ARTISANAL WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR AND PERFORMANCE: THE MEDIATING ROLE OF GOVERNMENT SUPPORT AND ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCIES

Abstract

The study aims to examine the impact of artisanal women entrepreneur on the performance through mediating role of government support and entrepreneurial competencies. The research is of quantitative based, and data is collected using purposive sampling technique through Likert scale, closed ended questionnaires from sample of 402 artisanal women entrepreneurs of Pakistan.  To analyze the relationship between variables, structural equation and bootstrap estimates are used on smart PLS. The empirical evidence shows that the artisanal women’s entrepreneurial competencies have positive impact on entrepreneurs’ performance but artisanal women who rely on government support don’t perform well. Firstly, country specific sample is used which limit the generalizability. Secondly, the busy schedule, literacy rate, cultural, religious, and privacy concern restrain women to disclose information. Thirdly, only two moderators are incorporated in the study. The novelty of this research resides in the evidence to support mediating role of entrepreneurial skills of women and performance in resource-scarce contexts. This study demonstrates that female entrepreneurs who uses their entrepreneurial skills, perform better than those who rely solely on government assistance. Policy makers will establish policies for artisanal women entrepreneurs to promote gender equality at the societal and organizational levels.