Abstract
Background to the study: Nigeria is endowed with enormous natural and human resources sufficient for it to be considered a developed country. It is Africa’s largest producer of oil and the sixth largest oil producing country in the world. However, Nigeria is a mono economy highly dependent on inflows from the sale of crude oil within a global economy in decline.The country needs to develop the infrastructure and architecture to support the small and medium sized businesses (SME’s) that need to grow and develop in order to help drive the economy through innovation and creativity. This study will seek to understand the challenges and barriers faced by Micro and Small Businesses in Southern Nigeria.
The principal aim of this research is to analyse and critically evaluate the Nigerian entrepreneurial ecosystem and its effectiveness in the development and sustainability of micro and small businesses in Southern Nigeria using a cultural lens analysis.
The Title and objectives of this research are:
Title: The Nigerian Entrepreneurial Ecosystem - its effectiveness in the development and sustainability of Micro and Small Businesses in Southern Nigeria. A cultural lens analysis.
The objectives of this research are;
• To examine the challenges and barriers faced by micro and small businesses in
Southern Nigeria.
• To identify and classify the perceived development and support needs of the owners and directors of micro and small businesses in Southern Nigeria.
• To use a cultural lens analysis to evaluate the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Southern Nigeria and its impact on micro and small businesses.
• To develop a holistic framework using a cultural lens analysis for the improvement of the architecture of support required to enable micro and small businesses to flourish in these areas of Nigeria.
Methodology: The nature of this study recognises that reality is complex and subjective and is created through the interaction of people and the meaning that they give to their experiences. The research, therefore, utilises qualitative methods which will enable a personal understanding of the meaning and context of micro and small businesses in Nigeria. The research uses interviews and focus groups and a case study approach based on the themes identified in the literature search; the approach is to work with a small sample size and use a
thematic analysis on the data produced. The study adopts a cultural perspective of organisations, and more specifically, using the structural model of culture as a framework, this investigation can attempt to discover the underlying structure of reality in relation to entrepreneurial ecosystems in southern Nigeria.
Key findings and contribution to knowledge: The concept of entrepreneurial ecosystems
includes many factors from the most obvious and observable to the less obvious and least visible. These include factors such as physical infrastructure, government and regional policy, regularity frameworks, access to finance, formal institutions, education and training, entrepreneurial networks and the culture and values of a population. All of these factors work together to create an environment in which MSME’s can start, to develop and flourish.
However, the absence of one or many will be a barrier to business development and the findings of this research have revealed significant deficiencies with all the models of entrepreneurial ecosystems. This research has used an amended cultural lens of E. H. Schein (2010) to describe a model of culture in organisations that can be used to analyse entrepreneurial ecosystems in Nigeria.
Identifying Keywords: Southern Nigeria; Micro and Small Businesses; Entrepreneurial Eco Systems; Cultural Lens; Development and Support Needs of MSME’s.
Date of Award | 23 Oct 2023 |
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Original language | English |
Awarding Institution |
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Supervisor | HELEN WOODRUFFE-BURTON (Director of Studies) & PARESH WANKHADE (Supervisor) |
Keywords
- Southern Nigeria; Micro and Small Businesses; Entrepreneurial Eco Systems; Cultural Lens; Development and Support Needs of MSMEs.