Purpose In this study, we examine how the impact of security crises on the vulnerability of female entrepreneurship varies according to the development of information and communication technologies (ICT) in sub-Saharan Africa. Design/methodology/approach Using data on a sample of 48 countries between 2008 and 2019, it first proposes a multidimensional index to measure the vulnerability of female entrepreneurship and then mobilises two estimators of the generalised method of moments (GMM). Findings It appears that security crises increase the vulnerability of female entrepreneurship; ICTs do not significantly reduce this vulnerability and that the use of ICTs mitigates the adverse effects of security crises. The results show that in countries where at least 42% of the population uses mobile, female entrepreneurs adapt better during security crises. The internet has beneficial and significant effects on mobility, type of work and financing but does not produce conclusive results overall. Originality/value Harnessing digital effectuation to analyse female entrepreneurship during security crises in sub-Saharan Africa.
Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore how digitalization is transforming female entrepreneurship by analyzing existing academic literature through a bibliometric lens. It aims to identify key trends, influential contributions and thematic developments in the field from 2009 to 2024. By mapping the research landscape, the study seeks to understand how digital technologies are enabling or constraining women entrepreneurs, particularly in emerging economies. The ultimate goal is to inform the development of inclusive, gender-sensitive policies and practices that promote digital empowerment and support the sustainable growth of women-led businesses in the evolving digital economy. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a bibliometric analysis to examine the intersection of digitalization and female entrepreneurship. Data were collected from the Scopus database, comprising 191 articles published between 2009 and 2024. The analysis was conducted using the Bibliometrix package in R, specifically the Biblioshiny interface and VOSviewer software. Various bibliometric indicators were applied to map research trends, influential authors, key themes and collaborative networks. This methodological approach provides a comprehensive overview of the academic landscape, enabling the identification of emerging topics and gaps in the literature related to digital technologies and women's entrepreneurial activities. Findings The findings reveal that digitalization significantly influences female entrepreneurship by enhancing access to markets, resources and networks, particularly in emerging economies. Digital platforms empower women economically and socially, contributing to business innovation and growth. However, persistent gender disparities, limited digital skills and unequal access to technology continue to hinder progress. The analysis also highlights increasing scholarly interest in this intersection, with emerging themes such as digital empowerment, inclusive innovation, and gender-sensitive policy development. These insights stress the need for targeted strategies to ensure women fully benefit from digital transformation in entrepreneurial contexts. Research limitations/implications The study is limited by its exclusive reliance on the Scopus database, which may exclude relevant publications indexed elsewhere, potentially affecting the comprehensiveness of the review. Additionally, bibliometric analysis focuses on quantitative metrics and may overlook deeper qualitative insights into the lived experiences of female entrepreneurs. The findings are primarily based on existing literature and may not fully capture rapidly evolving digital trends. Despite these limitations, the study offers valuable implications for policymakers and researchers by identifying gaps and emerging areas, encouraging further interdisciplinary and context-specific research to support digital inclusion and gender equity in entrepreneurship. Practical implications The study offers practical insights for policymakers, educators and support organizations aiming to foster female entrepreneurship in the digital age. It highlights the need for targeted initiatives that enhance women's digital skills, improve access to technology and address structural gender inequalities. Findings support the development of inclusive policies that promote digital empowerment and encourage participation in digital economies. For practitioners, the research emphasizes the value of digital tools in expanding market reach and fostering innovation. It also underscores the importance of creating supportive ecosystems that enable women entrepreneurs to thrive and contribute to economic development, particularly in underrepresented regions. Social implications The study underscores the transformative social impact of digitalization on female entrepreneurship, particularly in enhancing women's economic participation and social empowerment. By facilitating access to digital tools and platforms, women can overcome traditional barriers, gain visibility and build networks that support business development. However, it also reveals persistent social challenges, such as digital exclusion and gender-based disparities that limit equitable participation. The findings call for socially inclusive strategies that address these inequalities, promote digital literacy and foster a culture of gender equity. Empowering women through digital entrepreneurship contributes not only to economic growth but also to broader social progress and inclusion. Originality/value This study offers original value through its interdisciplinary and bibliometric approach to examining the nexus between digitalization and female entrepreneurship. By systematically analyzing 191 articles from 2009 to 2024, it identifies key research trends, influential contributors and emerging themes in the field. Unlike previous studies, it provides a comprehensive and data-driven overview that bridges gender studies, entrepreneurship and digital transformation. The findings contribute to academic discourse and offer practical guidance for developing gender-sensitive digital policies. This research is particularly valuable for advancing inclusive innovation and supporting the sustainable growth of women-led enterprises in both developed and emerging economies.
