AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CHOICE OF PERFORMANCE OF WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR IN TECHNOLOGICAL AND NON-TECHNOLOGICAL ENTERPRISE

Introduction

1.1 Background Of The Study

The beginning of business ownership in Nigeria data back to pre and post-colonial era and involved commercial activities such as wholesale and retail trading of which women were pre-dominate. There were also enterprises such as weaving, fishing, food processing, agricultural production, blacksmithing, goldsmithing etc. Much more pre-dominant with the men. Nigeria enjoyed a phenomenal economic growth during the oil boom period of 1973-1980 with per-capital GDP rising from N25,740 in 1971 to N128,700 in 1980. In this period despite the dramatic rise in oil revenues, misdirected government policies left the country’s economy vulnerable public was often focus on costly prestigious and inappropriate infrastructure projects with questionable rate of return. The government also failed to strengthen public finance and pursed expansionary financial policies which created significant inflationary pressures. Inward looking industrial policies also bred a non-competitive manufacturing sector. The Agricultural sector was completely neglected as the real effective exchange rate increased due to oil rising of oil prices. The competitiveness of virtually all non-oil sector of the economy was eroded.

With sustained economic declination individual as well as government increasingly set up encourage entrepreneurship to enrage and possibly eradicate the economic depression. As more Nigeria fail to get employed in the formal and informal section, the need to own a business become more attractive and competitive especially for women who do not have as much opportunity as their male counterpart. There are also associated problem such as difficulty in getting financial, legal trade activities amongst other.

The Nigeria industrial sector is dominated macro and small scale enterprises which constitute 65.5% of industrial establishment. Medium scale enterprises constitute 32% while large scale enterprises make up only about 2.5% of the industrial establishment. In Lagos state Nigeria, both formal and informal economic activities are common large members of women work in the informal sector but their contribution to value added is not included in National account (Soetan, 1995).

There are variety of constraints on women and the ability of women to upgrade their production continuously. This include poor access to access to market information, technology, finance poor linkage with support service and unfavorable policy and regulatory environment.

Furthermore, concerted efforts are needed to enable women to make better economics choices and to transform their business into competitive enterprises, generating income and employment through improved production.
As women increasingly start their own business. Political and economic opportunities for women still remain limited. A number of women 4in career planning are discouraged from following their dreams because their career choice does not fit in with traditional gender roles. Men are discouraged from career in nursing, social work and teaching, while women are discourage from career in technology, science and security. Men who are interested in “feminine” job are teased about their sexuality and women who are interested in “male” jobs are questioned as to whether they have brain or stamina to perform.

According to Soetan (1995) as published by Aderemi et al., (2008), both formal and informal economic activities are common in the South-West of Nigeria. Informal economic activities in Nigeria embrace a broad range of small-scale, self-employment activities which could either be technological or non-technological (which already has a large number of womenowned businesses). She also mentioned that large numbers of women are involved in informal economic activities but their contribution to value added is not included in national accounts. Women entrepreneurship in Nigeria is common in the informal economic activities but they seem to be invisible, along with their contributions and needs. She stated that despite government intervention aimed at reaching small-scale entrepreneurs, women are not considered for assistance and a major reason for this is that most of the enterprises women engage in non-technological activities such as petty trading, dressmaking, hairdressing, catering, and bead- making which fall outside the Census of Production Surveys. These surveys normally include enterprises employing 10 or more people (Soetan, 1995 as published by Aderemi et al., 2008). In addition, people who engage in these activities can be classified as non-technological entrepreneurs.

There is a stereotype of technological entrepreneurship like agricultural production, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, building and construction, furniture making, welding and iron works, being for men while the non-technological entrepreneurship is for women. According to Woldie and Adersua (2004) as cited by Adesua-Lincoln (2011), the promotion of women in Nigeria is disappointing, and their contribution overlooked as a result of the systematic neglect by society as a whole. In addition, their participation and role within the wider entrepreneurial setting is constantly undermined, resulting in the gross underestimation of women’s socio- economic contribution to the economy and under- utilization of women’s tremendous potentials. Women who are interested in ―male jobs‖ are questioned as to whether they have the brains or stamina to perform (Hansen, 2001). Stereotypical perceptions promote the idea that men have confidence and aggressiveness that allow them to take necessary risks and be successful in high technology business careers (Gupta, Turban, Wasti, & Sikdar, 2009 as cited by Alzahrani, 2014). He further cited Thompson (1999) who opined that the common stereotype is that ―entrepreneurs are regarded as businessmen rather than women.

