Information Inequality among Entrepreneurs in Rural China

Abstract As rural entrepreneurs in China are disadvantaged, compared to other entrepreneurs, the local and central governments provide a host of incentives to promote their success. Rural entrepreneurs are information poor and it is possible that their information behaviors differ from others, causing them to lag behind. The study aims to develop a framework of information inequality among rural entrepreneurs in China, based on the information capability approach. Grounded in thematic content analysis of 44 interviews with these entrepreneurs about their information behaviors, the study proposes a comprehensive framework for understanding information inequality among rural Chinese entrepreneurs. The framework includes two components: 1) eight major information functionings, where information inequality occurs; and 2) three factors that affect information functioning. By focusing on information functionings, and specifically effective information use, the framework allows for a more nuanced understanding of information inequality. Findings suggest that ICTs adoption is not the decisive factor in information functionings, and instead finds blurred boundaries between online and offline information functionings. As such, the study proposes to avoid technological determinism in understanding the impact of ICTs on information inequality, and instead uses social informatics lenses to account for both online and offline information functionings in this context.