Authors : Ernest O. Ugwoke, Francis Madueke Onu, Babalulu Madu-Saba Muhammadu, Anorue, Fredrick Onah, Joseph C. Ezemma, Solomon U. Agbo, Timothy O. Olinya, Ogechukwu Onah and Abdullahi Faruk Suleiman
Abstract: Medium enterprises employees in Kwara State, Nigeria lack essential technology skills to carry out business transactions in digital economy for profit. They could not manipulate e-gadgets meant for selling, receipt and payment digitally. This makes them encounter losses of cash in business through armed robbery leading to losses of cash, life and closure of businesses. This study identified technology skills improvement needs of medium enterprises employee that could help them unlock their potentials in digital economy for success in their various enterprises. Three research questions were answered by the study while three hypothesis were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted action group design supported by the function of the industry approach. The population for the study was 655 comprising 620 medium enterprises employees, 21 electronic bank officials and 14 lecturers of business education. The sample of the study was 185 made up of 150 employees selected through stratified random sampling technique (balloting) and the 21 electronic bank officials and the 14 lecturers of business education. Structured questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. Three experts in the area of study validated the instrument while Cronbach alpha reliability method was used to ascertain the internal consistency of the items and a reliability coefficient of 0.83 was obtained. 100 and 85 copies of the questionnaire were administered to the respondents in their various locations based on skill importance and the performance level, however, 100 and 73 copies or 93.61% of the level of were returned. Need gaps analysis techniques was involved in the identification of skills where employees required improvement. The study found out that the employees need skill improvement in: 21 computing skills, 30 online business skills and 16 point-of-sale machine skills for the profitability of their enterprises. It was therefore, recommended that since, the employees required skill improvement, they should be retained in all the technology skills where they required improvement for the purposes of unlocking their potentials for effective performance in digital economy.
Ernest O. Ugwoke, Francis Madueke Onu, Babalulu Madu-Saba Muhammadu, Anorue, Honesta .C, Fredrick Onah, Joseph C. Ezemma, Solomon U. Agbo, Timothy O. Olinya, Ogechukwu Onah and Abdullahi Faruk Suleiman, 2020. Technology Skills Improvement to Unlock the Potentials for Strengthening Medium Enterprises Employees Entrepreneurial Activities in Digital Economy. Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences, 15: 1876-1886.