On the question of entrepreneurial breakthrough or failure in Africa: a framework for analysis
African Journal of Economic and Management Studies
ISSN: 2040-0705
Article publication date: 20 April 2023
Issue publication date: 6 June 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Having the right intent, aspiration, ability and attitude to become an entrepreneur has become the mantra in the extant literature to be driver of entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprise (SME) growth. Why would zealous and ambitious individuals with all rightful attributes so required of entrepreneurs have to fizzle out few years after venturing into business or SMEs? Perhaps these same individuals may relocate to other jurisdictions and would establish successful firms even beyond their imaginations. Beyond the individual’s entrepreneurial attributes, there are other external countervailing forces which either “enable” or “impede” entrepreneurial drive and SME growth processes. Adopting the theory of planned behavior, this study conceptualizes a systems framework to analyze how SMEs either flourish or fail in developing countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study relies on secondary sources of data. It adopts a critical stage review of secondary data.
Findings
The study argues that the interplay of “internal factors” and “external factors” of prospective entrepreneurs provides a useful framework to explain the general SME outlook of an economy. The study postulates that many internally driven prospective SME entrants (with entrepreneurial attitudes, abilities and aspirations) mostly in the developing economies may have their dreams shattered because of obstructive external ecological elements which tend to frustrate new business entrants as well as existing ones.
Originality/value
With the aid of a framework, this study conceptualizes a comprehensive framework to analyze how SMEs either flourish or fail in developing countries.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 823744.
Citation
Yeboah-Assiamah, E., Hossain, F., Mamman, A. and Rees, C.J. (2023), "On the question of entrepreneurial breakthrough or failure in Africa: a framework for analysis", African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 289-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-05-2022-0184
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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