ABSTRACT
The study investigated the interest and perceived challenges of entrepreneurship development in hospitality industry as perceived by undergraduates of tertiary institutions in Abia State. The study was carried out primarily through the survey method in three higher institutions in Abia state, namely Michael Okpara University, Abia State University and Abia State Polytechnic. The study had population size of 80 out of which a sample size of 67 was realized using Taro Yamane formula at 5% error tolerance and 95% level of confidence. Instrument used for data collection was primarily questionnaire .sixty seven copies of questionaires were administered to sixty seven undergraduates sampled from the three institutions. Result revealed constraints
that hinder young people from starting and running a business, and at the same time incentives that makes starting a business a viable alternative for young people for young people in Abia state. Chi-Square statistical tool was used to test the hypotheses using . The study however recommends that , private sector and NGOs need to strengthen the existing empowerment programmes that are geared towards encouraging entrepreneurs to identify opportunities that exist within the Nigerian business environment, Promotion of enterprise education is the heart of any youth entrepreneurship policy, raising awareness and familiarizing young people with entrepreneurship in hospitality as a valuable career path.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
page i
Title
page ii
Approval
page iii
Certification iv
Dedication v
Acknowledgment vi
Table
of content vii
Abstract viii
CHAPTER ONE:
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background of the study 1
1.2 Statement of research problem 6
1.3 Objectives of the study 7
1.4 Research question 7
1.4.2
Research Hypothesis 8
1.5 Significance of the study 8
1.6 scope of the study 9
CHAPTER TWO:
LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Conceptual Framework 10
2.2 Theoretical framework 21
2.3 Philosophical Framework 26
2.4 Review of Empirical study 30
2.5 Summary of the Literature Review 31
CHAPTER THREE:
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design 32
3.2 Area of Study 32
3.3 Sources of Data 35
3.4 Population of the Study 36
3.5 Sample
Design and Determination of Sample Size 36
3.6 Methods of Data Collection 40
3.7 Method
of Data Analysis 41
CHAPTER FOUR:
DATA PRESENTATION
AND ANALYSIS
4.1
Data presentation 42
4.2
AnalysisBased on Research Question 43
4.3 Test of Hypothesis
52
4.4
Summary of Findings 59
4.5
Discussion of Findings 60
CHAPTER FIVE:
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Conclusion 62
5.2 Recommendations 63
References 64
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
BACKGROUND
TO THE STUDY
Entrepreneurship
is considered as an important and useful avenue of generating income for young
people to enhance employment and creating job. Youth entrepreneurship is viewed
as an alternative way of assimilating youth in the mainstream labor force and alleviating
poverty. Entrepreneurship can unleash the economic prospective of youth people.
According to Chigunta (2002), self-employment, taking youth into the economic
mainstream, addressing socio-psychological problems and crime coming out of
joblessness, developing new expertise, encouraging creativity and flexibility,
rejuvenating the local community by supplying valuable goods and services, and
making young entrepreneurs receptive to new economic opportunities and trends
are the main reasons for the importance of inspiring young entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship can be a source of creating jobs and economic drive, and can
advance the livelihoods and economic independence of youths in developing
countries. Apart from that, entrepreneurship is an innovative way to generate
income, to be self-sufficient, to earn a living, and to care for oneself
(Maxwel, 2002). In order to reduce youth unemployment, one of the major
challenges of Nigeria, the need for employment creation efforts focusing on
youth is undeniable. So far my knowledge goes, very few studies have been
conducted from the perspective of motivating young people to engage in
entrepreneurial activities. There is also a general lack of in-depth research
and concrete findings on motivating and identifying start-up barriers of youth
entrepreneurship. So, this study is an attempt to address this gap. The study
attempts to provide a picture of youth entrepreneurship about concrete barriers
and incentives to youth enterprise start-ups in particular. In this context, we
examined the key challenges, constraints and deficiencies that obstruct young
of Bangladesh from starting and running a successful business and at the same
time the study identified the motivators, initiatives, and measures to improve
the situation. It is hoped that the findings of the study will encourage policy
debate on the issues that foster or impede youth entrepreneurship and the
policy measures that may facilitate youth in starting and running their own
business, Moreover, this study will contribute to the existing works of youth
employment providing an update. Hence, the present study also serves a
directory of initiatives, programs, and instruments to benefit the
practitioners and policy makers in the field of youth employment, youth entrepreneurship
and development of SME.
Youth
can be defined as transition period of an individual from childhood to
adulthood. There are also differences of age limit among some Asian
countries, which are as Bangladesh (18-35); India (15-34);Pakistan(18-30); Srilanka
(15-29); Malaysia (15-29);Nepal (15-40); Singapore (15-30); Hongkong
(10-24)etc. (Sutradhar, 2005). With a view to examining youth entrepreneurship
and scrutinizing and assessing policies intended to promote it, there is a
necessity of youth entrepreneurship definition. But, there is a lack of widely
acceptable definition of “entrepreneurship”, “entrepreneur” or “youth
entrepreneurship” in the available literature yet. Accordingly, entrepreneurship
isa set of actions and an entrepreneur is someone who undertakes these actions
(Schnurr & Newing 1997, citedin Chigunta, 2002). According to Lewin
(1941),entrepreneurship can be defined as “practical application of enterprising
qualities, such as innovation, creativity, and risk-taking into the work
environment(either in self-employment or in small start-up firms),using the
appropriate skill necessary for success in that environment and culture”.
Entrepreneurship is something instinctive, rather than something that can
be learned. Entrepreneurship is the realization of an opportunity to create
value, and the process of acting on this opportunity, which may or may not
indicate to form a new entity. While the terms such as innovation and risk taking
in particular are typically related with entrepreneurship, but are not essential
to identify them(Hedge & Sidh, 1960).
