Full Esteem Ahead? Mindset-Oriented Business Training in Ethiopia

Is there a mindset gap holding women back in business? Can entrepreneurship training instill a set of attitudes, behaviors, and strategies that are thought to underpin success in business such as motivation, perseverance, and self-confidence? This study conducted two randomized controlled trials to evaluate the effect of mindset-oriented business trainings on the performance of women-owned micro and small enterprises in Ethiopia. The trainings were underpinned by psychology with a mission to foster self-esteem and entrepreneurial spirit. Despite a similar approach, however, the quality of delivery seemed to matter as impacts of the trainings on business performance were mixed. A key channel for an impact on profits is if the training can actually effectuate the mindset change, with only one training transferring higher levels of entrepreneurial self-efficacy, personal initiative, and entrepreneurial locus of control to the women, relative to a control group. The study finds suggestive evidence that psychological skills and mindset are better inspired by a trainer who previously owned a business themselves and therefore may have a better understanding of the entrepreneurs' specific challenges. The study concludes that psychological skills are important for women's business success, and these skills can indeed be transferred using training, assuming a shared identity match between trainer and student. Service delivery appears to be critical for inculcating these important skills.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Alibhai, Salman, Buehren, Niklas, Frese, Michael, Goldstein, Markus, Papineni, Sreelakshmi, Wolf, Kathrin
Format:	Working Paper biblioteca
Language:	English
Published:	World Bank, Washington, DC 2019-06
Subjects:	AFRICA GENDER POLICY, GENDER INNOVATION LAB, GENDER, BUSINESS TRAINING, ENTREPRENEURSHIP TRAINING, FEMALE ENTREPRENEURS, MICROENTERPRISES, SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES, PSYCHOLOGY, WOMEN IN BUSINESS, WOMEN AND PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT,
Online Access:	http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/247671560784088055/Full-Esteem-Ahead-Mindset-Oriented-Business-Training-in-Ethiopia https://hdl.handle.net/10986/31905
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