Micro Entrepreneurship in Mayan Communities - Research Proposal Example

MICRO ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MAYAN COMMUNITIES 0 Introduction 1 Background to the study The important role that micro entrepreneurs play through microenterprises in Mayan communities cannot be underestimated as they contribute to a significant part of the gross domestic income of the communities, as noted by the Economic Intelligence Unit (quote). Unfortunately though, not much of the problems and challenges that face these micro entrepreneurs seem to have been taken care by agencies and authorities in charge for the promotion of trade in the Mayan communities (quote). As lamented by quote (year), the focus on trade and entrepreneurship has always been the larger enterprises, most of which are multinational companies and foreign direct investments. But should the key barriers to trade and business among the ordinary Mayan micro entrepreneur be taken to heart and checked, what the resulting factor would be will be an era of business development where the financial incomes that are made stays with the Mayan communities for its eventual development. While researching into the commonest problems that Mayan micro enterprises face, quote (year) identified cultural barriers which impede female micro entrepreneurs from effectively contributing their quota to trade and business as one of the most crucial problems, which needs to be addressed. 1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study From the problem that has been identified in the background to the study above, the proposed study will be conducted to identify how culture affects entrepreneurial opportunities of female micro entrepreneurs and how these challenges can be adequately addressed. To achieve the overall aim, the following specific objectives ought to be accomplished. 1. To identify the cultural background of Mayan communities and how this is unique from other known cultures 2. To investigate how the cultural background of Mayan communities affects the female gender and hinder trade and business opportunities. 3. To measure the impact of the cultural impediments to trade and business growth among female micro entrepreneurs in Mayan communities 4. To identify specific interventions that can be used to address the issue of cultural barrier to trade and business development. 1.3 Research Questions In order to effectively collect data that seek to achieve the research objectives that have been identified above, the specific objectives have been refined into questions, which will set the tone for being critical and analytical in handling various sources of data including secondary and primary sources of data. These research questions are thus posed as follows: 1. How unique is the Mayan culture from other known cultures such as those of mainstream U.K? 2. How do the unique provisions of Mayan culture serve as an impediment to female micro entrepreneurs? 3. In what ways do the cultural barriers that exist against females in Mayan communities affect growth of the Mayan community at large? 4. How can there be trade and business liberation for female micro entrepreneurs? 1.4 Conceptual Approach and Research Hypothesis The propose study will be conducted with the conceptual backing of two major theories which are the Feminist Liberal Theory (Verheul, 2005) and Theory of Planned Behaviour (Scheiner, (2008). From these two theories, the independent and dependent variables are identified respectively. As argued by Verheul (2005), the male and female genders are different from each other with each having its own strengths and weaknesses. But should the female be independently assisted to discover her potentials, she is in the position to making entrepreneurial successes that are based on modern global competitive measures. The independent variable to be studied in the research is therefore the female gender. Proponents of the Theory of Planned Behaviour had also noted that business intentions and business success depends on several factors and that whether business is being ventured by a male or a female, these factors remain largely intact. The factors, which serve as the dependent variables for the research are given as (1) perceived attitude towards behavioural intention; (2) effect of social norms on behavioural intentions; and (3) perceived behavioural control (Scheiner, 2008, p. 12; Henry, Hill and Leitch, 2003, p. 66). From a more pictorial perspective, the conceptual approach to the study has been visualised in fig.1 below. Figure 1: Conceptual Model From the conceptual model given above, the following hypotheses are taken by the researcher H1: Female entrepreneurs are better managers of specific lines of business than their male counterparts H2: The cultural barriers that currently exist must be eradicated if the full potentials of the female entrepreneur can be realised. 1.5 Rationale for the Interest in the Research Topic There are a number of factors that act as motivation for conducting the proposed study and why the research topic is of major interest to the researcher. In the first place, the researcher upon preliminary review of literature finds major gaps in literature when it come to the cultural barriers that face females in the Mayan communities in the promotion of micro entrepreneurial prospects. This is because the greatest part of focus has always emphasised on challenges faced by the larger entrepreneur base, most of do not even originate from the Mayan region. This study will therefore bridge the gap in literature and act as an important academic reference material for knowing the current state of the Mayan female when it comes to trade and business. The researcher is also motivated to carry out the proposed study, giving the fact that there are several perceived female oriented business opportunities that abound in the various Mayan communities, which when adequately explored will put the Mayan female in a position to be economically independent and liberated from over dependence on their male counterparts (quote). Even more, such economic independence of the female will bring about the collective growth of the Mayan region and make the place an attractive destination for foreign direct investment. 