Preferred Training Methods of Entrepreneurial Skills Among Women Food Vendors for Successful Operation of a Business in Ilala Municipality, Tanzania

Abstract

This paper intends to determine the preferred training methods of entrepreneurial skills among women food vendors for successful operation of a business in Ilala Municipality. The study employed mixed method design particularly embedded design. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were employed for data collection. Semi-structured questionnaires were employed to collect data from a sample size of (150) women food and (11) key informants participated in an in-depth interview. Quantitative data were analyzed using IBM-SPSS (20.0) software to generate frequencies and percentage and Pearson correlation of successful operation of a business and training methods while qualitative data were subjected to content or thematic analysis. The study indicates that women food vendors have experience of multiple training methods, majority 36% of women food vendors preferred lecture method for training business management skills, 36.7% of women food vendors preferred lecture method for training interpersonal skills, 34% of women food vendors preferred discussion method for training personal entrepreneurial skills, and 34% of women food vendors preferred learning by doing for training technical skills. 44% of women food vendors rated learning by doing as the most preferred training method of entrepreneurial skills. The study found that there was correlation between successful operation of a business and training methods though this correlation is fairly weak (p<0.5). Therefore, the respondents have indicated different preferences of training methods with regard to subject matter of entrepreneurial skills. It is recommended that trainers, institutions and organization offering entrepreneurial skills training should consider trainees references of training methods in order to equip them with necessary entrepreneurial skills for running a business.