Factors Influencing the Business Growth of Women-Owned Sewing Businesses in Lagos-State, Nigeria: A Pilot Study

Oyedele Ogundana*, Kostas Galanakis*, Amon Simba* and Lynn Oxborrow*
Nottingham Trent University *

Abstract: This paper studies the factors influencing the business growth of women-owned sewing businesses (WOSBs), a sector identified to replace the dwindling Nigerian oil sector, in Lagos State Nigeria. Drawing on the Brush, de Bruin and Welter's gender-aware theory, this research evaluates the gender-aware model to see if it is applicable in the Nigerian context. This research adopts a case study approach that comprises five female owner-managers of sewing businesses in Lagos State, Nigeria (3 women married with children, one married without a child and one unmarried woman). Data is analysed using thematic analysis. The investigation finds that motherhood, meso- and the macro-environment constrain and support women's access to money, market and management in the Nigerian context. However, unlike Brush et al. who suggest a one-way relationship between motherhood, meso and macro-environment contexts, this study reveals evidence that suggests an interdependent relationship between the three gender-aware constructs (motherhood, meso- and macro-environment contexts).This paper presents how motherhood, meso- and macro-environment moderates women’s access to money, market opportunities and management in a developing country context, Nigeria.

Keywords: Women-owned sewing businesses (WOSBs), Motherhood, Meso-/Macro-environment, Lagos