The Entrepreneurial Opportunity in Malawi’s Digital Transformation: Modelling Public Information Management Systems for Development

By: Nthanda Manduwi, Atikonda Mtenje-Mkochi, Alfred O. Maluwa,

Abstract

The digital transformation in developing countries presents key entrepreneurial opportunities, particularly in public information management systems (IMS) for socio-economic development. This study explored the factors influencing IMS creation and adoption in Malawi using an extended Technology, Organizational, Environmental, and Individual Conceptual Framework. A cross-sectional design and quantitative methods were employed, gathering data from 426 respondents in IMS-related organizations through two questionnaires. The study examined predictors of IMS creation and adoption, such as perceived benefits, innovation, cost, IT ability, external support, firm size, competitor pressure, tech readiness, IT experience, and customer pressure. Significant predictors for IMS creation included perceived benefits (at all levels), innovation (at levels 2-5), cost (at level 4), and competitor pressure (at level 5). Participants at higher levels of innovation were increasingly more likely to create IMS, with those at level 5 being over two times more likely than those with no innovation. Cost at level 4 made participants 1.016 times less likely to create IMS, while competitor pressure at level 5 increased the likelihood of IMS creation by 1.442 times. For IMS adoption, only perceived benefits were significant (P<0.01), with respondents perceiving high benefits (level 5) being 1.286 times more likely to adopt IMS. These findings offer important insights for organizations aiming to implement IMS, highlighting key factors such as innovation, perceived benefits, cost, and competitor pressure that influence IMS processes.