Towards a collaborative approach to entrepreneurship development in the information, communication&technology (ICT) sector

Abstract

This research was undertaken to explore and better understand the approach employed by entrepreneurship development and support agencies in developing and supporting entrepreneurship in the ICT sector. In particular, the study intended to establish if the entrepreneurship development and support agencies in South Africa do employ a collaborative approach to entrepreneurship development in the ICT sector. The study was motivated by the low levels of entrepreneurship activity in the country (Herrington, Kew,&Kew, 2009), and the extent to which such could be attributed to lack of collaborative approach to entrepreneurship development. The research was conducted, in Johannesburg through interviews with experienced managers of three of the entrepreneurship development and support agencies and questions asked on the usage of the variables to the constructs of collaborative approach to entrepreneurship development in the ICT sector. The resulting findings showed very limited to no practice at all of the respective variables of collaborative approach to entrepreneurship development in the ICT sector. These findings also indicate that in certain instances, even the normal entrepreneurship development practices, let alone a collaborative approach, are not being practiced by some of the entrepreneurship development agencies. Copyright