The status and develoment of infopreneurship in selected cities in Nigeria and South Africa
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Date
2015
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University of Zululand
Abstract
The present study aims to create awareness of infopreneurship practice amongst LIS graduates and to train LIS students to acquire all necessary skills for effective infoprenuership practice in this present ICT proliferated society. The study will also help to save graduates from extraordinary increases in the rate of unemployment and the high rate of poverty in our present economy. Infopreneurship practice is linked to entrepreneurship as it describes individuals that sell and market information products and services mostly through the internet and other traditional mediums with the intention of making profits as a means of livelihood. Infopreneurs are experts in the information field/discipline that provide specialized information services in exchange for money. Infopreneurship is an information-based business practice, by information specialists and professionals, as a way of providing specialized information products and services to satisfy customers’ needs, in exchange for money. Studies of Ocholla (1999); David and Dube (2013); Allen (2001); Chandler (2007); and Mason and Dobson (2008) have identified the challenge of increased rates of unemployment of Library and Information Sciences (LIS) graduates. This is due, in part, to the limited availability of library jobs. The poor level of adequate planed awareness programme of infopreneurship and the changes of technology is alarming. The purpose of this study is to investigate the status and development of infopreneurship in Nigeria and South Africa. Therefore, it is important to understand the level of awareness of infopreneurship practices among LIS graduates and to ensure LIS students acquire all necessary skills for effective infopreneurship in the present day ICT community. The study focused on information-based businesses owned by LIS graduates and other graduates of related fields, in selected cities from the two countries. The objectives of this study are:
To describe and explain the concepts infopreneurship in the informal sector.
To establish the level of those graduates involved in infopreneurship from the eight (8)
cluster information fields/disciplines.
To investigate and describe the areas and/or types of infopreneurship.
To investigate the impact infopreneurship has on information entrepreneurers and
societal development.
To find out what challenges infopreneurers encounter.
To find solutions that will help to improve infopreneurship practice in Nigeria South
Africa.
A Case study/qualitative content analysis research methodology was applied for this study. The interview was the major instrument used to gather responses from information-based business owners. It was supported by data gathered from the observation method. A combination of purposive and snowball sampling techniques of non-probability sampling methods were used to generate the sample size, and frame, from the eight clustered information business categories of respondents for this study. The target population for this study was chosen from the lists of all registered information-based businesses as well as LIS graduates practicing infopreneurship in Nigeria and South Africa. The sample size of 160 information-based business owners, LIS graduates and others related information discipline was picked from eight (8) clustered business areas and/or discipline,which include information communication technology (ICTs), mass media/communication, telecommunication, libraries, archive and records management centers, publishing and printing sectors, computer science, and LIS education. The findings show that infopreneurship is a growing practice in both countries, although a majority of those individuals practicing infopreneurship are not familiar with the term infopreneurship. The study also revealed the numbers of LIS graduates involves in the infopreneurship practice, despite the increase growth in this field that few LIS graduates are involved in infopreneurship practice in both countries. However, infopreneurship in recent times,
has added more new area/types to the practice such as, internet blogging, software and hardware installation, tracking services, trouble shooting, web designing, programming, CCTV installation, online TV, amongst others. Infopreneurship practice has served as an eye opener to LIS graduates and other related fields of studies for job opportunity and self-dependency. The majority of graduates that joined the information-based business sector joined because of the need for money to survive and escape the high rate of poverty in society. Infopreneurers are faced with different challenges such as insufficient funding, equipment, and infrastructure. An additional issue is the difficulty in licensing of businesses, due to the high cost and the unnecessary requirement for registration of businesses and the tax imposed on smaller infopreneurs is outrageous. The study recommends that LIS schools create more awareness of infopreneurship practice among students, and also review the infopreneurship courses, or include learning content that focuses on business skills acquisition and practical vocational skills acquisition programs. The study also recommends that governments provide a positive support plan by creating a good business atmosphere for young graduates who want to start their personal business.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Library and Information Science at the Department of Library and Information Science at the University Of Zululand, South Africa, 2015
Keywords
infopreneurship --South Africa --Nigeria