SOCIAL MEDIA ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A TOOL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SOCIAL MEDIA ENTREPRENEURSHIP AS A TOOL FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (A CASE STUDY OF SELECTED BLOGGERS AND WEBMASTERS IN IKEJA, LAGOS)  

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION1.1   BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa and has the potential to be one of the prime drivers of development on the continent. Nevertheless, the country's development is constrained by the weak environment for broad-based economic growth. Achieving sustainable long-term change requires a significant strengthening of policy formulation and implementation processes. At its core, this involves the supply of, and demand for, improvements in the business environment. Social media entrepreneurship is a new phenomenon that has changed how the business environment operates. Businesses are able to gain access to resources and online exposure that were otherwise not available to them. It has also helped businesses to increase their worthiness, cultivate strategic partnerships and increase their contact with customers and suppliers. It has become important for business owners and marketers to register their presence on the social media which also work as a communication and marketing tool which significantly grow their businesses.

The entrepreneurs on social media have the ability of sharing their business ideas and encounters. This assists in creativity, open communication and sharing of knowledge among users. Facebook, Skype and discussion forums are examples of social media tools where large numbers of entrepreneurs participate (Tapscott and Williams, 2008). The sky is the limit with social media. Owing to of the flexibility of social networking tools, businesses can realize different benefits. These according to Simon (2012) are greater access to different audiences, increased patronage, improved customer service, improved products and services, job creation and adoption of favorable pricing practices. The 21st century has seen a shift in the way businesses operates. Smith and

Taylor (2004) reveal that companies are presently experiencing several new unanticipated events and the development of the Internet as a communication channel is almost certainly one of the most influential factors. The internet has brought about several new elements – it has made consumers more accessible, it has emerged with a completely new set of communication tools that make the process of exchanging information much easier and faster, and it has compelled companies to rethink how they are communicating with their customers (Jaokar, Jacobs, Moore and Ahvenainen, 2009).Entrepreneurs, marketers and consumers are witness the appearance of virtual social media. As of January 2012, there were more than 800 million active Facebook users, with over 250 million of them logging in everyday. In addition, the average Facebook user has 130 friends and likes 80 pages but this figure is expected to expand with time. Additionally, over 3.5 billion pieces of contents such as blog posts, web links and news stories are shared on this social network (Digital Buzz, 2012). The Internet and the online social networks allow individuals to connect with one another. It is important for entrepreneurs and marketer to grasp how the Internet functions and the expectations of its users.

Mangold and Faulds (2009) recognize that social media allows an enterprise to connect with both existing and potential customers as the number of businesses that fully operates online only continues to increase all over the world. This has greatly reduced unemployment thereby contributing to economic growth all over the world. Social networking has led to the introduction of social media entrepreneurship and presented new ways of communicating to expanse audiences on various Internet platforms. Different kinds of organizations render various services through the social media all over the world e.g. health, news, sports, education etc. (Kotler and Armstrong, 2011).

1.2   STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM There are many reasons why individuals become entrepreneurs; it could be to earn money, to make a difference to community / environment or simply passionate about it or to fulfill a lifelong dream. Whatever the reason maybe, it is not a joke or a simple task in just becoming an entrepreneur or to start a business, the individual needs lots of resources such as capital, labor, technology/ technical know-how, and many other things. Location of this business and visibility and increased patronage is another factor to consider. Entrepreneurs extensively use the social networks to obtain access to a large population of people all over the world through the internet and also use contacts in decision making and sharing ideas. Social media Entrepreneurs operates their business online, this has greatly reduced unemployment all over the world (Greve and Salaff 2003). However, the researcher is examining social media entrepreneurship as a tool for national development.

 1.3  OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY The following are the objectives of this study:

To examine social media entrepreneurship as a tool for national development. To examine the advantage so social media entrepreneurship. To identify the factors militating against social media entrepreneurship.

1.4   RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Can social media entrepreneurship be used as a tool for national development? What is the advantage so social media entrepreneurship? What are the factors militating against social media entrepreneurship?

1.5   HYPOTHESIS HO: Social media entrepreneurship cannot be used as a tool for national development HA: Social media entrepreneurship can be used as a tool for national development1.6   SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY The following are the significance of this study:

The results of this study will throw light on approaches to social media entrepreneurship and how it can be used as a tool for national development. This research will also serve as a resource base to other scholars and researchers interested in carrying out further research in this field subsequently, if applied will go to an extent to provide new explanation to the topic.

1.7   SCOPE/LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY This study on the social media entrepreneurship as a tool for national development will cover the activities of the entrepreneurs on the social media and the profitability with a view of determining its effect on national development.

LIMITATION OF STUDY

Financial constraint- Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview). Time constraint- The researcher will simultaneously engage in this study with other academic work. This consequently will cut down on the time devoted for the research work.

