Working With or Against the System: Ethical Dilemmas for Entrepreneurship in Ghana

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to address entrepreneurship and ethics from the perspective of the Ghanaian entrepreneur in small and medium-size enterprises to extend our understanding of issues influencing entrepreneurial behavior in developing economies such as Ghana. Our study specifically addresses three typical situations in which business ethics are challenged: (1) When applying for business information and permits, (2) When competing for business contracts and financing and (3) When dealing with tax authorities. Relying on in-depth case-study data from 22 entrepreneurs, the paper conceptualizes entrepreneurial behavior related to business ethics and identifies several important challenges to overcome to enable economies to build a more effective market economy.

Gender, entrepreneurial characteristics, and success: Evidence from Ethiopia

“…Navigating an intricate and nontransparent bureaucratic system generates complex challenges for entrepreneurs in many emerging nations. For example, Sackey et al () discuss the ethical dilemma encountered by Ghanaian entrepreneurs in dealing with tax authorities and when applying for business permits or competing for business contracts. Some studies indicate that women encounter greater barriers during the start‐up phase, but there is no significant performance difference between men and women entrepreneurs once the businesses are up and running (Bardasi et al, ).…”

“…Compared to Western societies, social norms and customs in many emerging nations discriminate against women (Ghosh & Cheruvalath, ) and limit their opportunities for education and skills development. For young African entrepreneurs looking for business opportunities, possessing the required technical and managerial skills is critical for success, and the benefit of providing relevant training to prospective entrepreneurs outweighs that of giving them financial subsidies (Brixiova, Ncube, & Bicaba, ; Sackey, Faltholm, & Ylenenpaa, ). In a study that compared success factors and problems faced by entrepreneurs in Ghana, Kenya, and Nigeria, Benzing and Chu () found that having managerial and customer service skills was critical for success.…”