Factors Influencing Performance Of Women Group Enterprises In Londiani Sub-County, Kericho County, Kenya

Abstract

Women economic empowerment continues to be of major concern all over the world. This is because women and girls constitute 52 per cent of the world’s population. The role of women in the world economy has been growing in importance with time. However, they still face a lot of hurdles in trying to attain economic and social freedom. This study was designed to assess the factors that influence the performance of women group enterprises in Londiani Sub-County in Kericho County in Kenya. These factors were categorized into economic, social, infrastructure and ICT. Expectancy theory as advanced by Vroom (1964) is adopted in this study. The target populations were 4,406 women belonging to 279 groups in the sub-county. Stratified random sampling was used to get 2 strata: women group members and women group officials. Simple random sampling based on Krejcie, R.V. and Morgan, D.W. (1970) table of determining Sample Size for Research Activities, Educational and Psychological Measurement was then used to get a sample of 353 women and purposive sampling used to get 262 group officials. In the process of answering the basic questions, a questionnaire that includes demographic profiles and the three categories of factors that influence women group enterprises was designed in a closeended likert scales and open-ended questions. Moreover, in-depth group’s interviews where held with the women group officials representing the 262 selected groups. Pilot testing of the data collection tool was done prior to actual data collection to validate the tool and a Cronbach alpha reliability index of 0.774 was obtained. The collected data was analyzed using simple statistical techniques (tables and percentages) and descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviations) with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20. The results of the study shows that majority women group enterprises in Londiani sub-county have businesses (66.7%) with their main objective being economical empowerment members (74%) who are fairly farmers (33.4%). Some groups registered yearly profit margin of Kshs. 30,001 - 40,000 (36.7%) in last financial year. Based on the grand mean and standard (Grand: X = 2.812& s.d = 1.215), ICT factors are the most severe influencing women group enterprises. Most roads in the Sub-county are murram roads that are prone to weather conditions and need attention of the county government to construct culvers (30.2%) and regular maintenance (35.2). The findings of this study are hoped resourceful in development of women enterprises that are sustainable and economically viable in order to address women needs of generating income for themselves and their families.