ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS NEEDED BY SECONDARY SCHOOL GRADUATES FOR EMPLOYMENT IN SMALL BUSINESSES IN ENUGU STATE OF NIGERIA
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page i
Approval Page ii
Certification iii
Dedication iv
Acknowledgements v
Table of Contents vii
List of Tables x
Abstract xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 8
Purpose of the Study 9
Significance of the Study 9
Research Questions 12
Hypotheses 12
Scope of the Study 13
CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 14
Conceptual Framework 14
- Secondary School Education 15
- Small Scale Business in Nigeria 17
- Basic characteristics of small scale enterprise 21
- Types of small business 23
- Entrepreneurship skills needed by secondary school graduates 26
- Management skills for employment in small business 31
- Marketing skills for employment in small business 34
- Accounting skills for employment in small business 38
- Communication skills for employment in small business 44
Theoretical Framework 50
- Psychomotor Theory 50
- Competency Theory 52
- Skills Acquisition Theory 53
- Experiential Theory 54
Related Empirical Studies 55
Summary of Literature Reviewed 61
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 63
Design of the Study 63
Area of the Study 64
Population for the Study 64
Sample and Sampling Technique 64
Instrument for Data Collection 65
Validation of the Instrument 65
Reliability of the Instrument 66
Method of Data Collection 66
Method of Data Analysis 67
CHAPTER FOUR: PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS OF DATA 68
Research Question 1 68
Research Question 2 69
Research Question 3 71
Research Question 4 72
Hypothesis 1 74
Hypothesis 2 75
Hypothesis 3 76
Hypothesis 4 76
Findings of the Study 77
Discussion of Findings 81
CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 90
Re-statement of the Problem 90
Summary of Procedure Used 91
Summary of Findings 92
Implications of the Study 94
Conclusion 94
Recommendations 95
Suggestions for Further Studies 96
REFERENCES 97
APPENDICES
A: Population 102
B: Validation of Research Instrument 103
C: Letter to Respondents 104
D: Questionnaire 104
E: Reliability Analysis 107
F: Analysis Result 109
G: t-test Analysis 114
LIST OF TABLES
Table Page
- Mean ratings of respondents on the management skills needed by
secondary school graduates for employment in small business 68
- Mean ratings of respondents on the marketing skills needed by
secondary school graduates for employment in small business 70
- Mean ratings of respondents on the accounting skills needed by
Secondary school graduates for employment in small business 71
- Mean ratings of respondents on the communication skills needed
by secondary school graduates for employment in small business 73
- t-test analysis of the mean responses of secondary school graduates
and owners of small scale business on the management skills needed by the graduates 74
- t-test analysis of the mean responses of supervisors and the employed
secondary school graduates on the marketing skills needed by
the graduates for employment in small business 75
- t-test analysis of the mean responses of supervisors and employed
secondary school graduates on the accounting skills needed by
the graduates for employment in small business 76
- t-test analysis of the mean responses of supervisors and secondary
School graduates on the communication skills needed by the
graduates for Employment in small business 77
Abstract
The major purpose of this study was to determine the entrepreneurial skills needed by secondary school graduates for employment in small businesses in Enugu state. Four research questions were answered and four null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The target population for the study was 85,608. These comprise 3240 supervisors of registered small and medium scale enterprises with the corporate affairs commission, Enugu, Enugu State, plus 82368 secondary school graduates in the state, bringing the total population to 85608. The sample for the study was 712 comprising of 313 supervisors of small scale enterprises and 399 secondary school graduates. Structured questionnaire was used to generate data for the study. The instrument was face validated by three experts: two from Vocational and Technical Education and one from Science Education Department, all from University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The Instrument was trial tested on 30 respondents comprising of 10 supervisors of small business enterprises in Anambra state and 20 secondary school graduates in Anambra state outside the study area. Cronbach Alpha reliability method was used to determine the internal consistency of the instrument and this yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.84. Data were analysed using mean statistic for the research questions and t-test was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Secondary school graduates were influenced by the ability to set appropriate business goals. Based on the findings, it was concluded that, many of such skills were found as management, accounting, marketing and communication skills. The graduates are therefore required to undergo training to enable them grow and develop their own enterprises. The establishing of the enterprise will reduce unemployment and create job for the youths and other people in the society. It was recommended that, federal government and non-government organization (NGO) should join in the campaign for the relevance of entrepreneurial skills to secondary school graduates for employment in small scale business; principals of secondary schools in Enugu state should embark on entrepreneurship capacity building of the teachers to ensure better understanding of entrepreneurial skills and the operations in business. The curriculum planners should fully integrate entrepreneurship education into secondary schools curriculum.
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER ONE
Background of the Study
Business in Nigeria has been classified as small, medium and large. In the developed and developing countries, the government is turning to small scale enterprises as a means of solving economic problems. It is also the bedrock of innovation, inventions and employment. According to Kochadai (2012), small scale business is a type of business that is independently owned, operated and organized for profit, and is not dominant in its field with a small number of employees and a relatively low volume of sale. Ayozie and Jacob (2013) defined small scale business as a manufacturing establishment employing less than ten people, or whose investment in machinery and equipment does not exceed two hundred thousand naira. They further stated that small scale business represents a statistically significant proportion of the world economy.
In Nigeria to day, small scale business assists in promoting the growth of the country’s economy. Small scale businesses are sources for economic growth and development for every nation, because as they grow, their economy grows too (Olowu & Aliyu, 2015). Since the development index of nations are measured basically on their achievement in terms of provision of welfare to their populace, small scale businesses play, a role as employment providers in a way that ensures equitable income distribution (Kuratko, 2005). Thus, Ayanda and Laraba (2011) described small businesses as “mighty minors”, that functionalize market economics and remove or minimize imperfection factors that impede adaptation to change. Small scale business is generally believed to be the most appropriate scale of business for developing economics like Nigeria. Small scale business helps to diversify economics and at the same time create employment (Abuka, 2014). Abuka further stated that for a small scale business to survive in an increasingly competitive environment like Nigeria, a skilled entrepreneur is required.