Household Business Performance in Ghana
The informal sector contributes significantly to the total output and employment of low-income countries. While women-owned businesses feature strongly in these informal environments, they are generally characterized by low productivity. This paper explores how household business performance may be influenced by owners’ personality traits and their attitudes toward gender roles. Using multi-topic household survey data collected in two regions of Ghana, the results show that among female business owners, being organized is an important determinant of business success, while among male business owners, power motivation and tenacity are important factors. However, increasing traditionalism tends to dampen the effects of these personality traits for both genders. Other factors that are positively correlated with women-owned business performance include business registration, separating expenses for home and business purposes, ownership of a business bank account, use of social media, as well as urban location of the business. For men-owned businesses, the results show that those that are located in traditional markets, have bank accounts, and use literate employees in their operations tend to perform better. The findings imply that policies that aim to boost women-owned business performance need to consider the main barriers, especially attitudes toward gender roles, that may determine how businesses operate in these settings. The results also suggest the importance of soft skills to boost business performance among men- and women-owned businesses.
Main Authors: | , , , |
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Format: | Working Paper biblioteca |
Language: | English en_US |
Published: |
Washington, DC: World Bank
2024-06-14
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Subjects: | BUSINESS PERFORMANCE, INFORMAL BUSINESSES, GENDER NORMS, PERSONALITY TRAITS, GHANA, JOBS STRATEGIES, GENDER AND ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT, GENDER EQUALITY, SDG 5, DECENT WORK AND ECONOMIC GROWTH, SDG 8, |
Online Access: | http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/099427506132435246/IDU10d6f93641c489147d81ae69181bd4a812b04 https://hdl.handle.net/10986/41719 |
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Summary: | The informal sector contributes
significantly to the total output and employment of
low-income countries. While women-owned businesses feature
strongly in these informal environments, they are generally
characterized by low productivity. This paper explores how
household business performance may be influenced by owners’
personality traits and their attitudes toward gender roles.
Using multi-topic household survey data collected in two
regions of Ghana, the results show that among female
business owners, being organized is an important determinant
of business success, while among male business owners, power
motivation and tenacity are important factors. However,
increasing traditionalism tends to dampen the effects of
these personality traits for both genders. Other factors
that are positively correlated with women-owned business
performance include business registration, separating
expenses for home and business purposes, ownership of a
business bank account, use of social media, as well as urban
location of the business. For men-owned businesses, the
results show that those that are located in traditional
markets, have bank accounts, and use literate employees in
their operations tend to perform better. The findings imply
that policies that aim to boost women-owned business
performance need to consider the main barriers, especially
attitudes toward gender roles, that may determine how
businesses operate in these settings. The results also
suggest the importance of soft skills to boost business
performance among men- and women-owned businesses. |
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