Informal economic activities in Nigeria encompass a wide range of small-scale, largely self-employment activities, most of them are traditional occupation and method of production of a particular interest to this study is the informal productive sub-sector which encompasses all economic activities involving the production of tangible goods. They include Agricultural production, mining and quarrying (Excluding petroleum), small-scale manufacturing, building and construction, food production, wood work, furniture making, garment making, welding and iron work among others. These categories are classed “technological entrepreneurs”.

1.2 Statement of Problem

The characteristics of women who start high growth companies in technological industries not establish in literature. More women run non-technological than technological business. Hence research is needed to examine the factors that contribute to the performance of each group as well factors that contribute to the performance of each group as well as those peculiar characteristics that promote the choice and successful practice of technological entrepreneurship by women in southwestern Nigeria. Some important questions that are pertinent to this research work are as follows:

1. What are the sources of information available to technological and non-technological entrepreneurs?
2. What are the sources of information available to technological and non-technological entrepreneurs prior to stating their business and how adequate are they?
3. Are measures for performance or success the same for women in technological and non-technological businesses?

Thus this research attempts to provide answers to the question by comparing women entrepreneurs in technological and non-technological industries in southwestern Nigeria with a view to identifying factors that would enhance performance and encourage more women into owing technological businesses.

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The main objective of the study is to assess the performance of women entrepreneurs in technological and non-technological development.

1. Perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst Women Entrepreneurs
2. Factors that Influence the Perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst women Entrepreneurs in Lagos State
3. Ways by which Perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst Women Entrepreneurs in Lagos State Influences their Involvement
4. Ways by which Involvement of Women in Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship can be improved in Lagos State

1.4 Research questions

1. What is the perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst Women Entrepreneurs?
2. What are the factors that Influence the Perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst women Entrepreneurs in Lagos State?
3. What are the ways by which Perception of Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship amongst Women Entrepreneurs in Lagos State Influences their Involvement?
4. What are the ways by which Involvement of Women in Technological and non-technological Entrepreneurship can be improved in Lagos State?

1.5 Significance of the study

1. It will enable the women to be independent.
2. It will also create equality between male and female entrepreneurs.
3. To increase the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Nation.
4. To create enabling environment for women education.
5. To distinguish between successful entrepreneurs from un-success ones.
6. Enable women possess certain competence or trait.
7. Right to compete with their male counterpart

1.6 Scope of the study

The study is carried out on the assessment of performance of women entrepreneurs in technological and non-technological development. The study was carried out in Lagos state.

1.7 Definition of Terms

Entrepreneurship:

Entrepreneurship is the process of starting up a business in other to provide goods (rulers, chairs, wrist-watches, phones, cars) and services (catering, hairdressing), employ labour and make profit. Entrepreneurship can either be a technological entrepreneurship or Non-technological entrepreneurship.

Women Entrepreneurs:

Women entrepreneurs are the female genders involved in activities of production of goods and services as their personal owned business for the purpose of employing labour and making profit and have worked as salary earners prior to establishing their own business.

Technological Entrepreneurship:

Technological entrepreneurship is the process of starting up a business that requires the use of machines and high skill in production of goods and services. For example, agricultural production, mining and quarrying, manufacturing, building and construction, furniture making, welding and iron works etc.

Non-Technological Entrepreneurship:

Non-technological entrepreneurship is the process of starting up a business that does not require the use of machines in production of goods and services, instead requires manual operations and low or semi-skill. For example, Hairdressing, catering, bead making etc.

Perception:

Perception is the belief, opinion, feeling, mind-set women entrepreneurs in Lagos State that are into non-technological entrepreneurship have about technological entrepreneurship based on how things seem.