There have been a number of studies conducted over the years that have examined gender differences in Internet use. Studies by Jackson et al.
(2001) and Odell et al. (2000) found that females tended to use the Internet more as a communication tool, while males searched for information. Schoon & Cafolla (2002) found that females have a more difficult time navigating arbitrary web-sites than males, while Singh (2001), Oudshoorn et al. (2004) and Yang & Lester (2005) suggest that the Internet has a stronger masculine ‘feel’ than a feminine one. Studies by Yang & Lester (2005) found that most purchase s through the Inte met are subsequent to navigation and information seeking. As such, males were more likely to purchase on the Internet than females (Yang & Lester 2005, Akhter 2003).
Although our knowledge of gender differences in relation to Internet adoption as users and consumers is broad, our understanding of gender differences in relation to ICT adoption as business owners is scant and inadequate. One exception is a study of e-commerce and tele-working in 112 Spanish small businesses by Perez et al. (2002). The authors found that small businesses with female managers were significantly more concerned with the difficulty of using the technology than those with male managers. The study also cited
Figure 1. Drivers for ICT adoption in general practices
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How would you rate the importance of the following factors in influencing your adoption |
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of ICT? |
Neither |
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Un important |
Somewhat |
Un- |
Somewhat Important |
Very Important |
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Factors |
un important |
important nor Important |
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Pressure from patients |
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Pressure from suppliers |
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Pressure from competing GPs |
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Pressure from medical authorities |
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Improve information storage & retrieval |
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П |
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Improve communication |
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Reduce business costs |
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n |
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Improve business efficiency |
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П |
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Improve patient care/contact |
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П |
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Improve capacity to support a systematic approach to disease management |
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Streamlining of billing & accounting functions |
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Strengthen relations with business related |
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partners Facilitates e-Commerce* |
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Keeping in touch with medical & other developments |
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Generating prescriptions |
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Contact with hospitals |
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П |
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cost oftechnology and changes to work procedures as being of more concern to female managers.
The findings of all of these studies formed the basis for a set of driving forces (see Figure 1) and a set of benefits (see Figure 2).