line with this agenda, the government has developed various policies aimed at both developing and growing small enterprises. Despite this, the small to medium enterprise sector has not developed as intended. Characteristically, small businesses are battling to survive amid intensifying competition from large scale enterprises (LSEs). Ironically, the latter is one example where practice does not necessarily follow the dictates of policy. To fully develop an in-depth understanding of this phenomenon, a qualitative case study involving ...

2012

Abstract This study is premised on the understanding that microenterprises play an important role in the socio-economic development of developing countries. Using the case of South Africa, this paper reports on a study of the impact of using Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) on the livelihoods of microenterprises in a developing country context. The study used qualitative data gathered through in-depth interviews, observations, documentary review and field notes.

This article examines some promising perspectives from a research project that is driven by an innovative research agenda to combine sustainable tourism and mobile information technology in rural and peripheral areas of Southern Denmark. Most technologically based innovation projects tend to focus on the hardware, but the present project is concerned only with the content offered on the mobile platform. The frame of analysis and project objectives is presented through an outline of the defining characteristics of tourism innovation and sustainable tourism development. Addressing the much neglected issues of equity, scale, and implementation, it is argued that the principles of sustainable tourism should be exercised in those metropolitan centers that generate the largest shares of international tourist arrivals and gross receipts. Also concerned with stakeholder participation and ultimately quality of life in a mass tourism destination, a profile of the project team is provided. Finally, a sample will illustrate the expected outcome in a user scenario. and peripheral areas of Southern Denmark. There is little empirical evidence on which to estimate sustainable tourism in mobile communication technology. The following report should accordingly be regarded as tentative and treated with caution as results are based on a preliminary research project.