Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Sector Interventions in Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria

Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Sector Interventions in Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria by Michael Kalu Mba MS, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 2008 PGD, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 2002 BS, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy & Administration Walden University May 2019 Abstract Entrepreneurship is significant to the production process for economic growth and development. The Nigerian government supports entrepreneurial development by providing business training for entrepreneurs across the country; however, the impact of such programs in current entrepreneurship in Nigeria has not been researched. This study was designed to examine the impact of the training on entrepreneurial outcomes such as profitability, revenue, and access to finance using the social construction framework and the theory of external control of organizations. Based on a quantitative quasiexperimental design involving a posttest comparison group, the impact of government support on randomly selected beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries with the FCT was tested using an independent samples t test and binary logistic regression analysis. The results showed no significant relationship between business training and entrepreneurial outcomes. Additionally, it was not likely that an unemployed beneficiary would start a new business after the training, and trainees had difficulty accessing business loans. The social change implication of this study is that public sector institutions engaged inEntrepreneurship is significant to the production process for economic growth and development. The Nigerian government supports entrepreneurial development by providing business training for entrepreneurs across the country; however, the impact of such programs in current entrepreneurship in Nigeria has not been researched. This study was designed to examine the impact of the training on entrepreneurial outcomes such as profitability, revenue, and access to finance using the social construction framework and the theory of external control of organizations. Based on a quantitative quasiexperimental design involving a posttest comparison group, the impact of government support on randomly selected beneficiaries and nonbeneficiaries with the FCT was tested using an independent samples t test and binary logistic regression analysis. The results showed no significant relationship between business training and entrepreneurial outcomes. Additionally, it was not likely that an unemployed beneficiary would start a new business after the training, and trainees had difficulty accessing business loans. The social change implication of this study is that public sector institutions engaged in entrepreneurship development in Nigeria need pragmatic interventions that translate into positive entrepreneurial outcomes. They also need to focus on areas that cater for different categories of entrepreneurs such as age groups, educational level, business experience, and nature of the business to enhance effectiveness. Periodic assessment of the intervention programs is necessary using experimental and quasi-experimental studies. Therefore, this study can contribute to the data that public sector institutions can use to develop better interventions for entrepreneurs. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Public Sector Interventions in Entrepreneurship Development in Nigeria by Michael Kalu Mba MS, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 2008 PGD, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 2002 BS, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Public Policy & Administration Walden University May 2019 Dedication I dedicate this work to my parents, Mr. Kalu Mba Kalu and Madam Esther Kalu Mba, who inculcated the spirit of being the best in whatever I do and getting to the finishing line of every endeavor. I’m grateful to God for keeping them alive to witness this achievement. Acknowledgments This space will not be enough to enumerate all the people that need to be acknowledged for their various contributions, financially, emotionally, and otherwise towards the completion of this long-term project of acquiring a doctorate. First, I must appreciate the Almighty God, who through His divine inspiration led me to the advert by Walden University on the doctoral specialization in policy analysis that captured my attention. I want to thank God for providing me the strength, wisdom, and good health to start and finish this journey. He also raised a good number of people to provide the needed support to carry on especially when the journey became very tough. First, I appreciate my wife, Nnenna Mba, and my kids, Esther, Michael, and Janet, for their understanding, support, and endurance throughout this study. Special thanks to my best friend and mentee, Vera Nkiru Edeh, whose nudging and words of encouragement kept me going during the toughest times in the journey. You remain my best. I recognize the support of my boss, Elder Boni Ogbu, who made it a point of duty to insist that I go for a doctoral degree. I will not fail to appreciate Dr. Abraham Nwankwo and Surveyor Ugochukwu Chime, who were impressed by my efforts and supported me financially to actualize this feat. May God continue to reward you abundantly. I also thank my colleagues at the Central Bank of Nigeria most of whom supported me by lending a helping hand whenever I needed one, particularly, Gina Onumonu and Mary Ankoma-Forkuo. God bless you all. I acknowledge the supportive role of my parents and siblings, especially their kind understanding of the task ahead of me each time we had a family issue that needed my financial contribution. Thank you for your understanding and patience. I will not end this acknowledgment without recognizing the supportive role of dissertation committee members led by my Committee Chair, Dr. Victor Ferreros. At the early stage of my program he gave me hope and agreed to mentor me during my dissertation, and he exactly did that. Thank you, my Prof. I also appreciate Dr. Gregory Campbell, his useful feedback at every stage of the dissertation was highly invaluable. My special thanks to Dr. Michael Brewer for spending a lot of time to review my work and make helpful comments to improve on what I have done. Finally, I wish to express my gratitude to the respondents of the survey, whose contributions led to the successful conclusion of this research. My special thanks to the training team of the partnering institution for their assistance during the study. Without your contributions, it would have been difficult to complete this journey. God bless you all.