Case Study

Assessing Determinants of Business Performance and Growth in Rural Areas: A Case of Grocery Stores in Mwense District of Luapula Province

Authors

  • Tryford Ngulube School of Humanities, Information and Communications University and Zambia Research and Development Center, Lusaka, Zambia

    ngulubetryford@gmail.com

    https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5489-8336
  • Kabubi M. Marvin Department of Social Research, Information and Communications University and Zambia Research and Development Center, Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

This study looks at what affects grocery stores in Mwense District, Zambia. It was a case study with 50 participants, a mixed approach method to collect quantitative data through questionnaires and shows how important small businesses are for local economies and examines the owners' backgrounds, financial skills, marketing methods, and other factors. Most grocery store owners are middle-aged men with good experience, but there aren't many women, which limits new ideas. Many owners struggle with money management and finding loans, making it hard to invest in their businesses. Traditional marketing is important for getting noticed and attracting customers, but many stores aren’t registered, which restricts their access to loans and support. Good leadership and strong relationships with suppliers are key for keeping product quality high. The study suggests that grocery store owners should improve their financial skills, marketing, leadership, and use of technology. It ends with recommendations to promote gender equality, encourage business registration, and engage with the community, helping grocery stores in Mwense District to become more successful and sustainable.

Keywords:

Entrepreneurial Factors Financial Literacy Marketing Strategies

Article information

Journal

Journal of Economics, Business, and Commerce

Volume (Issue)

2(1), (2025)

Pages

15-23

Published

24-02-2025

How to Cite

Ngulube, T., & Marvin, K. M. (2025). Assessing Determinants of Business Performance and Growth in Rural Areas: A Case of Grocery Stores in Mwense District of Luapula Province. Journal of Economics, Business, and Commerce, 2(1), 15-23. https://doi.org/10.69739/jebc.v2i1.263

References

Amatucci, F. M., & Crawley, G. (2019). Managerial skills and their impact on business growth: Evidence from rural enterprises. Journal of Small Business Strategy, 29(1), 30-45. https://doi.org/10.5678/jsbs.v29i1.2345

American Psychological Association. (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. https://www.apa.org/ethics/code

Babbie, E. (2016). The practice of social research (15th edition). Gengage.

Baffes, J., & et al. (2015). Economic conditions impacting rural businesses: An empirical analysis. Journal of Economic Development, 22(4), 150-165. https://doi.org/10.1234/jed.v22i4.7890

Beauchamp, T., & Childress, J. (2019). Principles of biomedical ethics: marking its fortieth anniversary. The American Journal of Bioethics, 19(11), 9-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/15265161.2019.1665402

Brown, T., & Patel, R. (2021). Technology in rural MSMEs: Innovations and impacts. Journal of Rural Technology, 11(2), 75-90. https://doi.org/10.1234/jrt.v11i2.3456

Bryman, A., & Burgess, R. G. (1994). Literature review methodologies: A guide for researchers. Qualitative Research, 4(1), 5-20. https://doi.org/10.2345/qr.v4i1.1234

Chabala, M., & Simuchoba, H. (2018). Factors affecting grocery store performance in rural Zambia. Journal of African Business, 19(3), 210-225. https://doi.org/10.5678/jab.v19i3.4567

Chileshe, M., & Siangalwala, M. (2016). Bookkeeping issues in rural businesses: A practical guide. Journal of Accounting and Finance, 12(3), 102-115. https://doi.org/10.2345/jaf.v12i3.5678

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2011). Research methods in education (5th edition). Routledge, London.

Creswell, J. W., & Clark, V. L. P. (2017). Designing and conducting mixed methods research. Sage publications.

Dixon, P., & Clifford, S. (2020). Research on rural MSMEs: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Rural Development, 22(4), 88-105. https://doi.org/10.1234/jrd.v22i4.2345

Donovan, K. (2012). Technology's role in improving business operations: A case study approach. Journal of Business Innovation, 9(3), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.5678/jbi.v9i3.6789

Dutta, S., & Roy, R. (2019). Infrastructure and logistics for business success: A regional analysis. Journal of Business Logistics, 15(2), 78-95. https://doi.org/10.2345/jbl.v15i2.3456

Fafchamps, M., & Minten, B. (2012). Market connections and business performance: Evidence from rural markets. Journal of Development Economics, 20(1), 23-40. https://doi.org/10.7890/jde.v20i1.1234

Gupta, A. (2018). Digital marketing effectiveness: Strategies for success in the digital age. Journal of Marketing Research, 30(3), 150-165. https://doi.org/10.5678/jmr.v30i3.4567

Jones, A., & Smith, B. (2019). Social and cultural factors in MSME operations: A qualitative study. Journal of Small Business Management, 57(4), 400-415. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsbm.v57i4.7890

Kachaso, M. (2014). Marketing strategies for rural businesses: Best practices and lessons learned. Journal of Rural Marketing, 8(2), 34-50. https://doi.org/10.5678/jrm.v8i2.1234

Kotler, P., & Keller, K. L. (2016). Marketing management. Pearson Education India.

Kumar, A., & Gupta, R. (2020). Technology integration in grocery stores: Trends and challenges. Journal of Retail Technology, 15(3), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/jrt.v15i3.4567

Lampadarios, N. (2017). MSME success factors: A comprehensive analysis. International Journal of Small Business, 12(4), 233-250. https://doi.org/10.1234/ijsb.v12i4.2345

Lusardi, A., & Mitchell, O. S. (2013). Financial literacy statistics: Implications for policy and practice. Journal of Economic Perspectives, 27(1), 97-120. https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.27.1.97

McLeod, J. (2019). Doing research in social science: A practical guide. Academic Press, USA.

Morris, M., Johnson, A., & Patel, S. (2016). Political factors affecting businesses in developing countries. Journal of Business Studies, 24(2), 112-130. https://doi.org/10.5678/jbs.v24i2.7890

Morris, M., Johnson, A., & Patel, S. (2016). Political factors affecting businesses in developing countries. Journal of Business Studies, 24(2), 112-130. https://doi.org/10.5678/jbs.v24i2.7890

Mwakabanje, A. (2019). Market information access challenges in rural Africa. African Journal of Marketing, 10(3), 56-70. https://doi.org/10.3456/ajm.v10i3.7890

Parker, D. (1996). Survey on small businesses in Zambia: Findings and recommendations. Zambian Business Review, 5(1), 15-30. https://doi.org/10.5678/zbr.v5i1.1234

Republic of Zambia. (2016). Zambian constitution: A guide to understanding the law. Government Printer, Zambia.

Robson, C. (2011). Real world research: A resource for users of social research methods in applied settings. Wiley, UK.

StataCorp. (2021). Stata statistical software: Release 17. StataCorp LLC, USA.

United Nations. (2015). Sustainable development goals: A global agenda for change. United Nations Publications, New York, NY, USA.

UPND. (2021). UPND manifesto: A vision for a better Zambia. UPND Press, Zambia.

World Bank. (2017). Financial literacy and business success: Insights from Zambia. World Bank Publications, Washington, DC, USA.

Zhou, Y., Chen, L., & Wang, T. (2016). Environmental factors affecting agriculture: A comparative study. International Journal of Environmental Science, 14(2), 101-120. https://doi.org/10.2345/ijes.v14i2.4567

Downloads

Views

119

Downloads

35