Purpose This study examines the intersectional experiences of women entrepreneurs (WE) in Latin America (LA). We use the 5M framework as a lens to analyze the unique challenges and opportunities faced by LA WE. Although the 5M model has advanced research beyond deficit perspectives of women's entrepreneurship, it assumes that embeddedness is sufficiently captured through the combined macro-meso “M.” This assumption may overlook how gendered entrepreneurial processes develop in contexts like Latin America, where macro-cultural forces such as machismo and mestizaje influence distinct forms of embeddedness. Design/methodology/approach The study conducts a 20-year systematic literature review of peer-reviewed English- and Spanish-language literature on women's entrepreneurship in Latin America. The review includes first-tier grey literature to capture and abductively explore underrepresented regional evidence. In doing so, the study synthesizes a fragmented body of research and, through an abductive approach, develops a contextually grounded refinement of the 5M framework. Findings The review examines how macro-cultural forces, such as machismo and mestizaje, shape intersectional meso-level spaces in which women entrepreneurs operate in Latin America. Our analysis suggests that gendered entrepreneurial processes are experienced through distinct meso-level embedded spaces, including entrepreneurial ecosystems, networks, communities, and family structures, where the 5M elements – markets, money, management, and motherhood – are enacted. In these spaces, relational gender identities (mother/other) mediate entrepreneurial agency, creating both enabling and constraining dynamics shaped by class-based intersectionality. Originality/value Responding to calls for further interpretation of the 5M framework, this study provides a contextually grounded refinement using Latin American evidence. In doing so, the paper revisits the embeddedness and intersectional assumptions of the 5M framework to highlight how macro-cultural forces, meso-level spaces, and relational gender identities intersect in shaping women's entrepreneurial experiences. Without further testing, these insights should be viewed as contextually bounded rather than as a universally applicable model.
Purpose This study investigates the challenges faced by Taiwanese women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their emotional responses and the strategies they employed to cope with these challenges. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through structured interviews with 50 women entrepreneurs and analyzed using thematic analysis, framed by social cognitive theory and the resource-based view. Findings Seven major challenges were identified: financial instability, government policies and restrictions, disruptions to business operations, supply chain disruptions, communication issues with clients, difficulties in complying with health and safety measures and workforce disruption. The emotional responses ranged from feelings of helplessness and frustration to resilience and hope, which in turn informed the adoption of various adaptive strategies. Research limitations/implications The small sample size of 50 participants limits the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, qualitative research relies on the researchers' interpretation of data, which may introduce subjectivity and bias. Practical implications The lessons learned from women entrepreneurs during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the resilience, adaptability and innovative strategies employed by women entrepreneurs during challenging times. Originality/value The findings highlight the resilience and innovative capabilities of women entrepreneurs in crisis contexts and underscore the need for tailored support mechanisms, including financial assistance, digital literacy training and mental health resources. Policy recommendations emphasize the importance of gender-sensitive policies and simplified regulatory procedures. The findings also contribute to advancing scholarship on gender equality (SDG 5) and decent work and economic growth (SDG 8).