1.6 Scope and Limitations Even though the researcher admits to a larger micro entrepreneurial challenge in the Mayan communities (quote), the study is largely delimited to female micro entrepreneurs. What is more, even though the researcher appreciates the numerous challenges to trade and business expansion and growth among females in the Mayan communities (quote), the scope of the study will only be on culture as a variable of study. The current scope is not taken due to any reasons of biases and favouritism but in response to the seemingly expanding gap in literature against the two key variables of female gender and culture. While approaching the identified scope, there are a number of limitations that are perceived to be faced. One of these is access to both primary and secondary data. As indicated, not much has been done on the research topic and so the researcher will have to do with pieces and bits of literature that are related to the topic in one way or the other. Access to credible primary data from respondents would have to come through the hardest way possible as there is the possibility that respondents would want to shield certain critical information that has to do with cultural discrimination and disparity for fear of exposing their larger culture and society to public ridicule. 2.0 Literature Review 2.1 Overview of the Mayan Culture The Mayan culture is one of the most enviable long cultural heritages that have been preserved over the years (quote). Quote (year) identifies that Mayan culture to be composed of the unique populations, ethnic groups, societies, traditions, and historical identifies of the range of Native Americans who live in Southern Mexico. Geographically, all the people of Yucatec Maya, Chiapas, Belize, Tabasco, and Guatemala uphold the same cultural background and are made up of an approximate number of 6 million people as of start of the 21st centure (quote). Writing on the static nature of the Mayan people, quote (year) noted that this phenomenon can be compared to what exists in most other culture where it presents its own positives and negatives. The fact that the culture is rooted in several years of great history and giving it a tourism potential was mentioned by quote (year) as one of the most outstanding advantages of the static Mayan culture. Quote (year) however debated this position, saying that the non-changing nature of the Mayan culture makes it full of non-modern elements of popular culture such as myths, religious sectionalism s and misconceptions that fight against the progressive development of the people. Specific mention was made of how such elements of religion, myth and misconception have opened the door for acts of stereotype to abound in the culture. 2.2 Entrepreneurial Potentials for Females in Maya According to the Feminist Liberal Theory, the female gender is blessed with several qualities and potentials that make them natural entrepreneurs (quote). Quote (year) argued that it is no coincidence that from the beginning, women have become keepers of the home. It has been explained that the fact that women have always taken the position of managers of the home does not mean that they are good only for the weaker side but that they are naturally gifted managers (quote). In the Mayan communities, there are clear indications of the abilities of women to take up key entrepreneurial positions and adequately execute them. In a recent study, quote (year) indicated that areas such as hospitality, tourism, psychotherapy, medicine, education, management, and law are areas that women in Mayan communities have should potential as being competent in. Burch (1986) also found that on the whole, there are two major groups of females to find in a typical community such as the Mayan community. These are those with entrepreneurial characteristics and those who have non-entrepreneurial characteristics. As depicted in fig. 2, Burch (1986) is drumming home the argument that even though there may be entrepreneurial potentials in females in Maya, it is not all of the women who are entrepreneurs. But for those who are, it is common to see characteristics such as being intuitive, wealth seeking, opportunity seeking, and innovative. Figure 2: Characteristics of Entrepreneurial and non-entrepreneurial women Source: Burch (1986) 2.3 Culture and Gender Barriers to Female Micro Entrepreneurs Quote (year) has said that culture and gender have been two variables that have served as major blockades to the harnessing of the female entrepreneurial potential, especially when it comes to micro entrepreneurs. Adding to the point, quote (year) noted that the case worsens with micro entrepreneurs because they are hardly recognised as major contributors of the national gross domestic growth even though there is sufficient evidence to suggest that this thinking is fallacious. Through culture and gender issues, discrimination and stereotype have been born (quote). Comparing two major types of cultures identified as conservative and neoliberal cultures, quote (year) called the Mayan culture as a conservative and said such cultures are the worse affected when it comes to the barriers that culture and gender issues pose to female micro entrepreneurs. Other cultures mentioned are the West African culture, Chinese culture, Saudi Arabian culture, and Indian culture. Quote (year) accused how in conservative cultures, women are suppressed for the mere stereotypical notion that they are inferior to men and can only act as subordinates to men. People of this, there have been serious opposition to female entrepreneurs rising in such cultures. In some cases, these women are accused of being insubordinate, men-chases, arrogant and even demonic (quote). Quote (year) was not happy that such tags and the notions that women belong to the kitchen and the home have often suppressed them from championing their entrepreneurial potentials. 2.4 Solving the cultural Challenges for Females Using classical examples of Brazil, Mexico and Venezuela, quote (year) said that it was possible for any conservative culture that was bent on change to realise these changes and make their female frontrunners in issues of entrepreneurial empowerment. Quote (year) had however such changes will not happen as an event but a process. This means that it will actually take a long period of time for such changes to materialise. But no matter how difficult the process may be, all that it takes to realising it is a series of strategic interventions that are backed by a socio-political will for change (quote). The will needed to solving the cultural challenges of females in Mayan communities has described as a socio-political one because the issue is both a social issue and a political one. Socially, there ought to be an acceptance among the larger Mayan society that the time for change has come. This change must however not be confused to mean an absolute change in the culture of the people but a change in some elements of the culture that do not promote growth for female entrepreneurs such as misconception and stereotype (quote). The change also requires political will because it ought to happen at an institutional and agency level (quote). This way, agencies such as government, educational system and other private bodies will be committed and bonded to a commitment for change. 