Adoption of entrepreneurial skills in small and medium size construction firms in Abuja Nigeria: the barriers

Ukwumonun Etubi & K.C. Okolie

Department  of Building, Faculty of Environmental Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Nigeria 

Abstract

The study examined barriers to adoption of entrepreneurial skills required of small and medium scale construction firms’ operation in Abuja. One research question and hypothesis guided the study. The study adopted descriptive research design. The population of the study consisted of 976; 401 managers and 572 contractors in registered small and medium sized building construction firms in Abuja. A sample size of 278; 119 managers and 159 contractors were used for the study. The sample size for this study was determined using Taro Yamane’s sample reduction formula. The data for this study was collected using structured questionnaire. The face and content validity of the instrument was  established using the opinions of three experts from the Department of Building, Faculty of Environmental Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. The reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach alpha; which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.77. The findings of the study revealed that that barriers to the adoption of entrepreneurial skills in small and medium sized construction firms in Abuja include limited access to training programs, regulatory barriers, financial constraints, and lack of access to mentorship among others. The study among others recommended Barriers to skill development should be addressed by managers of building construction firms by providing access to training and mentorship pogrammes for staff.

Keywords

entrepreneurial skills; small and medium sized building construction firms; barriers; performance.

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