Purpose This study aims to investigate the mechanisms through which social media use is associated with both the financial and non-financial performance of women-led ventures. Specifically, it seeks to examine the mediating role of online social capital in the relationship between social media use and business performance, and the contingent moderating effect of the entrepreneurs' social competence on these relationships. Design/methodology/approach From the perspective of the Contingent Resource-Based Theory (CRBT), a conceptual model was proposed and tested using structural equation modeling. Data were collected through a survey, and the sample consisted of 244 Brazilian women entrepreneurs. Findings The use of social media was found to have a positive effect on female entrepreneurs' online social capital, which in turn had a positive impact on both the financial and non-financial performance of their ventures. Furthermore, these relationships were found to be positively moderated by the social competence of female entrepreneurs. Specifically, the findings suggest that higher social competence intensifies the effect of social media use on online social capital as well as the effect of online social capital on both the financial and non-financial performance of women-led ventures. Research limitations/implications Our findings indicate that social competence significantly moderates the effect of social media use by women entrepreneurs, with implications for the fields of gender and entrepreneurship. Women often experience structural impediments in accessing formal or traditional forms of social capital (e.g. exclusive male-dominated business associations). Consequently, the digital space becomes a crucial, yet not automatically beneficial, avenue for resource acquisition. In this context, social competence may act as a contingent complementary resource (in line with CRBT) that can allow women to leverage this digital avenue. Originality/value The study shows that social competence may act as a contingent capability that supports the translation of social media use into financial and non-financial performance. This suggests that without social competence, social media operates below its full potential for generating resources, whereas, with it, social media's strategic value can be amplified as a resource generator.
Purpose This paper introduces the concept of intersectional deprivation to explain how overlapping structural, psychological and relational disadvantages shape refugee women's entrepreneurial intentions in deprived UK contexts. Drawing on Crenshaw's intersectionality and place-based marginalization, the study addresses the absence of an integrated mechanism-based framework by focusing on Middlesbrough, a paradigmatic asylum-dispersal city in the North East of England, shaped by austerity, immigration policy and spatial stigma. Design/methodology/approach The study adopts a co-production methodology and an interpretive case-study design. Data were generated through fifteen semi-structured interviews, focus groups and storytelling workshops with refugee women. Analysis followed Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic approach, incorporating iterative coding, memo writing, participant feedback and constant comparison to ensure theoretical depth, credibility and epistemic justice. Findings The analysis identifies three mutually reinforcing mechanisms of intersectional deprivation: (1) psychological erosion, where trauma, uncertainty, language barriers and caregiving responsibilities undermine self-efficacy; (2) structural and institutional inertia, including bureaucratic opacity, credential devaluation, fragmented support systems and financial exclusion; and (3) relational load and collective coping, where community-based networks provide emotional and material support while simultaneously reproducing unpaid care work and limiting access to formal entrepreneurial ecosystems. These mechanisms form a cyclical process that both constrains and generates situated, collective forms of agency. Originality/value The study offers a novel mechanism-based framework that extends the 5 M model, Mixed Embeddedness and epistemic-injustice perspectives by integrating intersectionality with spatial deprivation and psychological experiences of exclusion. It centres refugee women's lived experiences through co-production and provides actionable insights for policy, ecosystem development and gender-just entrepreneurship support in overlooked UK regions and comparable international contexts.
Purpose This paper aims to scrutinise postfeminist claims about gender progressiveness and entrepreneurial equality through exploring the lived realities of copreneurs on green care farms. Through applying a processual approach to gendering and entrepreneuring, we analyse how gendering is manifested, to what extent and how the ongoing gendering tinkers, tailors or transforms traditional gendering, as well as the discrepancies between post-feminist claims and lived realities. Design/methodology/approach Eight farms in rural Sweden, where different-sex couples engage in green care entrepreneurship, were studied through interviews and participant observations. The research employs an inductive approach, with data analysed using the Gioia methodology. Findings We find that postfeminist claims are far from the lived realities of rural copreneurs on farms and suggest that such claims have an urban and industrial bias. Furthermore, we find that in copreneuring on green care farms in Sweden, the gendering manifests in division of labour and economic power structures, where traditional gendering of tasks and economic power is ongoing. A few instances of tinkering and tailoring of this gendering were also found, but no examples of transformative change. Originality/value This paper offers a unique in-depth study of manifestations of gendering in rural copreneurship. This contributes firstly by empirically strengthening the critique of the postfeminist claims, revealing the urban bias and industrial limits to these claims. Secondly, the study contributes to the understudied area of gendering in copreneurship, shedding light on rural copreneurship as a significant form of business. The findings challenge the view that entrepreneurship can offer an escape from gendering processes. Thirdly, we contribute to a highly needed integration of a gendering perspective into copreneurship and family business studies.
