Growth barriers of women-owned home-based businesses in Iran: an exploratory study

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 244-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meisam Modarresi ◽  
Zahra Arasti ◽  
Kambiz Talebi ◽  
Maghsoud Farasatkhah
Keyword(s):  
Business Owners ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Financial Barriers ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Growth Barriers ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the growth barriers of women’s home-based businesses (HBBs) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative approach was used by 22 in-depth interviews with Iranian female HBBs owners/mangers. Findings Business growth barriers of women were categorized in a multi-level framework of individual barriers (micro), business-related barriers (medium) and environmental barriers (macro). The most important micro-level barrier is lack of skills and experience, while the financial barriers identified as the most business-related one and, finally, the problems of having work interactions with men is the most important environmental barrier women-owned HBBs mentioned. Research limitations/implications The results of this paper can help policy-makers better understand growth barriers for women-owned HBB and attenuate these barriers by developing purposeful supportive growth policies that are commensurate with the barriers. Also, HBB women owners themselves could better concentrate on removing barriers by deepening their understanding of their business growth barriers. Originality/value The paper contributes to the scarce knowledge about women-owned HBBs in Iran, a rapidly growing, developing country, which can provide better insights from a less explored context. Moreover, as there is only a limited understanding of HBB growth, especially in relation to women business owners, the paper results can prove helpful for researchers in the domain of female entrepreneurs.

Women’s entrepreneurship in Iran

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meisam Modarresi ◽  
Zahra Arasti ◽  
Kambiz Talebi ◽  
Maghsoud Farasatkhah
Keyword(s):  
Business Owners ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Working At Home ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Financial Issues ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the growth motivations of women owning and managing home-based businesses (HBBs) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative approach was used by 20 in-depth interviews with Iranian female HBBs owners/mangers. Findings The business growth motivations of women owning and managing HBBs were categorized in intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Results show that women owning and managing HBBs are motivated to growth their businesses by intrinsic motivations including need for achievement, need for independence, proving competency and socio-cultural concerns. Also, they are motivated by some extrinsic motivations including financial issues, fame, positive feedback from others and the problems of working at home. Research limitations/implications Given the importance of entrepreneurial growth, the findings provide additional insight into growth motivations of women entrepreneurs. Practical implications The results of this study can help policymakers to develop purposeful growth policies for women’s HBBs that are commensurate with the motivations. Social implications Also, women owning and managing HBBs themselves could better concentrate on enhancing business growth by deepening their understanding of their business growth motivations. Originality/value The paper contributes to the scarce knowledge about women-owned HBBs in Iran, a rapidly growing, developing country, which can provide better insights from a less explored context. Moreover, as there is only a limited understanding of HBB growth, especially in relation to women business owners, the study results can prove helpful for researchers in the domain of female entrepreneurs. Also, this paper contributes to theory on the motivation for entrepreneurship and to research on growth motivation.

scholarly journals Competencies associated with growth of women-led SMEs

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 588-601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siwan Mitchelmore ◽  
Jennifer Rowley ◽  
Edward Shiu
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Business Performance ◽  
High Growth ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
High Turnover ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Entrepreneurial Competencies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the entrepreneurial competencies that women SME owners perceive to be important to the success of their business, and the competencies that women with high turnover growth rate deem important, and makes a comparison between the two sets of competencies. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire-based survey of female entrepreneurs in England and Wales collected data on those entrepreneurial competencies that women perceived to be important for their business, alongside key business performance measures, such as turnover growth rate. A ranking of the top ten competencies that women thought were important for success was generated; this ranking was compared with a list of four competencies identified as being important by those women whose businesses exhibited high business growth. Findings – All of the competencies perceived by the whole group to be important to the success of their business were personal and relational competencies. This is in stark contrast to the findings from logistic regression, which shows that high-growth businesses can be differentiated from low-growth businesses regarding the importance assigned to the following four competencies by their owners: pro-activeness, strategic planning and implementation for opportunities, acquiring finance, and risk-taking. Originality/value – This study suggests that women business owners’ prioritisation of the key competencies for their business may impact on business growth, and raises the question as to whether women business owners are able to identify the competencies that will drive the growth of their business. The particular contribution of this study is this gap, which poses challenges for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers.

