There has been a great attention by the government of Kenya on women entrepreneurship over the last nine years. Several policies have been enacted that could support the growth and performance of women entrepreneurship in Kenya. The Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) was established in 2007 to assist women in the development of their enterprises. One condition of funding by WEF is that beneficiaries must first undergo capacity building before getting the funds. However, the effects of WEF’s training remains unexplored in Kenya and in particular Thika Sub-County.
This study sought to bridge the gap by establishing the effects of WEF’s training on performance of women grocery micro-entrepreneurs in Thika Sub-County in Kenya. The study examined the effects of WEF’s training on the indicators of performance that is, sales, profit, labour and capital. It focused on four specific objectives to: identify the effects of WEF’s training on profits, sales, labour and capital among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs. A cross-sectional descriptive survey research design was used. The sampling technique used was simple random sampling, since it produced the most productive sample to test the research hypotheses.
A sample size of 111 women entrepreneurs was used out of a population of 371 women entrepreneurs. Data was collected using structured questionnaires from the respondents. The study was guided by the human capital theory. Paired t-test and ordinate logistic regression were used to analyze quantitative data collected at 5% significance level with the help of STATA software. Validity of the instruments was achieved through expert judgement of the research supervisors and WEF’s officials. Reliability was tested by subjecting the instruments to a pilot study through the test-retest technique.
The study established that the type of training had significant effect on the performance of women grocery micro-entrepreneurs. While the frequency of training had no significant effect on the sales of women grocery micro-entrepreneurs. From the study results, the researcher recommends for the performance of women micro-entrepreneurs to improve drastically WEF has to focus more on providing quality training especially market access skills. It is therefore, hoped that the outcomes and recommendations of this study will be of help to WEF and other women entrepreneurship stakeholders to address the performance challenges in Thika Sub-County and the nation at large.
Table of Contents
1.1 Background to the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Purpose of the Study
1.4 Objectives of the Study
1.5 Hypotheses of the Study
1.6 Significance of the Study
1.7 Scope of the Study
1.8 Limitation of the Study
1.9 Assumptions of the study
1.10 Definition of Terms
2.1 Introduction
2.2 Women Entrepreneurs in the World and Africa
2.3 Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya
2.4 The Women Enterprise Fund in Kenya
2.5 Profits Among Women Entrepreneurs
2.6 Sales Among Women Entrepreneurs
2.7 Labour Resource Among Women Entrepreneurs
2.8 Capital Resource Among Women Entrepreneurs
2.9 Theoretical Framework
2.10 Conceptual Framework
3.1 Introduction
3.2 Research Design
3.3 Location of the Study
3.4 Population of the Study
3.4.1 Accessibe Population
3.5 Sampling Procedure and Sample Size
3.6 Instrumentation
3.7 Data Collection Procedure
3.8 Data Analysis
4.1 Introduction
4.2 Characteristics of the Respondents
4.2.1 Age of the Respondents
4.2.2 Highest Level of Education of the Respondents
4.2.3 Respondents’ main reason for getting into business
4.3.4 Management of business capital
4.3.5 Type of business operated
4.3.6 Business start-up capital
4.3.7 Age of business enterprise
4.4 Effects of WEF’s training on profits among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
4.5 Effects of WEF’s training on sales among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
4.6 Effects of WEF’s training on capital among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
4.7 Effects of WEF’s training on labour among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
4.8 Discussions in Relations with other Research Studies
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Summary of Findings
5.2.1 Characteristics of the Respondents
5.2.2 Effects of WEF’s training on profits among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
5.2.3 Effects of WEF’s training on sales among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
5.2.4 Effects of WEF’s training on capital among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
5.2.5 Effects of WEF’s training on labour among women grocery micro-entrepreneurs
5.3 Conclusions
5.4 Policy Implications
5.5 Recommendations
5.6 Suggestions for Further Research
Research Objectives and Focus
The primary objective of this research is to evaluate the impact of the Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) training programs on the business performance of women grocery micro-entrepreneurs located in Thika Sub-County, Kenya, specifically focusing on key growth indicators.
- Analysis of the effect of training on business profitability.
- Examination of the relationship between training and sales growth.
- Assessment of the impact of training on labor utilization and workforce management.
- Investigation into how training influences business capital development.
