AN EVALUATION OF ENTREPRENEURIAL LANGUAGE USE AND THE PROMOTION OF BUSINESS AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM-SCALE ENTREPRENEURS (SMEs) IN THE NORTHERN ZONE OF CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

The study was conducted to discover the relationship between small and medium scale entrepreneurs’ construction of discourses and expressions in their business operations and maximization of their businesses and profitability. A cross-sectional survey method was adopted with descriptive mode as design. The population of the study comprised 125 Small and Medium Scale Entrepreneurs (SMEs) obtained through stratified simple random sampling technique from the Northern Cross River zone of the State distributed over the five Local Government areas with twenty five (25) respondents drawn from each of the Local Government Areas. To achieve the purpose of the study, four research questions were raised followed by four hypotheses stated in the null forms. A 20-item validated questionnaire titled ‘Questionnaire on the Evaluation of Entrepreneurial Language among Small and Medium-Scale Entrepreneurs in Northern Cross River State (QEELSME) developed in a Likert-scale form was administered on the sample population. Data collected from the field were coded and analyzed using descriptive statistics and one sample t-test analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that: there is significant mean difference in the mean ratings of the appropriate use of language skills for increased patronage and entrepreneurial sustainability among SMEs in northern Cross State, there is a significant mean difference in mean ratings of SME practitioners’ application of language skills and interactional efficiency with their customers/clients in northern Cross River State, there is a significant mean difference in the mean ratings of the implications of the use of effective language in business transactions and entrepreneurial sustainability of SMEs in northern Cross State, and, there is a significant mean difference in the mean ratings of the extent to which SMEs employ language skills and the enhancement of effective management and decision-making. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that: small and medium scale entrepreneurs should be subjected to trainings by the resource providers, as part of mentoring devices in the SME programme that will equip them with the entrepreneurial language skills through apprentice ship to successful business men as business mentors who will impart on them these business traits.