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.
