影響甘比亞微小型企業女性創業成長傾向的環境因素

Environmental Factors Affecting the Growth Propensity of Gambian Women Entrepreneurs in MSMEs

陳義伯(Cham, Ebrima)

指導教授 ： 陳義伯

國立交通大學/管理學院/科技管理研究所/碩士(2018年)

摘要

Women entrepreneurship and micro, small medium enterprise sector(MSME) activities are gaining much attention in both practitioners and academia. Women entrepreneurship is key to a nation's economic growth and serves as the main driver for countries of emerging economies. It is unclear why women entrepreneurs in the Gambia fail to pursue growth. Thus the understanding on the growth orientation within MSME’s is lacking.
This study seeks to examine factors that influence the growth propensity of female-owned businesses in the Gambia’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. The Gambia women entrepreneurs are chosen for this study because their entrepreneurial activities contribute to and impact the Gambia’s microeconomic sector. Data were collected and analyzed through the lenses semi-structured interviews with 34 women entrepreneurs, academic experts and decision-makers in Western Gambia, and secondary data analysis.
The findings show that MSME women entrepreneurs in the Gambia has the capability in making their business grow. The findings also reveal that Gambian women entrepreneurs’ business growth is restricted by economic, socio-cultural, legal, competitor and supplier factors.
This study enhances our understanding of the growth orientation within MSME sector and to identify the factors affecting women entrepreneurs pursuing of growth in their businesses. It can be used by managers, policy makers and practitioners to have a better understanding of factors affecting Gambian women entrepreneurship businesses and to develop effective and efficient policies to overcome these barriers. It will also help improve and uplift the socio-economic status of women entrepreneurs in developing nations- hence provide conducive environment for MSME businesses to expand and grow. This study contributes to MSME and women entrepreneurship literature by providing more insights on challenges and barriers faced women entrepreneurs in developing countries and efforts to overcome such challenges. This paper also addresses an under-researched area of women MSME entrepreneurs and their growth propensity from the context of a developing country such as The Gambia.

關鍵字

women entrepreneurs ； MSMEs ； business growth ； growth propensity

並列摘要

Women entrepreneurship and micro, small medium enterprise sector(MSME) activities are gaining much attention in both practitioners and academia. Women entrepreneurship is key to a nation's economic growth and serves as the main driver for countries of emerging economies. It is unclear why women entrepreneurs in the Gambia fail to pursue growth. Thus the understanding on the growth orientation within MSME’s is lacking.
This study seeks to examine factors that influence the growth propensity of female-owned businesses in the Gambia’s micro, small and medium enterprise (MSME) sector. The Gambia women entrepreneurs are chosen for this study because their entrepreneurial activities contribute to and impact the Gambia’s microeconomic sector. Data were collected and analyzed through the lenses semi-structured interviews with 34 women entrepreneurs, academic experts and decision-makers in Western Gambia, and secondary data analysis.
The findings show that MSME women entrepreneurs in the Gambia has the capability in making their business grow. The findings also reveal that Gambian women entrepreneurs’ business growth is restricted by economic, socio-cultural, legal, competitor and supplier factors.
This study enhances our understanding of the growth orientation within MSME sector and to identify the factors affecting women entrepreneurs pursuing of growth in their businesses. It can be used by managers, policy makers and practitioners to have a better understanding of factors affecting Gambian women entrepreneurship businesses and to develop effective and efficient policies to overcome these barriers. It will also help improve and uplift the socio-economic status of women entrepreneurs in developing nations- hence provide conducive environment for MSME businesses to expand and grow. This study contributes to MSME and women entrepreneurship literature by providing more insights on challenges and barriers faced women entrepreneurs in developing countries and efforts to overcome such challenges. This paper also addresses an under-researched area of women MSME entrepreneurs and their growth propensity from the context of a developing country such as The Gambia.

並列關鍵字

women entrepreneurs ； MSMEs ； business growth ； growth propensity

參考文獻

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