An Investigation into the Management of Vehicle Repair Garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the management of vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality. A 67 item questionnaire was used to collect data from a randomly selected sample of 52 entrepreneurs of vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality. Frequency counts, percentages, and Pearson’s chi-square test for independence were used to analyze the data collected. The study found that majority of the entrepreneurs of vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality were predominantly young males (between 29-39yrs), possessed no formal school certificate, and had between six and 11years of working experience. Also, the study revealed that the factors contributing to the success of vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality were management skills, entrepreneurial characteristics, and human capital. Moreover, the study noted that the business challenges facing vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality were high cost of inputs, high cost of borrowing money, high utility charges, high rental charges, debts collection from business creditors, and unfavourable business laws. In addition, the study found that gender, age, level of education, and working experience of the entrepreneurs are independent of the performance of vehicle repair garages in the Bolgatanga Municipality.

Keywords: Management, Demographic Characteristics, and Vehicle Repair Garages.