Factors affecting motivations, obstacles, and performance of Women Entrepreneurs in Sindh, Pakistan

Abstract

Women Entrepreneurship in Pakistan; Motivations, Success and Barriers a study on Sindh, Pakistan. An entrepreneur is someone who explores new opportunities, business, products/ services, or ideas (Kuratko 2016). During the early 1980s, the Women Entrepreneurship has elicited suitable recognition, especially as a driver of economic growth and development. According to Roomi and Parrott (2008), the women position throughout Pakistan is not homogenous. Cultural practices and norms related to role and status of women and religious prescriptions vary widely in the Pakistani society. Pakistani researchers have also critically examined existing literature on women entrepreneurship in Pakistan. Primary focus of this research study is about the very less work or no research evidence found in the province of Sindh, Pakistan on women entrepreneurship (Ashique, Najia, Ali, and Rajjar, 2012; Saad and Rajjar 2015). The data in this study is Primary, and involve gathering of research figures straight from the respondents using a structured 5-point Likert scale with the help of questionnaire based on women entrepreneurship. The population of the study consist of female entrepreneurs running businesses or involved in entrepreneurial activities from both urban and rural areas of Sindh. In this study, to ensure an adequate sample, data is collected from 150 respondents (female entrepreneurs). Regression method was used to analyze the data. This analysis is performed with the help of SPSS software. The current study uses the dependence model for testing the data because each hypothesis measures the impact of one independent variable on three dependent variables that is motivation, success and barriers women entrepreneurs face while becoming entrepreneurs. Result of this study suggests that 71% of the female are of age group 15-25 years, are energetic and most willing to start their own business, among all motivational factors including to be their own boss is having strongly positive impact to peruse entrepreneurship rather than regular job, among all success factors female entrepreneurs believed that having good managerial skills lead to successful business. Week economy and lack of laws regulations in the country is causing a huge barrier to begin their own business according to the responses of entrepreneurs belonging to female group. Furthermore, the study suggests that Government of Pakistan should propose business laws and ensure its practice in the small and medium size enterprises. Also, there are many programs offered by the Pakistani Government to promote entrepreneurship but female and nascent entrepreneurs are not aware of these programs at large. So, these programs should be introduced in all educational institutes and universities so that female entrepreneurs should get most of it.