Purpose This study investigates how women's entrepreneurial empowerment unfolds within fragile lower-income economies, focusing on the experiences of women entrepreneurs navigating institutional support systems and socio-cultural constraints. Design/methodology/approach The study employs a qualitative design using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to explore the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs in Yemen. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women entrepreneurs selected through snowball sampling. The analysis focuses on how participants experience and interpret their efforts to access financial resources, institutional support, and empowerment initiatives. Findings The findings reveal that women's entrepreneurial empowerment unfolds through a complex interaction between institutional constraints, organisational practices, and socio-cultural norms. Women frequently encounter barriers when engaging with formal support structures such as microfinance institutions and development programmes. In response, they mobilise alternative strategies through informal networks and community-based resources. These dynamics form an empowerment–disempowerment cycle, in which entrepreneurial aspirations interact with institutional barriers, leading to adaptive strategies that sustain entrepreneurial activity but often limit business expansion. Originality/value The study contributes to entrepreneurship and gender research by offering a process-based explanation of women's entrepreneurial empowerment in fragile institutional contexts. By conceptualising empowerment as an empowerment–disempowerment cycle, the study uses institutional theory and liberal feminist theory to explain how empowerment initiatives unfold in lower-income economies.
Purpose This study aims to examine how Ubuntu, as an Indigenous African philosophy of relational personhood, shapes women's lived experiences of entrepreneurship in Rwanda. Moving beyond Western individualistic models, the study investigates how culturally embedded logics intersect with gendered expectations to both enable and constrain women's entrepreneurial agency. Design/methodology/approach Adopting an inductive, interpretive design informed by constructivist grounded theory principles, the study draws on face-to-face, semi-structured interviews with 15 women entrepreneurs in Rwanda to explore both entrepreneurial motivations and interpretations of Ubuntu. Data were analyzed using iterative coding and constant comparison to surface participants' meaning-making processes. Findings Ubuntu operates as a constitutive cultural logic, shaping in three main ways how women interpret, justify and enact entrepreneurship. Women enacted entrepreneurial agency through affiliation, obligations to family and commitments to community, rather than through individual autonomy. Relational networks provided emotional support, legitimacy and resources but also imposed gendered expectations that limited business expansion and autonomy. Women's entrepreneurial success often triggered renegotiations of household authority, revealing tensions within patriarchal structures. Research limitations/implications The study focuses on a purposive sample of fifteen Rwandan women and does not claim generalizability. However, its findings offer rich contextual insights into how non-Western worldviews shape the meaning-making of entrepreneurs. The study invites future research to explore similar dynamics in other African contexts and to expand theory-building on culturally grounded entrepreneurship. Practical implications This study advances culturally grounded analysis by conceptualizing Ubuntu as a gendered cultural logic that shapes women's entrepreneurial identities and practices. The study also reevaluates empowerment narratives by demonstrating that relational embeddedness does both at the same time; it enables and constraints women's agency. Social implications The philosophy is omnipresent in Rwandan culture and contributes to women's entrepreneurship through resource sharing in self-help groups and the exchange of advice and business ideas, thereby constituting social capital among women entrepreneurs. Originality/value By conceptualizing Ubuntu as a lived cultural logic rather than a contextual backdrop, this study shows how women's entrepreneurial agency in collectivist contexts is relationally produced and morally negotiated. The findings challenge individualistic assumptions in mainstream entrepreneurship theory and highlight the need for culturally grounded, gender-sensitive perspectives on entrepreneurial agency in African settings.