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1.1 Background to the Study
Entrepreneur is a term that owes its origin to the French Economics and as early as in 17th and 18th centuries it was being used. The concept of an entrepreneur has shown its close link with general understanding of an individual starting and running a business (Dolliger, 2003). But its general meaning has moved to a broader application into an area of producing high returns through improved productivity for economic development and social well-being.
Researchers, theorists, business experts and academicians define it in many diverse ways. For example, Gartner (1988) defines an entrepreneur as somebody who creates new autonomous organizations. Schumpeter (1934) outlines entrepreneurs as visionaries who implement entrepreneurial transformation within markets. The entrepreneurial transformation is marked by five pointers: the introduction of a new (or improved) good /service; the introduction of a new technique of manufacturing; gaining entry to new markets; the exploitation of a new source of supply; and the re-engineering/organization of business management practices. While Shane and Venkataraman (2000) describe entrepreneurship as an area of business that seeks out to comprehend how opportunities can create something new by specific persons, who then utilize several mechanisms to exploit or improve them, thereby generating a wide array of effects . Futhermore, Dollinger (2003) deduces entrepreneurship as the formation of an innovative economic business (or network of establishments) with the goal of gain or growth in circumstances of risk and uncertainty.
Summary of Chapters
CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION: Provides the background of entrepreneurship, the establishment of the Women Enterprise Fund, and outlines the research problem and objectives.
CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW: Examines existing academic discourse on women entrepreneurship, training impacts, and performance indicators such as profit, sales, labor, and capital, grounded in human capital theory.
CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY: Details the cross-sectional descriptive survey design, population sampling, data collection procedures, and statistical analysis methods utilized in the study.
CHAPTER FOUR RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Presents the empirical findings and analyzes data regarding respondent characteristics and the observed effects of WEF training on business performance metrics.
CHAPTER FIVE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: Synthesizes the core findings, offers conclusions regarding the training's effectiveness, and provides policy and practical recommendations.
Keywords
WEF’s Training, Performance, Micro-Entrepreneurs, Grocery, Women Entrepreneurship, Human Capital Theory, Profitability, Sales Growth, Labour Endowment, Capital Development, Thika Sub-County, Small and Medium Enterprises, Capacity Building, Business Management, Economic Development
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The thesis investigates the impact of the Women Enterprise Fund's (WEF) capacity-building training programs on the operational and financial performance of women-owned grocery micro-enterprises in Thika Sub-County, Kenya.
What are the primary performance indicators measured?
The study evaluates performance through four specific indicators: monthly profits, sales volume, labor endowment (employee count), and the level of business capital.
What is the main research question or goal?
The study aims to establish whether there is a statistically significant relationship between participation in WEF training and the improvement of business performance metrics among the target group.
Which scientific methodology was employed?
The researcher utilized a cross-sectional descriptive survey design. Quantitative data was analyzed using paired t-tests and ordered logistic regression with the aid of STATA software.
What topics are covered in the main body of the work?
The work covers theoretical frameworks of human capital, an extensive literature review of women's entrepreneurship, methodology, presentation of survey data, and a discussion of findings in relation to existing research.
What are the characterizing keywords of the study?
The study is characterized by terms such as WEF’s Training, Micro-Entrepreneurs, Women Entrepreneurship, Profitability, and Capacity Building.
How were the respondents for the study selected?
A sample size of 111 respondents was selected from a population of 371 women grocery micro-entrepreneurs using simple random sampling across five county assembly wards in Thika Sub-County.
What does the study conclude regarding training frequency?
The findings indicate that while the type of training had a significant effect on performance, the frequency of training showed varying levels of impact, specifically noting that frequency had no significant effect on sales in certain contexts.
What is the main recommendation for the Women Enterprise Fund?
The researcher recommends that the WEF should focus more on providing high-quality, specialized training—particularly in market access skills—to ensure that micro-entrepreneurial businesses achieve sustainable growth.
How does this study contribute to the existing body of knowledge?
It fills a specific research gap regarding the unexplored effects of the WEF training policy in Thika Sub-County and provides empirical evidence supporting the application of Human Capital Theory in the context of African micro-entrepreneurship.
- Quote paper
- Michael Muraguri (Author), 2016, Effects Of Women Enterprise Fund’s Training On Performance Of Women Grocery Micro-Entrepreneurs In Thika Sub-County, Kenya, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/353191
