An Analysis of the Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Commitment, and Intentions towards Agriprenuership of Qatar-based Overseas Filipinp Workers (OFWS)

Date

6-2023

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agribusiness Management

College

College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Jeanette Angeline B. Madamba

Committee Member

Gian Carlo U. De Jesus, Arlene C. Gutierrez, Rei Chino C. Pua, Mar B. Cruz

Abstract

There are a number of stories about Overseas Filipino Workers, also known as OFWs, finding success in their engagement in entrepreneurship and agripreneurship due to their high interest towards it. The number of businesses in the present day owned by a former or a current OFW is growing with the help of the government institutions such as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and with the extended knowledge of OFWs regarding the promising future in entrepreneurship and agripreneurship. OWWA partnered with Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and introduced entrepreneurship training programs to OFWs. However, there is a lack of studies about OFW entrepreneurs and agripreneurs in the Philippines and what led them to the said ventures. Therefore, this study analyzed the intentions towards agripreneurship of Qatar-based Overseas Filipino Workers. The factors affecting the intentions towards agripreneurship of Qatar-based Overseas Filipino Workers were assessed in the study, their socio-demographic profile was described, the personal entrepreneurial competencies were determined, the degree of job satisfaction was ascertained, their organizational commitment was explained, insights were drawn on the entrepreneurial competencies relative to the entrepreneurial and agripreneurial intentions of Overseas Filipino Worker respondents, and recommendations from the researcher were also given in this study.

The study was conducted using the quantitative approach and descriptive method, with the sampling method that of a non-probability quota sampling, focusing on OFWs based in Qatar. Data collection was conducted through an online self- administered questionnaire, using a Likert-scale for the three parts of the questionnaire, and single-answer (nominal scale) and open-ended questions were used in the two parts of the questionnaire. Frequency analysis and Cramer’s V Coefficient were used as data analysis tools.

The general population of the study was predominantly female (60.77%) with a greater number of respondents living in the municipality of Doha (72.31%) and originally from the National Capital Region in the Philippines (30%). Most of the population (82.31%) are in their prime working age, already married (55.38%), living with their family in Qatar (60%), and almost half of them are childless. A big percentage of the population graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree (67.69%) and is currently in a mid- level position in their organization (48.46%). Majority of the respondents have been an OFW for 16 up to 20 years (24.62%) and are still working abroad to provide for their family (43.08%). A greater portion of the population have been staying and working in Qatar for about 11 to 15 years now (28.46%), which is a reflection of the mass of the respondents not having any other work experience abroad other than in Qatar (77.69%). A greater number of the population has plans of going straight back home to the Philippines by the end of their contract (25.38%) and nearly half of them wanted to starting a business during their retirement (44.62%). As the majority of the population did not want to disclose their household income classification, those who only responded were part of the middle-class classification (23.08%), and relative to the annual remittance sent (by majority of those who disclosed the information) a total of less than Php 50,000 (23.08%) up to more than Php 100,000 (23.08%), with most of the population having their family as the remittance beneficiaries (32.31%).

Majority of the population showed great interest in starting their own business (78.46%), mostly in the food industry (37.69%), and more than half of the population wanted to engage into agripreneurship (67.69%), while a considerable number of respondents are already engaged in entrepreneurship (15.38%) and agripreneurship (5.38%). A big number of respondents wanted to start agribusiness, specifically in livestock such as poultry, swine, cattle, and fishery (33.85%), as well as fruits and vegetables (25.38%), while a few of them wanted agritourism (10%). Most of the respondents showed interest in buying instead of renting farm land (63.08%) for both personal and agripreneurship purposes (45.38%).

The study described the socio-demographic profile of Qatar-based OFW respondents. In this regard, the socio-demographic profile of OFWs such as the years of being an OFW and household income classifcation were the only variables that had an association with the intentions of OFW respondents towards agripreneurship. Under the Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies, the study was able to determined that characteristics such as opportunity seeking, demand for quality and efficiency, risk taking, goal setting, and information seeking are the only ones that showed a moderate and up to strong strength of association. Scales under job satisfaction such as pay, promotion, coworkers, and nature of work were the only facets that exhibited a moderate strength of association that highly affect the respondents’ intentions towards agripreneurship. The study examined the organizational commitment of Qatar-based OFW respondents, affective commitment and continuance commitment were the only dimensions that had moderate strength of association.

This study also showed some limitations which might be due to quota sampling. The limitations could lead to assumptions that not all respondents were highily exposed to entrepreneurial activity that would result to higher scores in PECs, an indicator of their entrepreneurial and agripreneurial intentions. Hence, the results cannot be generalized beyond the current scope.

Cramer’s V was used in the study in order to find the strength of the association of the independent variables to the dependent variable. However, the results gathered in this study proved that the degree of Cramer’s V showed in this study is not causal inferences but rather supports the strength of association of the presented variables.

It was recommended for OWWA to offer and highly publicize agripreneurship training programs and seminars where OFWs would be able to gain more knowledge and eventually manifest intentions towards it. Kapatid Angat Lahat Agri Program (KALAP), a mentorship program regarding agribusiness and agro-micro entrepreneurship, should also be offered and be accessible to OFWs. Private agribusiness companies can also partner with OWWA to be able to offer variations, given that KALAP partnered with agribusiness companies that focus on major crops in the Philippines, agribusiness companies which offer modern agro-services and cultivation of non-major yet in demand crops should join KALAP. Since Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines offer loan programs mainly for OFWs, it was recommended for these banks to provide a specific loan program for OFWs interested in engaging in agripreneurship.

Overseas Filipino Workers are then recommended to venture into entrepreneurship and agripreneurship even if they are still abroad as financial partners and angel investors. OFWs should also consider incubator programs like DOST’s iFWD PH to help them establish their business and agribusinesses, since iFWD PH also allows family members of OFWs to join.

Future researchers are highly encouraged to explore similar studies on most OFWs’ countries of destination, namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Hong Kong, and Singapore. The future studies regarding OFWs are now feasible with the help of the internet in terms of conducting online surveys to gather data. Future researchers can also study about the entrepreneurial behaviors of the Overseas Contract Workers (OCWs). The behavior of OCWs may be related to OFWs who only work for a short time abroad and go back home immediately when they have enough money for business capital or savings.

Language

English

LC Subject

Entrepreneurship -- Economic aspects, Job satisfaction

Location

UPLB College of Economics and Management (CEM)

Call Number

LG 993 2023 M17 P35

Notes

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Document Type

Thesis

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