Entrepreneurial Orientation and Performance of Women Entrepreneurs in Rivers State: The Moderating Role of Government Policy Framework

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between entrepreneurial
orientation and the performance of women entrepreneurs. Government policy
framework moderated the relationship between EO and the performance of
women entrepreneurs. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design to solicit
responses from women entrepreneurs in Rivers State, Nigeria, using simple
random. After data cleaning, only data of 153 respondents were finally used for
data analysis. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank correlation were used for
data analysis and hypothesis testing. Empirical findings revealed that there is a
positive significant relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and
performance of women entrepreneurs. Findings further revealed that
innovativeness has significant relationship with women entrepreneurs to
employment creation but the relationship was not significant with contribution to
household sustenance. Risk-taking does not relate significantly with the two
measures of performance. The study thus concluded that EO bears a positive and
significant influence on the performance of women entrepreneurs though the
dimensions and measures show variations in the significance of relationships. We
recommend that government should generate policies that will enhance positive
participation of women in entrepreneurial ventures; women should be engaged in
entrepreneurial education to develop right competencies, skills and needed
entrepreneurial capacities.