PurposeThis study examines how formal entrepreneurship education and different informal social contexts, including family, hobbies, and peer interactions, are associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls. While previous research has shown that entrepreneurship is a gendered phenomenon, the factors associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls have received limited attention.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on quantitative survey data collected in Finland (N = 13,171). The target group consists of 15-year-old girls. The analysis is based on linear regression models.FindingsThe findings of this research reveal that formal entrepreneurship education and informal social contexts are associated with different dimensions of entrepreneurship potential for adolescent girls. Overall, informal social contexts show the strongest associations with entrepreneurship potential. School-based entrepreneurship education, on the other hand, may even reduce girls' interest in entrepreneurship.Research limitations/implicationsThis study advances understanding of the multiple factors associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls by demonstrating that it emerges not only within structured educational settings but also across a wider range of everyday social contexts. These insights challenge traditional models of entrepreneurship education that prioritise formal instruction and instead support a more holistic framework grounded in sociocultural and experiential learning perspectives. The results emphasise the importance of supporting girls' entrepreneurial development early in their educational trajectory to help address gender disparities in entrepreneurial activity. Nevertheless, reliance on self-reported survey data introduces the possibility of response bias, and this limitation is acknowledged in the analysis.Practical implicationsAt the policy level, this means ensuring that entrepreneurship education frameworks encourage early exposure to diverse entrepreneurial pathways, integrate gender sensitive pedagogical principles, and allocate resources for teacher training that supports the use of learner centered methods. Pedagogically this means entrepreneurship education that is not based on one mode fits all models. This includes designing learning environments that incorporate experiential activities, and provide opportunities for girls to engage with relatable entrepreneurial role models. Such environments can counteract early socialization patterns that may otherwise restrict the development of entrepreneurship potential and help ensure that entrepreneurship education supports all learners more equitably.Social implicationsWith a deeper understanding of the factors that affect girls' entrepreneurial potential it is possible to influence the gendered role of entrepreneurship in society.Originality/valueAdolescent girls have been largely overlooked in entrepreneurship research. This study contributes originality by examining how formal and informal social contexts are associated with the entrepreneurship potential of adolescent girls.
PurposeThis study aims to examine the socio-psychological factors that influence women's entrepreneurial intentions (WEI) in India by integrating the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and push-pull theory.Design/methodology/approachData were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 371 final-semester female students from 6 universities, and women who had already started a business were asked to recall their entrepreneurial journey. This study used a mixed approach, and structural equation modeling-partial least squares (PLS-SEM) was used to test the proposed model.FindingsThe study reveals that kinship networks significantly enhance women's entrepreneurial intentions by providing social and emotional support. However, their positive influence diminishes in socially toxic environments. In contrast, self-efficacy emerges as a strong and stable internal driver of entrepreneurial intention, even in adverse social conditions. Conversely, the need for independence showed no significant impact, suggesting that cultural and social constraints may limit its motivational role in collectivist contexts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides valuable insights for policymakers, educators and development agencies. This emphasizes that promoting women's entrepreneurship in collectivist societies requires both individual and contextual interventions. Strengthening self-efficacy through skill-building and confidence training and fostering psychologically safe and inclusive kinship networks can enhance women's entrepreneurial intentions. Programs should also address social toxicity through awareness campaigns and supportive institutional frameworks that legitimize women's economic participation in the workforce.Practical implicationsThis study expands upon the TPB and push-pull theory by revealing that women's entrepreneurial intentions arise from the interplay of cognitive, motivational, and sociocultural factors. These factors, including kinship networks and pull factors, are context-dependent, whereas self-efficacy emerges as a resilient internal driver that goes beyond mere autonomy. In practical terms, this study advocates for ecosystem redesign that bolsters mastery-based self-efficacy, transforms families into informed developmental partners and mitigates social toxicity through inclusive, structurally enabling policies. These policies should make women's entrepreneurship socially endorsed and attainable.Originality/valueThis study integrates the push-pull theory and the TPB to comprehensively understand women's entrepreneurial intentions in collectivist societies like India. It introduces social toxicity as a moderating variable, showing how negative social dynamics distort the positive effects of kinship networks and personal motivation, which advances a novel perspective on how supportive and toxic environments shape women's entrepreneurial decisions.