REFERENCES Kotler, P. and Armstrong, G. (14th ed.) (2011). Principles of Marketing. Pearson Prentice Hall. Greve, A. & Salaff, J.W. (2003). Social Networks and Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice28(1), 1-22. Mangold, W. G and Faulds, D. J. (2009). Social Media: The New Hybrid Element of the Promotion Mix. Business Horizons 52: 357-365. Simon, A. (2012). Management of the Innovation Process in Small Companies in Finland. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 36(10), 120-126. Jaokar, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2009). Research Methods for Business Students. Fourth. ed: Pearson Education.

SELF EFFICACY AND INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF STUDENTS OF SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA INTRODUCTION

SELF EFFICACY AND INFORMATION   SEEKING BEHAVIOUR OF STUDENTS OF SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA    INTRODUCTION  

Information is an important tool used in the realization of any objective or goal of the library. Information is an important factor in any library because they are needed by users. Every library user needs information of increasing variety and diversity of levels, frequencies, volumes and with ease. Therefore, information need stems from a vague awareness of something missing and as culminating in locating information that contributes to understanding and meaning Library patrons seek information because they need information resources to survive in all sectors of life (Ajiboye and Tella, 2007, Fiankor and Adams, 2004, Fatima and Ahmad (2008)).

The information need (or need for information) is a factual situation in which, there exists an inseparable interconnection with “information” and “need”, information needs can therefore be said to be the amount of positive information an individual or group of users need to have for their work, recreation and many other like satisfaction. Thus, information need arise wherever individuals find themselves in a situation requiring knowledge to deal with the situation as they see fit. In other words, lack of information needed to accomplish a task results in information need which several authors have variously described and explained ((Singh and Satija, 2006; Fiankor and Adams, 2004; Adeniyi, 2007).

Information needs are diverse and constantly changing and not amenable to generalization. Information needs can be social, economical, political, cultural or educational

CHAPTER 1

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Information seeking behaviour is a broad term, which involves a set of actions that an individual, such as undergraduates, takes to express information needs, seek information,evaluate and select information and finally uses this information to satisfy his/her information needs (Fatima and Ahmad, 2008). It is therefore described as an individual’s way and manner of gathering and obtaining information for personal use, knowledge, updating and development. In other words, information seeking behaviour involves active or purposeful information as a result of the need to complete course assignment, prepare for class discussions, seminars, workshops, conferences, or write final year research paper. Though, Singh and Satija (2006) see information seeking behavior as a human process that requires adaptive and reflective control over the afferent and efferent actions of the information seeker in which information seeking behaviour results from the recognition of some needs, perceived by the user, who as a consequence makes demand upon a formal system such as libraries and information centres or some other person in order to satisfy the perceived information need. Thus, they pointed out that information seeking behaviour essentially refers to locate discrete knowledge elements concerned with the three basic resources namely, people, information and system. Information seeking behaviour is an area of dynamic interest among librarians, information scientist, communication scientists, sociologist, and psychologists. Information seeking behaviour is expressed in various forms, from reading printed material to research and experimentation (Bhatti, 2010). Information users make active and intentional attempts to seek up to date information from the library resources, including, electronic sources. It is worthy to also note that the advent of information technology has revolutionized the field of library and information services and has brought about considerable changes in the information seeking behaviour of users.

Though there seems to exist many reasons and sources of information to the information user, the university library occupies a central position in the information seeking process of undergraduate students in Nigerian universities.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem confronting this research is to appraise the self  efficacy and information seeking behavior of students of selected universities in Nigeria

1.3    RESEARCH    QUESTION

What is self efficacy and nature of information of students?

2          What is the information seeking behavior of students? 3          What is the self efficacy and information seeking behavior of students  of     selected universities in Ogun State?

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

To determine the significance of information  to university students To appraise the self efficacy  and information seeking behavior of students  of selected Universities In Ogun State.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

1.         The study shall provide an analysis of the self efficacy and information seeking behavior of students of selected Universities in Ogun State 2.         It shall provide a reference source of information for students and the public.

STATEMENT OF HYPOTHESIS

1          H0        Information is not significant to University Students In Ogun State H1        Information is significant to University Students In Ogun State 2          H0        The level of information available to University Student In Ogun State is                                low H1        The level of information available to University Student In Ogun State is                                high 3          H0    The self efficacy and information seeking behavior of selected University           Students In Ogun State is  low Hi        The  self efficacy and information seeking  behavior of selected University                       Students In Ogun State  is high

SCOPE  OF THE STUDY

         The study is focused on the self efficacy and information seeking behavior of students of selected Universities In Ogun State

DEFINITION OF TERMS

INFORMATION SEEKING BEHAVIOUR DEFINED Information seeking behaviour is a broad term, which involves a set of actions that an individual, such as undergraduates, takes to express information needs, seek information, evaluate and select information and finally uses this information to satisfy his/her information needs (Fatima and Ahmad, 2008).