Entrepreneural Determinants Affecting Sustainability Of Women Owned Small And Medium Enterprises In Kenya.

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship has long been associated with concepts such as female empowerment and emancipation. Increasingly, it has also been marketed as crucial for increasing the quality of life of women in the developing world. The general objective of the study was to examine the Entrepreneurial determinants affecting sustainability of women owned small and medium enterprises in Kenya. The specific objectives that the study addressed included determination of effects of Competition, access to capital, access to skilled Labour, domestic attachment and information technology on sustainability of women owned enterprises in Kenya. Mt. Kenya Region is a home of seven counties namely: Kirinyaga County, Murang‟a County, Nyandarua County, Nyeri County, Embu County, Meru County and Laikipia County. The study was explanatory in nature and on a target population of 1200 women enterprises within the region. A sample of 120 women entrepreneurs was selected. Stratified random sampling was employed and data gathered by use of Questionnaires, document analysis and observation. Validity and Reliability of the instruments was tested using the test retest methods.. With the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science version 20.0, both descriptive statistics such as the means, modes, standard deviation, variances and inferential. The study found that factors components (Competition, access to capital, access to skilled Labour, domestic attachment and information technology) have a great positive influence on the sustainability of women owned SMEs. Competition was most significant with correlation coefficient of 78.9% elements influencing sustainability of women owned small and medium enterprises in Kenya. Data was presented in the form of tables and a bar graph. Ranking of the predictors: based on the standardized β coefficients indicate that Competition (.101), Information Technology (.220), Domestic Attachment (.215), Labour Affordability (.145) and Capital Accessibility(.201) The results suggest that C is the main determinant of Enterprise Sustainability for women owned SMEs while CA influence is least amongst the determinants of Enterprise Sustainability Fitted model Y =0.758+ 0.413X1 + 0.219X2 + 0.319X3 + 0.111X4 + 0.301X5 + έ The regression model is therefore: Enterprise Sustainability = 0.413 (Competition) + 0.260 (Capital Accessibility)+0.331 Skilled Labour Affordability) +0.713 (Domestic Attachment)+0.301(Information Technology)