Mediating Influence of Niche Policy in the Relationship Between Entrepreneurs’ Profile and Women Entrepreneurial Activity in Selected Western Kenya Counties
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MEDIATING INFLUENCE OF NICHE POLICY IN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURS’ PROFILE AND WOMEN ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITY IN SELECTED WESTERN KENYA COUNTIES BY SANGURAH RAMARI MUKHEBI ROBBERT REG No. SHRD/PhDE/4/13 A RESEARCH THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF QUANTITATIVE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP STUDIES, SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY DEGREE IN ENTREPRENEURSHIP DEVELOPMENT MOI UNIVERSITY 2018 ii DECLARATION Declaration by the Student; This thesis is my original work and has not been presented for a degree in any other university or any other award ……………………….. ………………………….. SANGURAH RAMARI MUKHEBI ROBBERT Date REG. No. SHRD/PhDE/04/13 Confirmation by Supervisors; This thesis was submitted for examination with our approval as University supervisors ……………………………… …………………………. Prof. Peter Isaboke Omboto Date Department of Quantitative and Entrepreneurship Studies, SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT ……………………………… ………………………… Prof. Ruth Tubey Date Department of Quantitative and Entrepreneurship Studies, SCHOOL OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT iii DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis to my family: Dear wife Stellah Kananu Ramari; beloved children Kimathi Wambani, Wafula Mugambi, Ramari (Jnr) and RoseCeline Nameme, and; my loving parents, the late Mzee Alfred Mukhebbi Sangurah ‘Siamoni’(Kikayi Wamilele Wamitungu- Omumeme) and Mum Colleta Nanjala Mukhebi (Nekoye Nabwami). Thank you for your support. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENT This work was completed because of the co-operation and support I got from several people and institutions. I may not name them all here but to them all I owe my gratitude. I pay particular tribute to God for giving me the wisdom, guidance and strength to research and organize this work. Special thanks go to my supervisors, Prof. P. I. Omboto and Prof. R. Tubey for their comments, critisms, suggestions and encouragement that were invaluable. More thanks to lecturers and classmates for their insightful guidance. I thank Moi University and the School of Human Resource Development for giving me a chance to study in this PhD in Entrepreneurship Development program. May I in a special way thank the Khamilas (John and Caroline) for their financial support, my friend and neighbor Moses Kombo, cousin Dickson Simiyu for their encouragement, proprietors of Serena Barber Shop on Kiminini market for allowing me working space at no cost, sometimes at the expense of their customers, workmates at Maliki Boys High School (in the years 2014- 2018) for moral and material support and the research assistants; Humphrey, Rose and Moses through whom I accessed the respondents. Last but not least, I thank the county governments of Trans Nzoia and Bungoma for allowing me to research in their areas of jurisdiction and the respondents for accepting to answer the survey questionnaires. I thank my aunt Nabachenja, the late grandmothers; Roseline Mulimangila Sangurah (Nalonja) and Celine Khisa Wambani (Namualila) who were instrumental in paying my fees and always had inspiring confidence in me throughout this long academic journey. May the Lord rest their souls in eternal peace. v ABSTRACT There has been little emphasis on public policy, research and popular media interest in women entrepreneurship, a situation that has left women entrepreneurs prone to both general and gender-specific barriers. The need for a women-specific policy, which was the basis of this study therefore cannot be over-emphasized. The study sought to assess the mediation influence of the niche entrepreneurship policy in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ profile and their entrepreneurial activity as the broad objective. The specific objectives were to analyze: The contribution of women entrepreneurs’ profile to their entrepreneurial activity; the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ profile and the niche policy; the relationship between niche policy and the women’s entrepreneurial activity; the mediating influence of promotional efforts in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ traits and the number of new venture start-ups they create and; the mediating influence of resource support in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ motives and their ventures’ growth. The study design was a Cross-sectional Survey, guided by Motivational and Resource-based Theories. It adapted a Positivist Paradigm and used a Quantitative Multi-method approach. Structured questionnaires and document review were used to collect primary and secondary data respectively. Through multi-stage sampling, a sample of 375 women entrepreneurs participated in the study. The data was analyzed in two phases. Descriptive Analysis in phase one and Inferential Analysis in phase two. In phase two, correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination were the specific techniques used to assess the strength of the relationship between and among variables. Hypotheses testing results revealed there being significant direct and indirect relationships. For example, the correlation coefficient results for the first hypothesis (H01): There is a significant relationship between women entrepreneur’s traits and the number of new venture start-ups they create, were; R2=.9629, p= .00, meaning that 96% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was directly attributed to promotional efforts. Also, the coefficient of determination results for the fourth hypothesis (H04): There is a significant mediating influence of promotional efforts in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ traits and the number of new venture start-ups they create, were; k2=.1391, 95% BCa CI (.0811, .2041) and b=.0199, z=4.4065 and p=<.001, meant that 14% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was caused by the mediation influence of promotional efforts in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ traits and the number of the new venture start-ups they created. The study therefore concluded that niche policy programs mediate in the relationship between Western Kenya women entrepreneur’s profile and their entrepreneurial activity. The findings will help policy makers address women entrepreneurs’ unique entrepreneurial challenges. They are a prescriptive niche policy model that can be used to enhance women entrepreneurship and foster inclusive and therefore sustainable economic development in Kenya, and other developing countries. They also provide a useful research output to tertiary learning institutions for teaching- learning purposes and guiding other academic researches on women entrepreneurship. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION ................................................................................................................ ii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .............................................................................................. iv ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... v TABLE OF CONTENTS………………………………………………………………....vi LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................. x LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... xi LIST OF APPENDICES .................................................................................................. xiii ABBREVIATIONS ......................................................................................................... xiv OPERATIONAL DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS ....................................................... xvii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 1.0 Overview…………………………………...……………………………………….…1 1.1 Background to the Study ............................................................................................... 1 1.1.1 Women Entrepreneurship…………………………………………………………...3 1.2 Statement of the Problem .............................................................................................. 7 1.3 The General Research Objective .................................................................................. 8 1.3.1 Specific Research Objectives .................................................................................... 8 1.4 Research Hypotheses .................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study...…………………………...……..…..……….10 1.6 Limitations of the Study ………………….....………..…………………..………….10 vii 1.7 Significance and Justification of the Study ................................................................. 11 1.8 Theoretical Framework ............................................................................................... 13 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................... 17 2.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................. 17 2.1 The Concept of Entrepreneurship Policy…………………………...……………......17 2.1.1 Distinction Between Entrepreneurship and SME Policies………………..…..........19 2.2 Evolution of Entrepreneurship Policy in Kenya………………..…………………....24 2.2.1 Encouraging Modern Small-Scale Enterprises (1964-1972)………………..……..25 2.2.2 Official Recognition of MSEs without Policy Action (1973- 1985)……..………..26