FACTORS AFFECTING THE PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KPK: AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS By FARYAL RAHEEM Registration No.AUP-12FL-Ph.D (MGT) - 4476 Research Thesis Submitted to the Department of Management Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar, in the Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILASOPHY Faculty of Management and Social Sciences, Abasyn University Peshawar Campus, Ring Road (Charsadda Link), Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa January 2019 ABSTRACT The study aims to explore the factors that affect women entrepreneurs of Pakistan and to measure the relationship and effect of women entrepreneurial factors on women entrepreneur business performance in Pakistan. The study was descriptive and co-relational in nature. The universe of the study was registered women entrepreneurs of Women Chamber of Commerce & Industry Peshawar, Women Business Development Center Peshawar and non-registered entrepreneurs working at diverse cities of KP, Pakistan. Data collection instrument was questionnaire (5-point Scale). Total 540 questionnaires were distributed among registered and unregistered women entrepreneurs of KP, Pakistan. After data collection from respondents, data was analyzed by using SPSS, AMOS and Liseral software’s. Researcher analyzed the data via descriptive statistics; factor analysis, structure equation model and multiple linear regression model. Findings of the study reveals that there exists significant positive relationship amid women entrepreneurial factors i.e. social factors, economic factors, individual factors, political factors and entrepreneur performance. Factor analysis reveals the exceptionality of the constructs and the questionnaire was found valid for data collection. The collected data was tabulated and found normal, with no multicollinearity, heteroskedasticity and auto-correlation in it. Social factor, economic factor, individual factor, political factor was found a significant constructive predictors of women entrepreneurs performance. There exists an insignificant difference between the responses of women entrepreneur performance about the registered and unregistered women entrepreneurs of KPK, Pakistan. Study recommended that government should focus on the creation and promotion of women entrepreneurship culture b) removal of socio-cultural obstacles prevailing in the society, c) nurturing entrepreneurial culture and environment, d) provision for the women entrepreneurial education opportunities, e) developing friendly and supportive environment infrastructure for women entrepreneurs, and f) forming women entrepreneurs associates. Implication of the study is for the development and promotion of women entrepreneurial culture in Pakistan. Women entrepreneurs become more aware of the importance of social, economic, individual and political factors and its influence on women entrepreneurs performance. Keywords: Women Entrepreneurs, Performance, SEM i Acknowledgement First of all I bow my head with thanks and submission before Allah Almighty, the Most Merciful and Beneficent, who enabled me to complete my research thesis. I would like to express my special appreciation and thanks to my supervisor Dr. Qadar Bakhsh Baloch, a person with an amicable and positive disposition, whose valuable guidance, scholarly inputs, consistent persuasion and encouragement I received throughout my PhD program. His guidance helped me in all the time of research and writing of this thesis. I could not have imagined having a better advisor and mentor for my Ph.D. study. Dr Syed Umar Farooq, Vice Chancellor of Abasyn University, deserves a special mention of my sincere gratitude for his continuous support, motivation, immense knowledge, facilitating attitude and helping mindset. His guidance and advice on my research and career has always been valuable. No research is possible without the Library, the centre of learning resources. I take this time to express my gratitude to the Management of Abasyn University for maintaining enriched library network, and all the library and supporting staff for their services in updating the latest publications. Dr. Shahid Jan, Dr Fawad Latif were always available to do their bit, whenever I required some help. I am very much indebted to my family, my parents, my husband and Jordan and my mother- in-law, father in law who supported me in every possible way to see the completion of this work. Words cannot express how grateful I am to my parents and brothers (Mr.Fawad Ahmad & Mr.Zuhaib Ahmad) for all of the sacrifices that they have made. At the end I would like to re- express my appreciation for my beloved husband Atif Raza who encouraged me a lot and was always my support in the moments when there was no one to answer my queries. ii Author’s Declaration I Faryal Raheem hereby state that my PhD thesis titled “Factors affecting the performance of Women Entrepreneurship in KPK: An Empirical Analysis” is my own work and has not been submitted previously by me for taking any degree from Abasyn University Peshawar or anywhere else in the country/world. At any time in my statement is found to be incorrect even after I Graduate, the University has the right to withdraw my PhD degree. Student Signature: _______________________ Name: FARYAL RAHEEM iii Plagiarism Undertaking I solemnly declare that research work presented in the thesis titled “Factors affecting the performance of Women Entrepreneurship in KPK: An Empirical Analysis” is solely my research work with no significant contribution from any other person. Small contribution/help wherever taken has been duly acknowledged and that complete thesis has been written by me. I understand the zero tolerance policy of the HEC and Abasyn University, Peshawar towards plagiarism. Therefore I as an author of the above titled thesis declare that no potion of my thesis has been plagiarized and any material used as reference is properly referred/cited. I undertake that if I am found guilty of any formal plagiarism in the above titled thesis even after award of PhD degree, the University reserve the rights to withdraw/revoke my PhD and that HEC and the University has the right to publish my name on the HEC/University website on which names of students are placed who submitted plagiarized thesis. Student Signature: _______________________ Name: FARYAL RAHEEM iv DEDICATION This Small Initiative is dedicated to My Loving Parents and My teachers who have been the guiding lights of my life and to whom I owe whatever little I have been able to achieve. Faryal Raheem V List of Acronyms and Abbreviations WBDC Women Business Development Centre WCCB Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry KPK Khyber Pakhtunkhwa VI Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................I Acknowledgement .................................................................................................................... II Auther’s Declaration ................................................................................................................ III Plagiarism Undertaking ........................................................................................................... IV Dedication ................................................................................................................................. V List of Acronyms and Abbreviations ....................................................................................... VI Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... VII List of Tables ........................................................................................................................... XI List of Figures ....................................................................................................................... XIII CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the Study ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Research GAP ...................................................................................................................... 5 1.3 Statement of Research Problem ........................................................................................... 6 1.4 Research Questions .............................................................................................................. 6 1.5 Objectives of the study......................................................................................................... 7 1.6 Significance of the Research ................................................................................................ 7 1.7 Scope of the study ................................................................................................................ 8 1.8 Limitation ............................................................................................................................. 8 1.9 Sequence of Thesis .............................................................................................................. 8 CHAPTER 2 ...........................................................................................................................