Entrepreneurial Competencies Required by Women Homemakers for African Oil Bean Seed Processing in South-East Nigeria

Abstract

In South-East Nigeria, African Oil Bean (AOB) homemaking has for decades remained a trending business among rural women. By business model deviations, those women have continued to experience heavy business odds and challenges. Therefore, this study examined the required composite planning, processing, and marketing entrepreneurial competencies and success factors for AOB homemaking within the South-Eastern Nigeria. We used a survey research design on sample of 451 respondents out of a universe of 706 AOB experienced dealers and teachers. We tested three postulations around planning, processing, and marketing creativity, self-concept, and innovation in AOB business using Contingent Chi-Square statistics while drawing inferences from average competency expectations and standard errors. Using Cronbach reliability test, the instrument had alpha value of 0.98, which indicates significant par excellent reliability. We found that planning competencies are highly required for AOB entrepreneurial sustainability (X²_Calculated. = 4.496, > X²_ critical value =0.05). Business planning power, planning autonomy, higher achievement motivation and creative business plans all scored high with average mean of over 3.3 point, which suggests high requirement. Processing competencies were also found to be highly essential and needed for AOB homemaking by South-Eastern women (X²_Calculated= 5.1409, > X²_ critical value =0.05). We found high AOB processing achievement spirit, social orientation initiative, higher processing endurance, POD boiling creativity, creative processing, boiling autonomy, Pod drying creativity, high processing risk taking and processing power to be processing competencies that scored higher among the respondents. Marketing competencies are highly required for AOB homemaking (X²_Calculated=8.330, > X²_ critical value= 0.05). We recommend that AOB homemakers should develop strong self-concept, innovation and creativity in planning, processing, and marketing AOB.