Technology related work for small scale rural entrepreneurs in Zimbabwe: income generation versus employment creation

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of technology related work for small scale rural entrepreneurs on income generation and employment creation. The depended variables were income generation and job creation whereas the independent variables were technology related work and entrepreneurship empowerment. The questionnaire approach was used to collect data from small scale rural entrepreneurs in the Makonde District of Mashonaland West Province. A total of 150 small scale rural enterepreneurs, women, the youth and men, participated in the study. The purposive sampling method was adopted in order to select respondents who were already engaged in some income generation activities. To that end two hypotheses were generated and tested. The first hypotheses examined the relationship between entrepreneurship empowerment and unemployment reduction, whereas the second hypotheses examined the relationship between work related technology and income generation activities. Data was analysed using Peason’s Correlation Matrix. The findings showed that there is a positive relationship between entrepreneurship empowerment and unemployment reduction. Furthermore, the findings revealed that technology related work for small scale rural entrepreneurs correlates positively with income generation activities. Therefore the government is encouraged to fund small scale rural entrepreneurs in order to reduce unemployment in the rural areas of Zimbabwe.