Factors Affecting Performance Efficiency of Female Entrepreneurs in Business Operations

Authors

  • Akarapitta Meechaiwong, Sudawan Somjai, Pornkul Suksod

Abstract

To become female entrepreneurs has a number of limitations, such as education, family support, status and social inequality, training, education and skills development. These factors affect the way that female entrepreneurs use in business operations. The objectives of this research were to: 1) study the levels of personal background and family, characteristics of entrepreneurs, human capital of entrepreneurs, financial support and performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs in business operations; 2) examine the influences of personal background and family, characteristics of entrepreneurs, human capital of entrepreneurs, financial support on the performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs in business operations; and 3) develop guidelines for enhancing the performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs in business operations. This research employed a mixed research methodology combining quantitative and qualitative methods. For the quantitative research part, the sample consisted of 340 female entrepreneurs in Samut Sakhon Province, selected via proportional sampling. The sample size was determined based on the criterion of 20 times the observed variables. Data were collected with the use of a questionnaire and analyzed with a structural equation model. As for the qualitative research component, in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 key informants from three groups of people including: 1) five female executives of the organizations in the government sector which were related to business operations or the industrial sector; 2) seven female executives of the private organizations who had been accepted as being outstanding or those who had been awarded with prestige certificates; and 3) female academics whose works related to education in the business operation field. They were selected by purposive sampling. Data were analyzed with content analysis. The findings showed that: 1)personal background and family, characteristics of entrepreneurs, human capital of entrepreneurs, financial support and performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs in business operations were all rated at a high level in overall; 2) characteristics of entrepreneurs had the greatest direct influence on the performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs in business operators, followed by financial support whereas personal background and family had the highest indirect influence on the performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs; 3) the guidelines for enhancing the performance efficiency of female entrepreneurs included the development of characteristics of entrepreneurs in terms of self-confidence, inspiration and goal setting. This should be done hand in hand with the promotion of accessibility to sufficient funds by female entrepreneurs, and the implementation of financial flexibility.

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Published

2020-08-30

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Articles