Browsing by Author "Mulira, Fiona"

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    Entrepreneurial Competences and Growth of Female-owned Enterprises the Mediation Role of Absorptive Capacity
    (International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 2021) Dawa, Samuel; Namatovu, Rebecca; Mulira, Fiona; Kyejjusa, Sarah; Arinaitwe, Mercy; Arinaitwe, Alice
    from the resource-based view to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial competences and firm growth. The study employed a cross-sectional research design. Data was collected from 232 women entrepreneurs operating in Kampala's two biggest markets. The data were analyzed to test the mediation effect of absorptive capacity on the relationship between entrepreneurial competences and firm growth, a Sobel test and Bootstrap estimation were analytical approaches that were used. This paper argues that for female entrepreneurs, the venture growth process is not simply dependent on inimitable resources such as competences as these are first not readily available to female entrepreneurs and second, only provide a temporary competitive advantage. Rather, venture growth also involves the ability to continuously identify and exploit knowledge resources through absorptive capacity which may be limited by the socio-cultural context within which the female entrepreneur operates in sub-Saharan Africa. The novelty of the research resides in support for the mediating role of the ability to recognize the value of new information, assimilate it, and apply it to commercial ends. The study shows that female entrepreneurs use externally generated knowledge as a mechanism to grow their firms and this is impacted by the socio-cultural context within which they operate. The study further improves our understanding of the resource-based view by suggesting that a black box exists in the relationship between resources and performance. It is shown that possession of one resource facilitates the acquisition of other resources and propose that the role of resources continuously unfolds as a firm develops.
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    Entrepreneurs with Disability in Uganda
    (Investment Climate and Business Environment Research Fund, 2012) Namatovu, Rebecca; Dawa, Samuel; Mulira, Fiona; Katongole, Celestine
    This report addresses entrepreneurship activity among Persons with Disability in Uganda and their potential to contribute to economic development. Data was collected from Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (EWDs) in Kampala using mixed methods research. In the study we sought to answer questions about the environment, business activities EWDs are involved in, attitudes towards business, their motivations, challenges and growth aspirations. Key findings were that the majority of the EWDs are involved in retail trade. Most of them had started their own businesses using their own savings and had previously closed a business because it wasn’t profitable. Most of their businesses weren’t registered because they said they didn’t need to yet the majority of those whose businesses were registered said registration was easy and beneficial to the running of their businesses. The results also show that two thirds of the EWDs did not have any business skills training with the majority that received training saying that it was through apprenticeship. Two thirds of the EWDs claimed not to belong to any association thus starving their businesses of the benefits of these networks. A large majority of the EWDs hoped to grow their businesses with most of them hoping to hire between 1 and 5 employees in the next 5 years.
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    Religious Beliefs and Entrepreneurial Behaviors in Africa: A Case Study of the Informal Sector in Uganda
    (Africa Journal of Management, 2018) Namatovu, Rebecca; Dawa, Samuel; Adewale, Adeyinka; Mulira, Fiona
    Religion plays a major role in Africa’s polity and its influence on thebusiness landscape of the continent has been acknowledged in literature. This study contributes to the discourse by investigating and explaining how religious beliefs shape entrepreneurial behaviors in Uganda’s informal sector. Using a qualitative methodology, we explored how entrepreneurs in the context use or adopt religious beliefs in their entrepreneurial activities. By spanning a diverse set of entrepreneurial activities in the informal sector − food vendors, fabricators, hawkers, and recyclers among others − we conducted 49 in-depth interviews. Our findings reveal that the entrepreneurs relied on their religious beliefs in defining and coping with a penurious context. Further to this, we explain how religious beliefs galvanize business behaviors and calibrate the entrepreneurial identities of respondents in the context. To facilitate future work, the study highlights how knowledge gaps in the cultural and social setup of the informal economy will produce new insights in entrepreneurship research. It concludes by guiding policymakers and educators to engage and involve faith-based institutions in the entrepreneurship promotion agenda.
