The lack of education and training is seen as South African entrepreneurs’ most frequently mentioned weakness. Therefore, this study addresses the training of entrepreneurs and reveals that education and training are crucial for the development and creation of entrepreneurs. The purpose of this study is to measure the effectiveness of the Women Entrepreneurship Programme (WEP), which was introduced to promote and encourage women entrepreneurs in South Africa. Furthermore, the study will provide a framework for and discuss content of future entrepreneurship training programmes. The literature revealed the need for an entrepreneurship training programme that focuses specifically on the training needs of women. The WEP focuses on areas that are normally neglected in other entrepreneurship programmes and includes topics such as networking and support, the use of role models, confidence-building, and post-care training in the form of mentors and counsellors. The extension of the experimental design by using a control group allowed the effects and benefits of the training intervention (WEP) on the participants to be measured against the control group, hence widening the debate surrounding the rationale for interventions of this nature. The Chi-square test, t-test for independent samples, t-test for paired samples, Mann-Whitney test, and Wilcoxon matched-pairs test were executed to present the statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups. The Kruskal-Wallis One-Way ANOVA test was also executed to illustrate statistical differences between various groups within the experimental group. The findings of this empirical study have helped to highlight the benefits derived by the WEP delegates and that they gained new entrepreneurial, as well as business, skills and knowledge relevant to running a business; increased their confidence in their entrepreneurial abilities, and improved their employability, turnover, productivity and profit. Furthermore it should be emphasised that it was statistically proven that the WEP, as a training intervention, is effective in training potential, start-up and established women entrepreneurs in South Africa. / Thesis (DCom (Business Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Business Management / unrestricted

D.Litt. et Phil. / The growing number of married women with children who enter the work force is widely documented. In addition, the last decade has seen the number of self-employed women increase dramatically. The homemaker role, which remains an important adult attainment fora large segment of the female population for at least some portion of their adult lives, has received little attention. The career of the homemaker is omitted both in the traditional definition of the labour force and by the career counselling profession. Because of the rise in women's labour force activity there has been increased concern with the psychological implications of occupying family and work roles simultaneously. Married women who obtain employment typically experience role expansion and such expansion has potential repercussions for the women themselves, for their families and for their employing institutions. Although these women are assuming the demanding role of employee, they are typically not free to relinquish any of their previous traditional roles - the major responsibility for household work and parenting chores still appears to be the province of women. Presently, the empirical evidence of the psychological effects of maternal employment is equivocal, suggesting both positive and negative effects are possible. On the one hand paid employment has been related to increased self-esteem, status and life satisfaction in working mothers. On the other hand, maternal employment has also been associated with role conflict, life dissatisfaction and family stress. A wide variety of correlates of home-career conflict has been studied. The accumulation of empirical studies has not, however, been integrated in a way which advances understanding of the interrelationships of variables associated with home-career conflict. The purpose of the present study was to investigate from within an integrated framework the relationship between work and family domains and their impact on the life satisfaction of women who re-enter the labour market, women entrepreneurs and homemakers.