THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN INTERNET USAGE AND DIGITAL INCLUSION OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS (original) (raw)
The information and communication technology (ICT) revolution has had tremendous effects on various aspects of life and the communication system. The ICT revolution has affected Internet usage not only in terms of opening up channels of communication and sources of information but also in making it a business strategy tool. The purpose of this study was to determine to the extent to which Internet usage affects the digital inclusion of women entrepreneurs in Malaysia. Further, the objective of the study was to identify the relationship between the factors of Internet usage and the digital inclusion of women entrepreneurs. The study participants included 402 women entrepreneurs between the ages of 18 and 50 years, who were conducting an online business. There were two data collection methods-namely, face-to-face interviews and an online survey. Using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to analyze the data, the results revealed that 46% of the study participants had used the Internet for more than 10 years and 32% spent more than 29 hours per week on the Internet. Furthermore, the multiple regression analysis uncovered that Internet usage skills were the number one contributor to the digital inclusion of women entrepreneurs. However, the results also revealed that the motivation for using the Internet and the frequency of accessing Internet applications were significant contributors to digital inclusion. The results of this study show that women entrepreneurs' Internet skills certainly spur their digital inclusion and enable them to retrieve information and communicate online and conduct e-transactions.
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