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    Rural Youth Entrepreneurs in East Africa: A view from Uganda and Kenya
    (Investment Climate and Business Environment Research Fund (ICBE-RF), 2012) Namatovu, Rebecca; Dawa, Samuel; Mulira, Fiona; Katongole, Celestine; Nyongesa, Stella
    This report is a result of a project titled Entrepreneurship empowering marginalized groups. The project was made possible through funding from the IDRC Trust Africa Investment Climate and Business Environment- Research Fund. The overall objective of the project was to explore the entrepreneurship initiatives that marginalized groups which included women, rural youth and the disabled are engaged in. From earlier studies it is evident that governments are aware of the looming youth problems especially the rising unemployment and entrepreneurship is being considered as a measure to mitigate the crisis. This report is intended to document the rural youth entrepreneurship situation in East Africa, the Ugandan and Kenyan contexts in particular, looking at why rural youth engage in entrepreneurship and what benefits arise there from. The report explores several facets of entrepreneurship as it compares rural youth activities and behaviors in Uganda and Kenya. It examines the socio economic environment in which these young people operate. Further, the report highlights the current policy gaps in youth entrepreneurship by exposing the unique challenges they face and assessing if the initiatives that have been devised have indeed worked. Proposals to achieve entrepreneurship for sustainable growth are then outlined.
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    Understanding Women Micro and Small Business Entrepreneurs in Uganda
    (Investment Climate and Business environment Research Fund Report, 2012) Namatovu, Rebecca; Dawa, Samuel; Katongole, Celestine; Mulira, Fiona
    This report focuses on micro and small entrepreneurial activity among women in Uganda. We presentand discuss findings that were adduced on the entrepreneurial environment, motivations, aspirations andData were sourced from around the country using mixed research methodology. A survey was carried out,in depth interviews were under taken with entrepreneurs and experts on women entrepreneurship. Focusgroup discussions were also conducted in all the parts of the country yielding a very rich data set. Mostof the women entrepreneurs were under 35 years of age and married with a minority having attained aneducation of ordinary level. The report also shows that the younger women entrepreneurs had the highest number of startup andinfant businesses while their older counterparts had the majority of established businesses. Most womenentrepreneurs are engaged in trade with the majority not employing anyone.The majority had been home makers before starting their current ventures. For those who had previouslybeen in business almost all had previously closed a business. Most of these women entrepreneurs saidtheir businesses were registered in some form, with those that were not registered blaming it on costand the perception of the irrelevance of registration. The majority of the respondents had never received entrepreneurial training. Of those who had, apprenticeship was the most common type of training. An overwhelming majority of the respondents stated that it wasn’t easy to access funds to start or operate their enterprises with at least half of them using savings from a previous business or employment to start their enterprises. The study also found that the majority of the women entrepreneurs did not belong to any formal or informal association with the main reason being lack of knowledge of any such associations and high subscription fees. Yet those who belonged claimed a wide range of benefits of these associations specifically financial support. Most of the enterprises of the respondents were dependent on rudimentary hand tools. The majority of the respondents started their businesses of their own accord with survival and need to increase wealth as the main reason for startup. Most chose their current line of business because it was either what they could afford or because it was all they knew how to do. With an overwhelmingmajority asserting thatthey intended to expand their enterprise, it was no wonderthat a large number of the respondents said they wouldn’t give up their business if a job opportunity was presented. Despite this, knowledge of business development services in their communities was said to be lacking. The studyidentifiedchallenges facedbywomenownedenterpriseswhichincludedimproperimplementation of government policies, lack of funding and skills training, absence of BDS-Business development services and use of rudimentary tools, non-engagement in social networks and discriminatory cultural practices, high cost of doing business and cumbersome registration procedures. The study advances several recommendations to mitigate the existing circumstances including enlightment of women entrepreneurs on benefits of training and business registration; affirmative action in vocational institutions enrolment and award of government contracts and more interaction between government and women entrepreneurs; development of flexible financial products; improvement of basic infrastructure. Throughout the report case studies of typical micro and small women entrepreneurs are presented and quotes from experts in the field of women entrepreneurship are used to highlight the study objectives.