The
hospitality industry is a broad category of fields within the service industry
that includes lodging, event planning, theme parks, transportation, cruise
line, and additional fields within the tourism industry. The hospitality
industry is a multibillion-dollar industry that depends on the availability of
leisure time and disposable income. A hospitality unit such as a restaurant,
hotel, or an amusement park consists of multiple groups such as facility
maintenance and direct operations (servers, housekeepers, porters, kitchen
workers, bartenders, management, marketing, and human resources etc.).
Usage
rate, or its inverse "vacancy rate", is an important variable for the
hospitality industry. Just as a factory owner would wish a productive asset to
be in use as much as possible (as opposed to having to pay fixed costs while
the factory is not producing), so do restaurants, hotels, and theme parks seek
to maximize the number of customers they "process" in all sectors.
Hospitality industry is one of the leading
industries in the world; It contributes to prosperity creation and further
economic development of a country; it covers hotel, resorts, and travel as well
as restaurant businesses. These services business are mutually depend increase
in tourism will ultimately lead to improvement in resorts, restaurants, hotel
including travel industries. Hospitality Industry
refers to the companies or organizations which provide food and/or drink and/or
accommodation to people who are “away from home”. They range from five star
hotels to the food vendors and road side food services (mama put).
Nigeria
as one of the most developing Nation of the world and is faced with myriad of
problems and harsh realities which includes poverty, unemployment, conflicts
and diseases. These situations pose great challenges to the very existence of
individuals in most developing nations thereby calling for the training of
educated man and woman who can function effectively in the society in which
they live. Available information by National University Commission (NUC) (2004)
reiterate the massive unemployment of Nigerian Universities graduates in the
country. This problem is said to be traceable to the dis-equilibrium between
labour market requirement and lack of essential employable skills by the
graduates. This obvious critical skills gaps inhibit the development of youth
and entire nation.
More
than half of the Nigerian population are under the age of 30 according to the
National Population Commission (2001), therefore it can be asserted that the
economy of Nigeria is a youth economy. This reality leaves them without any
meaningful means of sustainable livelihood. To make ends meet, they simply
indulge in prostitution (both male and female, armed robbery and so on.
(Osuala, 2004)
The
youthful period which is very critical one has been noted as an essential time
for training in Entrepreneurship, provides positive distractive alternatives
from the self-destructive and aggressive behaviors that are frequently
associated with adolescents and growing up (Woolfolk, 1998). This critical age
however is the right time to teach them the concept of entrepreneurship to help
them learn wealth creation. The question then is what is entrepreneurship?
Entrepreneurship has been defined by various professions to mean many things
since the middle age. Steinholf and Burgers (1983) define entrepreneurship as
the process of creating values by pulling together unique package of resources
to exploit opportunity. However, the summary of what entrepreneurship means
will reflect the individual’s definers points of view.
1.2
STATEMENT OF PROBLEM
Entrepreneurship is aimed at the
overall training of an individual and university undergraduates for useful
living. To benefit from this laudable programme, students are trained to
acquire skills. But a clear observation by the researchers in the sample
tertiary institutions is that some students have different perceptions of what
constitute entrepreneurship challenges. Knowledge of entrepreneurship
challenges especially as perceived by the university undergraduates is
necessary for a successful entrepreneurship programme. Some of the challenges
may include poor knowledge based economy, lack of relevant materials, and inadequate
capital as well as lack of proper understanding of the appropriate
characteristics needed for effective entrepreneurship to mention but a few. It
is on this ground that this study set out to determine the interest and
challenges of undergraduate students of tertiary institutions of Abia State in
order to have up to date data to base the planning and implementation of
appropriate entrepreneurship programmes.
1.3
OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
The
purpose of the study is to analyze specific interest and perceived challenges
of small scale/entrepreneurship development in hospitality industry of youths
and budding professionals in Abia state.
1. To
ascertain the incentives and stimuli that stimulate entrepreneurship
development in hospitality industry in Abia state.
2. To
determine the barriers and constraints of entrepreneurship development in Abia
State.
3. To
ascertain the effect of entrepreneurship education on the entrepreneurship
development in Abia State.
1.4
RESEARCH
QUESTION
The
following questions will guide the study;
1.
What are the incentives
and interest of the youths on entrepreneurship development in hospitality
industry in Abia state?
2.
What are the constraints
and challenges of the youths on entrepreneurship development in hospitality
industry in Abia State?
3.
To what extent do
institution in Abia state engage in entrepreneurship education?
1.4.1
RESEARCH
HYPOTHESES
1. There
are no significant interest of the youths on entrepreneurship development in
hospitality industry.
2. There
are no significant challenges of the youths on entrepreneurship development in
hospitality industry.
3. The
higher institution in Abia state do not engage in entrepreneurship education.
1.5
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE STUDY
This study is important to the world
of knowledge and the youths/undergraduates in Abia state, for them to develop
interest on entrepreneurship development.
It will also be useful to higher
institutions in Abia state to understand the importance of entrepreneurship and
inculcate entrepreneurship education into their various institutions.
This research will also be useful to
the government of Abia state, it will help them to understand the challenges
faced by youths and proffer ways to encourage entrepreneurship which will help
eradicate the high record of unemployment in the state.
1.6
SCOPE
OF STUDY
This
study is to investigate the interest and perceived challenges of small
scale/entrepreneurship development in hospitality industry among youths and
budding professionals in Abia State.
The study will cover, the selected
institutions which includes, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Abia
State University and Abia State Polytechnic.
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