The impact of entrepreneurial training in Sub-Saharan Africa:
Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The collapse of most SMEs still continues to raise alarming concerns for educators, legislators and government officials. They often ask whether entrepreneurial-trained business owners have what it takes to ensure business sustainability in most developing countries. This study area gives a vivid understanding of how entrepreneurial training influences SMEs' intentions in Sub-Saharan African countries. This thesis consists of an exploratory qualitative design conducted in two African countries, Ghana and Kenya. The research design adopted an inductive approach where themes were generated from the participant responses to describe the phenomena implemented compromises of a sample size of twenty-two (22) SMEs (owners/managers) from diverse businesses (manufacturing, service and tourism industry). The rationale for selecting each participant for the study included an individual with an established and operational business with at least three years standing. This is because most businesses fail between 3 to 5 years, and this methodological approach intends to gain detailed answers on SMEs' attitudes, behaviours, and intentions. The findings attest that start-up motivations are subjective, emphasising personal truth, intrinsic values and beliefs of the individual.Furthermore, negative experiences trigger start-up motivation, including lack of recognition, promotion, acknowledgement, recognition and benefit. Individuals with previous business and trade experience are likelier to start a business than those without personal experience. Entrepreneurial education from the university is essential for individuals to become entrepreneurs because they provide the necessary skills to prevent mistakes and errors in the early stages of the business.This thesis advances from the theory of planned behaviour and the entrepreneurial event model. A new framework called the "Triadic" influence of entrepreneurial intention was developed to analyse entrepreneurs' intentions. Practically, this thesis identifies limitations in current government policies and their communication regarding SME support. Recommendations are made for improving policy effectiveness and defining clear guidelines to address these issues. From a theoretical perspective, this thesis provides and contributes to the development of the intention of SMEs through entrepreneurial training. Contextual, conceptual and legacy models were developed to prescribe practices and drive relevant SMEs' entrepreneurial intention and job creation. This also contributes to entrepreneurial stability and resourcefulness literature by describing how small businesses and entrepreneurs anticipate and respond to measures to ensure business success. This thesis recommended how entrepreneurial training should be moderated and the vital measures most governments in Sub-Saharan Africa should adopt. A notable result of this thesis is developing a novel model that prescribes practices and informs SME policies. The model encompasses start-up triggers, start-up motivation (pull and push factors), the outcomes of entrepreneurial training, and a process model of entrepreneurial intention.This thesis highlights the role of entrepreneurial training in fostering SME development and sustainability in Sub-Saharan Africa. It underscores the need for effective policies, improved communication, and the continuous adaptation of training programs to meet the dynamic needs of SMEs. This research promotes entrepreneurship, job creation, and economic growth in SubSaharan Africa by bridging the gap between theory and practice.
Author: Afari, Yaw
Institution: University of the West of Scotland
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W6893162000
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