AN ASSESSMENT OF EFFECTS OF TRAINING ON WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Abstract

Though it is reported that there is a high potential for women owned business and their growth in Sri Lanka, in many situation there is a lack of integrated and need based training programs which inhibit the effect at promoting women entrepreneurs. Considering that an attempt was made to find out different training providers to analyze the available training modules developed specially for women entrepreneurs, their effects and special areas of needs of women entrepreneurs in the urban and semi urban areas in the Central province of Sri Lanka. A sample of thirty five women entrepreneurs were selected with the help of three training providers. Identification of providers was done by building up the sample through informants. Case study method was used to collect data and collected data were compared on case by case basis by using matrix structures. The study proved that although there are large numbers of training providers in both public and private sector in Sri Lanka, majority of the training programs are welfare oriented and gender neutral. The study further reveled that the coordination among these programs is very low. Further women entrepreneurs in the studied context are a heterogeneous group and therefore the effect of training and specific areas of needs of training varies between three different identified strata. Majority of women entrepreneurs were found to be micro entrepreneurs whose business activities are mostly unregistered and operate in the informal sector. The overall effect of training on women entrepreneurs was also found to be low in this context.Therefore it is recommended to establish networks and proper coordination between all training providers and to give attention to the heterogeneity aspect of women entrepreneurs in designing and providing training for them.


Key Words: Women Entrepreneurs, Training Program, Heterogeneous Group

For full paper: fmscresearch@sjp.ac.lk