A Study Of Communication And Education Programmes For Microentrepreneurs: Enhancing Rural And Community Banks' Outreach In Small And Medium Enterprises (Smes) Development

Abstract

This study examined the effectiveness of communication and education programmes implemented by rural and community banks to enhance Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) development among microentrepreneurs in Ghana. Grounded in Social Learning Theory and Information Asymmetry Theory, the research investigated three primary communication mechanisms: workshop-based financial education programmes, project officer support, and tailored messaging strategies. A quantitative cross-sectional survey design was employed, collecting data from 100 microentrepreneurs using structured questionnaires analyzed through SPSS version 26. The findings revealed consistently strong positive perceptions of all communication mechanisms, with mean scores exceeding 4.00 on a 5-point Likert scale. Project officer support received the highest ratings (M=4.08-4.21), particularly for providing practical business advice and maintaining clear communication. Workshop-based programmes demonstrated high effectiveness in improving business management skills and loan repayment discipline (M=4.06-4.11), while tailored messaging proved effective for repayment reminders and business development support (M=4.07-4.20). Correlation and regression analyses confirmed significant relationships between variables, with financial literacy improvement serving as a critical mediating mechanism. The combined model explained less than a quarter of business performance variance (R²=.234, F=14.795, p=.000). The study concluded that rural banks can significantly enhance microenterprise development through integrated communication strategies combining workshops, project officer support, and tailored messaging, validating both theoretical frameworks and providing evidence-based recommendations for policy and practice.