Impact of Socio-Cultural Values and Individual Attributes On Women Entrepreneurship.

Author(s)

Adebayo, P. O ,

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Volume 4 - December 2015 (12)

Abstract

In most developing nations, there has been increasing demands for best practices and tools to integrate gender in private sector development. As a powerful decision making force, women are often well acquainted with the pros and cons of their household and may be in a good position to analyze how best to improve their economic welfare. However, poor cultural background and weak self-will often incapacitate them from taking active economic roles, hence they are the most hit in household poverty ridden situations. This study attempts to investigate the impact of culture and individual attributes on women entrepreneurial engagement in Kwara state. A cross sectional survey design of 205 women entrepreneurs in Ilorin metropolis was undertaken by means of self-administered questionnaires. A total of 166 copies of correctly filled questionnaires was analysed using both descriptive and inferential statistics and results were summarized and presented in form of tables and simple percentage. The findings reveal that cultural orientation and individual attributes such as education, working experience, and risk-taking ability significantly influence women entrepreneurial decision. The findings from the study lead to the conclusion that rich cultural background and personal development will improve women entrepreneurial drives. The study recommends among others that the educational systems (formal and informal) must enrich individuals especially (females) with the right attitude and values for selfdependence and achievement.

Keywords

Entrepreneurship, Education, Individual attributes, Socio-culture, Women entrepreneurship 

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