PurposeThe present study sought to examine how a K-12 school-based business accelerator program in Canada supported girls' experience of entrepreneurship through the lens of self-determination theory (SDT). This study presents findings from the program pilot within an independent school for girls.Design/methodology/approachThe program was piloted in 2019-2020, and the research team attended and recorded program meetings and pitch competition (N = 12), collected learning artifacts and interviewed students and program instructors (N = 6).FindingsThe program successfully built girls' competence in key business skills. The autonomy-supportive environment was empowering but also challenging, highlighting the importance of structured guidance for novices and the interdependence between competence and autonomy. A powerful sense of relatedness was fostered through teamwork, the cohort structure, and mentorship from teachers and parents, which students described as crucial supports. This was contrasted by a notable lack of professional mentorship, suggesting that effective programs for girls must address the need for both peer and professional relationships.Originality/valueThis article offers a novel and theoretically-grounded analysis rooted in SDT of a secondary-school (ages 12-18) entrepreneurship intervention, a critical but under-researched context for fostering female entrepreneurial talent. The findings add critical nuance to SDT itself when applied to this specific context, namely the importance of scaffolding autonomy and distinguishing between "peer relatedness" and "professional relatedness." To further foster business and innovation competencies among girls, the authors identify significant implications for reconsidering core components of accelerator programs, including timeline, duration and the nature of competition and collaboration.
Purpose-This study aims to conceptualize female authentic entrepreneurial identity as a collective and relational identity process that integrates authenticity, gender and entrepreneuring in context marked by gender inequalities, and to explain how this identity functions as a stabilizing and protective resource for women's psychological and subjective well-being in gendered entrepreneurial environments. Design/methodology/approach-This conceptual study is grounded in entrepreneurial identity and gender role scholarship. It develops an interdisciplinary dialogue with feminist theory, identity-based perspectives and psychological approaches to well-being. The framework examines how female authentic entrepreneurial identity is collectively constructed and how it operates as a stabilizing resource within structurally gendered entrepreneurial contexts. Findings-The study shows that female authentic entrepreneurial identity emerges as a collective, relational and multidimensional process sustained through shared narratives, peer recognition and gender-attributed relational practices. This identity functions as a stabilizing and protective mechanism for women's well-being, mitigating chronic gender-related stressors and supporting the continuity of entrepreneurial action in masculinized environments. Originality/value-This article advances gender and entrepreneurship research by conceptualizing female authentic entrepreneurial identity as a collective and relational process, rather than an individual property or solely individual process. By integrating feminist theory, social identity, authenticity and evolutionary psychology, it demonstrates how coherence between entrepreneurial "being and doing" supports women's wellbeing and enables every day, situated forms of social change in gendered entrepreneurial contexts.
PurposeWe examine the income gap experienced by women entrepreneurs with and without disabilities, analyzing the factors that influence their hourly income, including sociodemographic characteristics, business factors and the potential impact of disability status.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopts a quantitative approach, analyzing income determinants among women entrepreneurs who participated in a Chilean government support program. Regression models assess the effects of sociodemographic and business-related variables, with robust standard errors to address heteroscedasticity. Propensity Score Matching improves robustness and addresses potential selection biases.FindingsThis study found that women entrepreneurs with disabilities generally experience lower incomes, but no significant income differences were observed between women with and without disabilities when other variables were added.Research limitations/implicationsIn addition to the gender gap in income, disability is another relevant factor in analyzing inequality in entrepreneurship, making an intersectional approach a relevant framework to analyze the income gap between women with and without disabilities.Practical implicationsOur findings underscore the need for policies with an intersectional approach that address the specific barriers faced by women with disabilities in entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights into the income dynamics of women entrepreneurs with disabilities, a relatively underexplored area in entrepreneurship research. By focusing on a vulnerable group in the Latin American context and analyzing the effectiveness of support programs, it contributes to a deeper understanding of how gender and disability intersect in entrepreneurship performance.