2.5 Benefits of Trade and Business Liberation for Mayan Females Quote (year) said that even though the cultural tourism in Maya serving as its major economic boaster is a positive development, there is the need to do even more if the Maya region can grow to levels that will make it as economically viable as other places similar to its cultural heritage such as Brazil. Meanwhile, the place of females as entrepreneurs in Mayan communities has been found to be as diverse and versatile as possible. This means that once there is trade and business liberation through the liberalisation of the culture, the size of the Mayan economy will expand significantly. Using the case of Germany, quote (year) said that the input of women in the national economy though micro entrepreneurship must not be underestimated at all. This is because when there is a collective national agency backed by a workable policy, women can be empowered to contribute so much to economic growth and development. Apart from the fact that women are naturally excellent in some areas of entrepreneurship, it would also be noted that women have specific virtues and skills that promote business growth such as truthworthiness, openness, fairness and longsuffering (quote). From fig. 3, Wennekers and Thurik (1999) note that for there to be success at any level of business, there are important elements such as those attiudes and skills possessed by women that must come to play. Figure 3: Relationship between entrepreneurship and Economic Growth Source: Wennekers and Thurik (1999) 167 3.0 Methodology 3.1 Research Method The research will be conducted following the qualitative research method. This means that the researcher is going to emphasise on subjective discretional data collection for the primary data collection of the study. The rationale for choosing qualitative research method for this study is in the nature of the data expected for the study, which are social oriented. In such cases where the researcher uses a social variables like those given in the first chapter of the proposal, quote (year) recommends the use of qualitative data collection so that the data collected can be limited to specific experiences of people who are concerned with the study. In this study, the social issue at hand has to do with the challenges that female entrepreneurs go through in Mayan communities. These challenges have largely influenced their abilities to come up as mainstream business personalities as the challenge of discrimination against female has a cultural connotation that makes it a problem for the entire Mayan society. It is anticipated that with a qualitative research method, data collection will be more focused on the specific experiences of people within the research setting. 3.2 Research Design As part of the qualitative nature of the study, the ethnographic research design will be selected for data collection. Quote (year) noted that the research design defines the specific approaches and processes that the researcher uses in the course of data collection. Meanwhile, quote (year) explained the ethnographic research design as a research which focuses on cultural phenomenon. This means that with ethnographic research design, the research shall put in place series of activities and procedures that ensures that the cultural phenomenon of trade and business impediment against females in Mayan communities is adequately addressed. It has also been explained that through ethnographic research design, the culture of a group is represented in perspective form (quote). What this means is that the ethnographic research design will open up an opportunity where the researcher shall identify the females of Mayan communities as people who are unique to their own culture. By implication, there will not be the need to mixing up the subjects of the research with other subjects outside of the research setting. 3.3 Population and Sample The population of the study comprises all people with whom there is some possibility that the researcher will directly interact with during the data collection exercise (quote). This will comprise all females in the identified Mayan community who are 21 years and above. The age is pegged at 21 at that is the official working age in most of the Mayan communities. However, not all the population, which is estimated to be made up of 140,000 people, will be used. There will be a sample constructed with the use of a random sampling method where 300 females will be collected at different times from identified institutions such as universities, churches, trade associations, and civil service. The selection of the sample size will be done in a way that sets the tone for an evolutionary approach to the study to be built. As part of the evolutionary approach, there will be three phases of data collection. The number of respondents in each phase will keep reducing till the 300 respondents are got at phase III. 3.4 Research Instruments The major research instruments to be used for the study will be an interview and a questionnaire. Whereas interview is generally preferred for ethnographic study of this nature, the researcher will introduce a questionnaire at the point where there would have to be 300 respondents to deal with. Quite notably, the use of interview is researcher centred and will mean that the researcher will have to interact with each of the 300 respondents. Should this be done, the limitation is that the time for the researcher cannot be covered and so the research may be compromised with haphazard collection of data. It is for this reason that a questionnaire, which is easier to administer among a larger sample size will be used. Meanwhile, a contingency plan will be taken to ensure that using a questionnaire does not make the study qualitative rather than qualitative. This will be done by ensuring that all items on the questionnaire reflect ethnographic and qualitative variables as have been identified in the study. 3.5 Data Collection Procedure 3.6 Ethical Consideration Read More