ATTRIBUTION OF THE CAUSES OF BUSINESS FAILURE AS PERCEIVED BY ENTREPRENEURS IN ILORIN METROPOLIS
Keywords:
Entrepreneurs, Attribution, Success, FailureAbstract
The study was undertaken to find out what reasons the entrepreneurs in Ilorin Metropolis, Kwara State of Nigeria attribute to the failing businesses and declining economy which is prevalent in the entire country at present. The study was based on the attribution theory of Weiner, which stated that the causes which an individual attributes to failure or success will determine the level of responsibility such an individual will take to correct the situation or maintain the trend. The sample consists of 350 business owners in Ilorin Metropolis. These were selected through systematic sampling technique. The instrument was a two-part questionnaire, designed and validated by the researcher. Results indicated that most respondents attribute their business success and failures to external causes such as government taxation, sheer luck, sabotage by staff and divine intervention. Two null hypotheses which were developed for the study were rejected at 0.05 probability level. Recommendations for improving entrepreneural education, including the improvement in managerial skills of entrepreneurs through regular training and workshops, are given.
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