The role of personality of women entrepreneurs' in coping with information technology change: special reference to home based businesses in Ampara District

Abstract

Entrepreneurship is an attitude that reflects an individual's motivation and capacity to identify an opportunity and to pursue it in order to produce new value or economic success. The environment of an organization is significantly undergoing continuous, rapid changes that have far reaching effects on organizations and their management strategies. Small and Medium Industries -SMI- play an important role in the economy of a country. Information Technology (IT) as the most powerful change agent creates a big challenge for women entrepreneurs in SMI sector and the importance of innovations in IT in SMI that need more and more innovative techniques in order to expand SMI sector. Many women entrepreneurs in developing countries such as Sri Lanka still seem dissatisfied with the available information. They are reluctant to accept the change so that they may be unable to survive in the industry. Adapting to IT change in SMI sector is the most important thing in order to assure their survival in the industry. So, this research aims to study the women entrepreneurs' attitude towards IT change and the association of between coping with change and the women entrepreneurs' intention to remain in their businesses. For the purpose of study, data were collected from 104 respondents from home based businesses using convenience sampling method, mainly with the use of structured questionnaire. Factor analysis was done. Need for achievement and being independent are the most important personality factors to cope with IT change for women entrepreneurs and these factors are lacking in women entrepreneurs in Ampara district.