Digitalization factors influence on enterprise growth among handicraft enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya
Date
2024
Authors
Kariuki, P. W.
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Digitalization has become an important component for the survival and growth of organisations and this become even more visible following the COVID-19 pandemic. The anecdotal evidence indicates a growing trend towards digitalization of the handicraft industry but this has been documented in developed nations and Asian context and less remains reported in the context of African and Kenyan handicraft sectors. Therefore, this study investigated digitalization factors that influence growth among handicraft enterprises in Nairobi City County. It examines the extent of digitalization readiness, digitalization acceptance, and digitalization diffusion on the growth of enterprises. The research was anchored on technology readiness, technology acceptance model, and diffusion of innovation theory. The study subscribes to positivist research philosophy and implements an exploratory research design. The target population was 725 registered handicraft manufacturing MSMEs in the Nairobi region from which a sample of 257 owner/managers were recruited into the sample size. A structured questionnaire was designed using close- ended items (background information) and Likert scale (variable information). Descriptive, correlation, and linear regression analysis was done and captured in tables supported by implications and interpretations. The results indicated digitalization (digital readiness, digital acceptance, and digital diffusion) explained 51.1% of variation on growth of handicraft enterprises. Further, digital diffusion, digital readiness, and digital acceptance respectively had a positive and significant effect on growth of handicraft enterprises. The study concludes that digital diffusion is the most important component of achieving digitalization in the handicraft sector. Therefore, the study recommends for knowledge transfer activities supported by higher education institutions as important for MSMEs to achieve digital readiness.
Keywords: digitalization, readiness, acceptance, diffusion, enterprise growth
Description
Full - text thesis
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Citation
Kariuki, P. W. (2024). Digitalization factors influence on enterprise growth among handicraft enterprises in Nairobi City County, Kenya [Strathmore University]. http://hdl.handle.net/11071/15623