Purpose This paper aims to examine how Nigeria's unique patriarchal landscape influences entrepreneurship and access to finance from a social feminist perspective. Using the gendered lens, the paper addresses the current research gap by explaining how the social construction of gender differently affects males' and females' entrepreneurship and access to financing in a resource-constrained environment. Design/methodology/approach Data are drawn from semi-structured interviews that examine the interconnections and interdependencies of social forces within pre-existing patriarchal structures. In total, 30 entrepreneurs based in Nigeria were selected for the sample, comprising 16 female and 14 male entrepreneurs, using a purposive sampling approach. We also considered two distinct sectors – female-dominated and male-dominated – to explore the interplay between gender and sector in the experiences of these entrepreneurs. Findings Findings demonstrate that their entrepreneurial process is characterised by a deep set of gendered constructions, which policy alone may struggle to change. Nevertheless, the personal agency of women entrepreneurs and their supportive network and “breadwinner expectations” faced by their male counterparts are disrupting the underlying gender inequalities. Findings also reveal that the sector of operation is a significant factor in accessing finance, particularly for women entrepreneurs. Originality/value The findings highlight the significant impact that various societal forces have on the multifaceted entrepreneurial journey of male and female entrepreneurs in Nigeria. The study extends beyond current research, which often views women solely as representatives of gendered subjects, by incorporating men's perspectives on entrepreneurship and access to finance.
PurposeThis study aims to examine how masculinity contest culture (MCC) manifests in Israel's high-tech startup ecosystem, focusing on relations between male startup founders and funders during early-stage capital acquisition.Design/methodology/approachUsing a qualitative, phenomenological approach, 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted with male Israeli startup founders, analysing accounts of investor-facing interactions and masculinity's role in shaping them.FindingsDog-eat-dog dynamics complicated fundraising negotiations, particularly with domestic investors, where adversarial posturing and zero-sum logics undermined trust and heightened concerns over autonomy and governance. Founders responded through three strategies: strategic withdrawal, selective engagement and defensive pushback. A minority reported supportive relationships or attributed dysfunction to personality or structural factors. Masculinity contests were situational rather than hegemonic: dominant performances were mobilised tactically but confined to investor-facing encounters and rejected as leadership models and organisational norms, while non-participation functioned as deliberate, agentic boundary-setting rather than exclusion or marginalisation.Practical implicationsMCC may undermine Israel's "Scale-up Nation" ambitions by obstructing founders from building globally competitive companies domestically. Startups may fail not for lack of merit but because relational dysfunction during fundraising erodes trust or pushes founders to seek capital abroad.Originality/valueThis study extends MCC theory by situating masculinity contests at the proto-organisational stage of venture formation and offers a typology of founder responses, highlighting moral agency and refusal to reproduce contest norms as under-theorised areas.
PurposeThis article examines the contexts, challenges, and notion of women's entrepreneurship through an indigenous cultural and gender framework. The aim is to provide indigenous voices to the diversity of entrepreneurship research from non-Western perspectives. This approach enables us to highlight the experiences of indigenous women entrepreneurs in Nigeria.Design/methodology/approachThis article uses a qualitative research approach to examine indigenous entrepreneurial practices. Data were collected through interviews with 15 Nigerian indigenous women entrepreneurs, who were purposively selected. In addition, focus groups were conducted to generate further data and validate participants' responses. Through thematic analysis, we developed an empirically derived framework for gender and indigenous entrepreneurship culture.FindingsInductive themes emerged from thematic analysis, revealing 7 Ms gender framework of indigenous women's entrepreneurship related to money, management, market, motherhood, meso-environment, macro-environment, and mobilisation of resources. Moreover, the findings reveal enabling elements of indigenous cultural entrepreneurship frameworks, such as the Ajo or Adeshe/Esusu traditional savings schemes, which promote "indigenous sources of capital," and informal entrepreneurial learning that nurtures future entrepreneurial leaders.Research limitations/implicationsThis study uses data from a single country, geographical area, and specific populations, which may limit the scope of the empirical findings. Future research could expand the parameters or combine qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a more in-depth analysis of different contexts and relationships.Originality/valueEntrepreneurship research has been criticized for its non-inclusive theories, overreliance on Western philosophies, and failure to integrate indigenous knowledge from the Global South. This article makes an original contribution to knowledge by exploring the relationship among indigenous culture, gender, and entrepreneurship in a non-Western context.
