Women Entrepreneurship in Kenya: Role in Solar Energy Value Chain

This article explores the critical role of women entrepreneurs in resolving electricity shortfall in Kenya and their inclusion in solar energy value chain. It discusses the characteristics, skills, and business models needed for success, ways to enhance market penetration, and resolve capital investment issues.

Running head: WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KENYA
WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN KENYA
Name of the student
Name of the university
Author note

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Answer to Question 1
The different women entrepreneurs in Kenya performs critical role in resolving the
electricity shortfall as women play a critical role in achieving the goal. The Lighting Africa
Program has tried in engaging the non-governmental organization Practical Action which has
helped in scheming business model which is advanced in nature in order to ensure that the
women are included in solar energy value chain as the entrepreneurs. As per the LME program,
this has been seen that more than 80 percentage of the customers at household level are the
women consumers (Stojanovski, Thurber and Wolak 2017).
Proper identification along with nurturing the market of the women will be a successful
factor for the Lighting Africa along with Kenya. With the help of the micro loans, the different
women entrepreneurs will be having proper access to the micro loans as this will help them in
purchasing the different new products and saving the groups as well. With the implementation of
the institutional theory, which is inclusive of the different kinds of structures and schemes and
norms which is essential for the social behaviour and approach, proper training is required to be
provided and this will be helpful in meeting the energy demands of the different households
effectively.
Answer to Question 2
There are various kinds of characteristics of the female entrepreneurs which will help in
influencing the success of the solar lighting project in Kenya. The three major characteristics are
as follows:

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With the linkage of the women energy entrepreneurs with the certified kind of suppliers,
this will be beneficial for the women entrepreneurs to provide success for the solar lighting
project.
Secondly, the hard working along with the goal oriented and the optimistic approach, the
women entrepreneurs are successful and capable of the taking the different risks in the different
tasks which are being performed by them. With the help of the assertiveness and the decision-
making skills, this will be beneficial for the success of the solar lighting project and gain more
competitive advantage as well
Furthermore, the improved capabilities of the women entrepreneurs in the organization in
Kenya will help in improving the overall effectiveness of the business in managing the different
kinds of effectiveness in the organization (Rom, Günther and Harrison 2017). The goal-
oriented approach of the women entrepreneurs will be helpful in managing the different kinds of
risks in such a manner and this will be helpful in creating work-life balance.
These are the different kinds of characteristics of the women entrepreneurs which will be
helpful in managing the different effectiveness in an efficient manner.
Answer to Question 3
Increasing the market penetration of quality lighting products can facilitate
commercialization of the products while operating in the Kenyan markets. It has been found
through research that some five percent of the retail outlets in rural areas stock the solar products
for distributing. It has affected the approach of organizations in commercializing their products
widely in the Kenyan regions. On the other hand, the wide commercialization of the products is

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assisted through the spontaneous distribution of the quality solar products at affordable price
structures, which will help in ensuring the suitable distribution of the quality products.
The spontaneous circulation of the products is based on the smooth functioning of the
distribution channels. Therefore, the concerned organizations must take steps to build on the
distribution channels through the resolving the issues relating to logistics in order to enhance the
proper distribution of the products as per the needs of the communities (Rolffs, Byrne and
Ockwell 2014). On the other hand, building up more retail stores who will be stocking quality
solar lighting systems for the customers will be helping organizations in entertaining the suitable
market penetration options. Moreover, the durable nature of the product and the pricing of the
same will be helping organizations in upholding the efficacy of the propositions. Therefore,
boosting the distribution capabilities and considering the affordability of the products will be
helping organizations in commercializing their product offerings more efficiently in the Kenyan
markets (Rom, Günther and Harrison 2017).
Answer to question 4
The key critical skills that are needed for the women entrepreneurs while engaging in the
programs are knowledge on the marketing techniques and enhanced skills in record keeping. It
will be helping the entrepreneurs in undertaking the smooth functioning of the business venture
as per the objectives of the business (Byrne et al. 2014). On the other hand, it will be enabling
the women in tracking the business performance aligning with the sales of the organizations. The
involvement of women entrepreneurs in the business functions is dependent on their
understanding of the needs of the community. The health related issues that are faced by the
women while utilizing kerosene and other non- renewable resources can be better communicated

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to the communities, which will be helping in making them aware of the quality products through
which the issues might be resolved.
Alternatively, the involvement of the women entrepreneurs in the business will be
helping in persuading the different Kenyan customers to make a buy of the products. The women
take the household decisions and thereby the active involvement of the women in the
organizational practices will be helping to develop opportunities for better livelihood of the same
(Langevang et al. 2015). The involvement of women in the sales practices will be supported
through their capability of making the people aware of the different technologies as per the
demands of women in the communities. The persuasive methods will be helping the
organizations in increasing their sales volume as per the need of the customers (Gichuki, Mulu-
Mutuku and Kinuthia 2014).
Answer to question 5
The identification of the different concepts that are associated with the entrepreneurial
5P’s has helped in understanding the success factors of female entrepreneurs while operating in
Kenya. The perseverance of the women entrepreneurs will be helping the same in overcoming
different resilience from the customers. On the other hand, the patience of women entrepreneurs
plays a major role in maintaining the efficacy of the business while marketing the solar products
in the Kenyan markets. Suitable planning of the business operations will be facilitated through
the better understanding of the issues that are faced by the customers (Ekpe, Razak and Mat
2013). The involvement of the women entrepreneurs will be helping the organization in planning
the operations through proper identification of the issues that are faced by the women due to lack
of solar lighting and cooking solutions.

