University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Perceptions of trained and untrained entrepreneurs regarding internal and external business problems and their implications for training

Nguiru, Robert Gichira

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Description

Title
Perceptions of trained and untrained entrepreneurs regarding internal and external business problems and their implications for training
Author(s)
Nguiru, Robert Gichira
Issue Date
1995
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Nelson, Robert E.
Department of Study
Education
Discipline
Education
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • Business Administration, Management
  • Education, Business
Language
eng
Abstract
  • The purpose of this study was to develop and compare the profiles of entrepreneurs who completed a specific Small Business Development Program (SBDP) and those who have not received any business training with a view to identifying training needs for the two groups. The results were obtained from structured interviews with 106 entrepreneurs from the SBDP Group and 94 entrepreneurs from the Untrained Group. The respondents were selected through random sampling. Responses regarding the external and internal problems encountered by both groups as well as their causes were coded around common themes before being analyzed.
  • The findings of this study implicated that those entrepreneurs who completed the SBDP appeared to have different perceptions of the business problems and their causes than those entrepreneurs who did not participate in the training program. The SBDP Group perceived and reacted broadly to the business environment while the untrained group perceived and reacted in a limited way to the business environment.
  • In general, the SBDP Group perceived the major external problems to include poor access to technology, market constraints, and lack of credit for small-scale enterprises. The Untrained Group indicated that the major external problems were inadequate provision of physical infrastructure, negative legal environment, and negative perceptions of lending institutions.
  • The internal problems facing both groups included working capital management, costing and pricing, investment decisions, market penetration, product development, and productivity improvement. However, the SBDP Group perceived the causes of these internal problems at a higher and broader level of complexity than the Untrained Group.
  • The findings also revealed that more advanced training may be needed for the SBDP Group than the Untrained Group. For the SBDP Groups, training is needed in business expansion and leadership skills. The external and internal problems and their causes as perceived by the Untrained Group would necessitate modifying the SBDP program for it to be applicable and useful to the Untrained Group.
Type of Resource
text
Permalink
http://hdl.handle.net/2142/21858
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 1995 Nguiru, Robert Gichira

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