Purpose- This study examines how the familial relationships shape the success of female social entrepreneurs (FSEs) in emerging economies, with a focus on middle-class India. This study looks at the capital generated by such familial relationships and how this gets mobilised. FSEs' familial relationships play an important role in the decision-making and enhancing the financial independence of the female social entrepreneur. Design/methodology/approach- Fifteen in-depth semi-structured interviews with FSEs were conducted in Delhi, India, in order to examine the role of familial relationships in the development of the FSEs. Findings- This study reveals that the FSEs' familial relationships - with father, mother, siblings, paternal/maternal grandparents, husband and in-laws, as well as extended family play an important role in the decision making of the female social entrepreneur. Their contribution in any form of capital - social, cultural, symbolic, financial; is instrumental to their growth. The fathers are seen to have supported their daughters directly/indirectly through meeting their daughters' needs. The mothers provided for their emotional needs. The role of the husband was as supporter, protector and confidant. These relationships enhanced the financial independence of the FSE. Research limitations/implications- This study primarily uses qualitative data from in-depth interviews, highlighting familial relationships' impact on FSEs. While offering unique insights not easily captured by surveys, the study has limitations. A self-selection bias may exist, as participants likely had a favourable view of the topic, with few discussing failed ventures. Additionally, interviewees were from privileged backgrounds, which may not represent all social entrepreneurs. The findings provide insights into family influence at a specific stage, but further research could explore how these relationships evolve as the enterprise grows, ideally through longitudinal study for greater depth. Practical implications- There are implications from this study for the policymakers, researchers and educators. For the policymakers, the transformation of gender dynamics may have significant policy implications. For educational regulators there may be a necessity to incorporate a curriculum emphasising women's issues, fostering progressive attitudes from a young age. There can also be employment practices that may require enhanced paternity leave and stronger workplace equality regulations. Women's support services could see improvements, with better counselling facilities and enhanced access to maternal and reproductive healthcare. Originality/value- The conceptual model derived from the results of this qualitative study illustrates: (1) the Relational Support Structure of FSEs Across Marital and Paternal Households and (2) the Familial Capital Mobilisation and Conversion Model. These models advance understanding of the managerial and strategic implications of familial embeddedness in FSEs in emerging economies, offering insights for both scholars and practitioners.
PurposeDevelopment organizations expect agri-businesswomen to act as "agents of change" in development by including small farmers in the value chain, especially women, and in doing so, contribute to the SDGs. By empirically studying how Kenyan agri-businesswomen do this and how small farmers perceive the impact, this article examines whether they are fulfilling these expectations.Design/methodology/approachInspired by feminist standpoint theory, this article focuses on twenty Kenyan agri-businesswomen's practices and experiences, and the perspectives of the small farmers they aim to include in the value chain, taking their positions in society in consideration.FindingsThe agri-businesswomen generally included large numbers of small farmers in the value chain through practices of contract farming and collective organization of producers, but also struggled to keep them included and sustain benefits for them. The pressure to ensure business survival in a volatile context frequently compelled them to exclude the most vulnerable farmers from the value chain, and women tend to belong to this group. Some agri-businesswomen actively sought to support female cultivators, but their women-focused activities did not always lead to inclusion, particularly when they were perceived by female cultivators to conflict with gender norms in the village.Originality/valueDespite the high expectations of development organizations, little has been published on African agri-businesswomen and how they practice inclusion of small farmers in the value chain, and how the impact of these practices on farmers is deeply informed by intersecting gender dynamics.