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The clear purpose of marketing the product also helps in enhancing the business
operations through identification of the needs of the customers and thereby proposing products
and services. The involvement of the female entrepreneurs in the business processes will be
helping the organization in maintaining the efficacy of the functions through clear statement of
purpose as per the analysis on the needs of the customers. The passion of the female
entrepreneurs to market the solar- based products is based on maximizing the opportunities of
leading a healthy lifestyle. Therefore, the active participation of the female entrepreneurs in the
business processes will be helping the organizations in undertaking smooth performance through
improvements in the marketing and product development aspects.
Answer to question 6
The issues relating to capital investments faced by the women entrepreneurs might be
resolved through the implementation of mutually beneficial partnership with different
Microfinance Institutions (MFIs). It will be helping the organizations in formulating different
market linkages in order to support the financial needs of the women entrepreneurs (Reichborn-
Kjennerud and Svare 2014). The enumeration of the different financial needs of the women
entrepreneurs and thereby supporting their growth through undertaking collaborations with
diverse financial institutions will be helping in developing the enterprises based on solar power
products (Komunte, Rwashana and Nabukenya 2012). The linkage of the women entrepreneurs
with the different financial institutions will be helping in establishing smooth functioning of the
business systems as per the objectives of growth. Enhancing the financial capabilities of women
entrepreneurs will be facilitating in the development of different capabilities of the businesses
while operating in the Kenyan markets. On the other hand, improvement in the financial abilities

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of the female entrepreneurs will be helping in the wide development of the solar power supplies
in the Kenyan markets (Mwangi 2012).
The women entrepreneurs might also undertake different collaborations with diverse
range of companies in order to maximize their involvement in the proper functioning of the
business systems while operating in the diverse markets (Lock and Lawton Smith 2016). The
most viable option for the women entrepreneurs will be to recreate different advertisements and
promotions in order to make different foreign institutions aware of their undertakings for earning
foreign investments for the development of the respective firms (Mwobobia 2012). The changes
in the organizational functioning and the models that are undertaken by the businesses will be
helping to enhance the smooth functioning of the systems as per the objectives of growth of the
firms.
Answer to question 7
The business model that is designed by Lighting Africa Kenya program is innovative
from the aspects of the different promotional perspectives while operating in the diverse markets.
On the other hand, the program recruited some 400 self-employed women who conducted
training across the nation. It has helped the project in upholding the efficacy through the proper
sharing of business knowledge attributes among the women entrepreneurs (Bank 2018). The
training sessions that are provided by the program resulted to knowledge transfers relating to
upgradation of business management skills (Shankar, Onyura and Alderman 2015). The
training also provided the female entrepreneurs with the insights on marketing, communications,
record keeping and employee-productivity management, which will be facilitating in the smooth
functioning of the ventures while operating in the diverse situations (Ulsrud et al. 2015). The

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transmission of suitable knowledge of the business processes has helped in enhancing the
operations of the business while operating in the diverse market situations. On the other hand,
the active participation of the program partner has helped the authorities in devising podcasts.
The podcasts helped the concerned authorities in reaching out to the reaching out to over 200
women entrepreneurs across the nation (Bank 2018). The innovative approach used by the
concerned authorities in the program has helped the same in undertaking the smooth functioning
through mass awareness of the procedures.
Answer to question 8
The dream entrepreneurial team in the context of the Kenyan market will be based on the
perfect understanding of the needs of the women in the communities in relation to selling of solar
lighting products. On the other hand, the suitable understanding of the business management in
the organizational context will be helping the women entrepreneurs in understanding the scope
of expansion of the enterprises (Bank 2018). Different innovative technologies will be helping
the organizations in maintaining the efficacy of the functions while launching and marketing the
propositions. The identification of the issues that are faced by the customers and the manner in
which they can be mitigated will be helping the female dominated startups in Kenya to flourish.
Answer to question 9
The seven stages of the journey can be implemented in the case where the research on the
needs of the customers will be helping the entrepreneurs in designing the business model. On the
other hand, the research on the viability of the solar product launch in the Kenyan market is an
effective measure, which will be helping the organizations in maintaining the efficacy of the
performance (Lay, Ondraczek and Stoever 2013). On the other hand, the assessment of the

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needs and the feasibility is again an important factor that will be helping the female
entrepreneurs in establishing the venture and initiating the designing aspects of the product
offerings. The formulation of the managerial decisions and the manner in which they are affected
the by the assessments assists the organizations in maximizing the efficacy at the implementation
phase. Support systems of the implementation process will be helping the organizations in
maintaining the efficacy of the functions as per the objectives of the business. Therefore, it can
be stated that the seven steps of the journey mapping can be implemented in the venture that is
being undertaken by the female entrepreneurs through systematic review of the steps. It will be
helping the venture in undertaking the operations in an organized basis.

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References
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