Title: Institutional approach and competitive behaviours of informal Ghanaian women entrepreneurs

Authors: Fanny Adams Quagrainie

Addresses: Business School, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration, P.O. Box AH 50, Achimota, Accra, Ghana

Abstract: Women entrepreneurship in the informal sector has been accepted as central to their development. This goal is achieved when these women engage in competitive behaviours. The Ghanaian social structure posits that women behaviours are embedded in their families. Very few studies have investigated the antecedently effect of family issues on the relationship between competitive behaviours and business growth of women entrepreneurs. Using a mixed methods (questionnaire and interviews) approach this study sampled 286 women entrepreneurs operating micro and small businesses in three Ghanaian cities. Structural equation modelling was used to analysed the data. The findings of the study were that family issues (marital status and number of children) were not determinants of competitive behaviours, however a significant positive relationship existed between competitive activities and business growth. The study concluded that family issues of these Ghanaian women micro and small business owners do not affect their competitive behaviours.

Keywords: competitive behaviour; informal sector; women entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; Ghana; marital status; micro enterprises; small business; small firms; institutional theory; number of children; informal economy; shadow economy; female entrepreneurs; structural equation modelling; SEM; family issues.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2016.076648

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2016 Vol.28 No.2/3, pp.323 - 338

Received: 15 May 2015
Accepted: 28 Jul 2015
Published online: 18 May 2016 *

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