TABLE BANKING PRACTICES, GOVERNMENT SUPPORT SERVICES AND THE GROWTH OF WOMEN OWNED ENTERPRISES IN UASIN GISHU COUNTY KENYA

Abstract

Women-owned “ enterprises play a crucial role in economic development by creating employment, fostering innovation, and enhancing household incomes. In Uasin Gishu County, Kenya, women entrepreneurs have increasingly turned to table banking as an alternative financing model due to limited access to formal credit facilities. Despite the potential benefits of table banking and government interventions, the growth of women-owned enterprises in Uasin Gishu County remains sluggish. Many businesses struggle with limited capital, inadequate financial literacy, market constraints, and regulatory challenges therefore the study sought to assess table banking practices, government support services and the growth of women owned enterprises in Uasin Gishu County–Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to assess the effect of business financing, resource mobilization, information sharing and business developing of managerial skills on growth of women owned enterprises in Uasin Gishu, Kenya. In addition, the study sought to determine the moderating role of government support services on the effect of business financing, resource mobilization, information sharing and managerial skills on growth of women owned enterprises in Uasin Gishu County. The study was anchored on the resource mobilization theory supported by network, stewardship, pecking order and financial inclusion theories. The study adopteddescriptive research design rooted in the positivist philosophy. The target population was 1198 owners of women owned business from six sub-counties in Uasin Gishu County. The population was stratified into 6 strati corresponding to the 6 sub-counties. The study used Israel’s 1992 formula to determine the sample size of 330 women owned enterprises from all the 6 sub-counties. The sample was apportioned proportionately to the 6 sub-counties. Simple random sampling was used to pick the specific respondents from each sub county. Primary data was collected using a self constructed structured questionnaire. A pilot study was conducted on 33 respondents from 11 women owned enterprises in Nakuru County to test reliability of the questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used in data analysis. Data was presented in form of tables and graphs. The study established that business financing and resource mobilization has a statistically positive significant effect on the growth of women owned business enterprises in Uasin Gishu County. In addition, the study established that information sharing and managerial skills has no positive statistically significant effect on the growth of women owned business enterprises in Uasin Gishu County. Overall the study established that government support services has a positive statistically significant moderating effect in the relationship between business financing, resource mobilization, information sharing and developing managerial skills on the growth of women owned business enterprises in Uasin Gishu County.The study concluded that business financing, resource mobilization and developing of managerial skills has a statistically significant moderating effect in the relationship between business financing and the growth of women. In addition, the study concluded that concluded that information sharing has no statistically significant effect on the growth of women owned business enterprises. Finally, the study concluded that and government support services has a statistically significant moderating effect in the relationship between table banking practices and the growth of women in Uasin Gishu County. From the conclusion the study recommended a need to explore options for expanding resource mobilization beyond individual member contributions, such as seeking grants or external funding specifically targeted at supporting table banking groups. Additionally, the study recommended that table banking group should establish a structured information-sharing system within the groups and include monitoring and evaluation aspects in their daily operations of the groups. The study also recommended that table banking groups should come up with their strategic plans and document the same. ”