Locus of Control and Growth of Female Owned Fashion and Design Enterprises in Rivers State

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between locus of control and venture growth among female owned fashion and design entrepreneurs in Rivers State. The objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between the dimensions of locus of control like; internal locus and external locus and the measures of venture growth such as financial, market and operational. The study adopted a dualism of the utilitarian theory by Jeremy Bentham (1832) and social capital theory by Engels (2010) to guide the analytical construct. The study adopted the cross-sectional survey research design. The population of the study was seven hundred and fifty (750) registered female entrepreneurships operating currently in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. The sample size was determined by Krejcie & Morgan (1970) table. The source of data was both primary and secondary. The questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection. The validity of the instrument was determined by research supervisor. The spearman rank correlation coefficient with the aid of the SPSS statistics techniques was used to analyze the data. After much analysis of the data presented, it was discovered that female entrepreneurs in Port Harcourt are confronted by several challenges bedeviling their venture growth; hence they need to gather the needed skills, knowledge and expertise to attain their venture growth. The study concluded that locus of control positively influences venture growth among female entrepreneurs in Rivers State. The study therefore recommends courage, self-efficiency, resilience and optimism, enhanced quality service delivery as viable catalyst to ensure venture growth by female owned fashion and design entrepreneurs in Rivers State.