Are Entrepreneurship Theories From Developed Countries Applicable In Developing Countries?

The varied views within the field as to definitions and frameworks suggest that entrepreneurship lacks a universal definition, and it is a paradigm of deliberate behavior. Heterogeneity in definition has permitted borrowing of theories from fields like economics, sociology, and psychology among others to anchor entrepreneurship research. Most of these theories have originated from developed countries, raising questions on their applicability in developing countries. This study sought to test if niche entrepreneurship policy (promotions and resource support) mediate in the relationship between women entrepreneurs’ profile and their entrepreneurial activity, anchoring the study on psychological and resource-based theories. It adapted a Positivist Paradigm and used a Quantitative Multi-method approach. Structured questionnaires were used to collect data. Through multi-stage sampling, a sample of 375 adult female entrepreneurs participated in the study. Data was analyzed through correlation coefficient and coefficient of determination. The hypotheses testing results revealed there being significant direct and indirect relationships between and among variables. For example, the correlation coefficient results for the first hypothesis (H01); R2=.2374, p= .025 meant that 24% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was attributed to promotional efforts. Also, the coefficient of determination results for the seventh hypothesis (H07); k2= .0766, 95% BCa CI (.0007, .0633) and b= .001, z= .7134, p= .4756); meant that 8% change in the rate of new start-ups initiated was due to the mediation influence of promotional efforts between the female entrepreneurs’ motives and their rate of starting new MSEs.