Determining the level of knowledge in managing information among potential Bumiputera entrepreneurs in Malaysia

The paper aims to provide findings of an exploratory study that examines the level of knowledge in managing information among Malaysian Bumiputera potential entrepreneurs who desire to do business for a living. The study adopted a quantitative approach using questionnaire as the survey instrument. The sample comprised of Bumiputera potential entrepreneurs who had attended entrepreneurial development courses at Universiti Teknologi MARA. A self-developed questionnaire was distributed to 400 respondents of whom, 288 (72%) responded. Findings revealed that respondents perceive themselves to be knowledgeable in all the four components of information gathering, but are more knowledgeable in compiling information than in searching information, retrieving information, and identifying information needs. They consider gathering business information to be very important and perceive identifying information needs and searching for information relatively more important than retrieving information and compiling information. They also perceive themselves to be knowledgeable in managing business information. They are relatively more knowledgeable in using information than in storing information, disseminating information, and organising information. They consider managing business information to be very important and perceived using information to be very important followed by storing information, organising information and disseminating information. The level of knowledge in gathering and managing business information is found to be the same regardless of education level and age. The level of knowledge in gathering information and that in managing information are positively and fairly strongly correlated. The level of importance in gathering information and level of importance in managing information are positively and fairly strongly correlated. The findings of the study will be useful to supporting agencies related to entrepreneurship in Malaysia.