Entrepreneurial Skills and Performance of Women’s Small Enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya

Abstract

Performance enterprise is important determinant for survival and meeting stakeholders’ interests. However, a performance enterprise has been a concern as many small enterprises report dismal performances. Entrepreneurial dimensions are reported to leverage competitiveness, survival and growth of enterprises. Thus, study attempted to examine influence of entrepreneurial skills on performance of women owned small enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya. The study was guided by three specific objectives: evaluate the influence networking skills on performance of women’s small enterprises, to determine influence of communication skills on performance of women’s small enterprises and to investigate the influence of innovation skills on performance of women’s small enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya. The study was anchored on the Opportunity Based Entrepreneurship Theory, stakeholders’ theory and resource based firm theory. The study employed descriptive research design consisting of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The target population was 1235 respondents, comprising of the management/owners of the women enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya. The sample size was 302 respondents obtained using the simple random techniques. The study utilized questionnaires to collect data. A pilot test was conducted to ensure data validity and reliability of the research instrument. The study employed both descriptive and inferential statistics with aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29 software. Descriptive statistics such as mean, frequencies and standard deviations assisted in summarizing sample characteristics, while inferential statistics regression, correlations and ANOVA to establish relationships. The findings of the study created insights among the operators influence of entrepreneurial skills on performance of women’s small enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya. Secondly, contribute to policy makers’ influence of contributing entrepreneurial skills on performance of women’s small enterprises. Lastly, to results contributed to academic discourse on entrepreneurial skills on performance of firms. Networking skills explained 43.2% of performance of women’s small enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya, communication skills 61.0%, and innovation skills 38.2% of performance of women’s small enterprises in Turkana County, Kenya. The study recommended for further research work to be conducted to review the influence of other variables on performance of women’s small enterprises in other counties in Kenya. Keywords: Strategy implementation, Strategy Evaluation, Accessibility of NGO’s to Donor Funding