Annotated bibliography on women business owners: A diversity lens

2007 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bonita L. Betters-Reed ◽  
Lynda L. Moore
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
White Female ◽  
Institutional Barriers ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Two Generations ◽  
Race Ethnicity

When we take the lens of race, ethnicity, gender, and class to the collected academic work on women business owners, what does it reveal? What do we really know? Are there differing definitions of success across segments of the women businessowner demographics? Do the challenges faced by African American women entrepreneurs differ from those confronting white female entrepreneurs? Do immigrant female women businessowners face more significant institutional barriers than their counterparts who have been U.S. citizens for at least two generations? Are there similar reasons for starting their businesses?

Performance drivers of women-owned microcredit funded enterprises in Tanzania

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-230
Author(s):  
Charles Stephen Tundui ◽  
Hawa Petro Tundui
Keyword(s):  
Business Performance ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Product Cycle ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Drivers ◽  
The Government

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate performance drivers of women-owned businesses that are funded primarily through microcredit. It draws on Storey’s theory of small business growth and family embeddedness axiom to examine the factors that drive the performance of businesses that are funded primarily through microcredit. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a cross-sectional survey that covered 208 women business owners who had access to microcredit. The authors use a logistic regression analysis to model the relationship between independent variables and enterprise performance. Findings The paper demonstrates that microcredit plays a significant role in business performance. The credit amount has the most significant influence on the enterprise capital base, whereas the effect on profits is insignificant. Also, owners are more likely to report growth in profits if they possess skills in business management. In addition, younger business owners and necessity entrepreneurs are more likely to report success in their businesses. Other factors that have a significant effect on business performance are product cycle, loan use and family support. Originality/value Many women in Tanzania are entering business ownership and depend on microcredit as their primary source of capital for starting and growing their businesses. However, just a few businesses grow into small and medium-sized enterprises. For informed policy decisions, it is important that the factors influencing the performance of funded businesses are known and well understood. This understanding will help the government and development practitioners assist women in achieving business growth rates that could warrant their empowerment and poverty reduction prospects.

scholarly journals Are international small business owners really that different?

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-117
Author(s):  
Sarah Gundlach ◽  
Andre Sammartino
Keyword(s):  
Small Business ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Small Business Owners ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Traits ◽  
Tolerance For Ambiguity ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Do So

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of individual traits and attributes on the entrepreneurial and internationalization actions of Australian businesswomen, many of whom run small businesses. Design/methodology/approach This study is exploratory and quantitative, based on a questionnaire survey of 323 Australian businesswomen. Drawing upon the extant literature on internationalization, gender and entrepreneurship, the study explores two micro-foundational relationships of interest – personality and capability assessment differences between female business owners and their employed counterparts, and the impact of such traits and assessments on their internationalization. A further question is explored in terms of any differentials in perceptions of barriers in internationalization. Findings The findings show key personality dimensions do not differ dramatically between Australian businesswomen working in their own businesses (i.e. entrepreneurs) or as employees in organizations, while there are surprisingly few differences between women who are engaged internationally and those yet to do so. When comparing the female entrepreneurs and employees, in particular, the findings around tolerance for ambiguity and management efficacy are notably counterintuitive. This leads to the development of testable propositions to refine the causal claims in this domain. Practical implications The study calls into question the distinctiveness of entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial endeavors, at least for female businesswomen. Originality/value By including entrepreneurs and employees, women who have engaged internationally and those that are yet to do so, the study avoids some of the potential self-selection and confirmation biases inherent in studies of only entrepreneurs or small business owners. The investigation of individual traits, attributes and experiences as micro-foundations for internationalization motivations challenges existing theories of small business expansion.

Broken Silence: A Commentary on Women's Entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates

2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nnamdi O. Madichie ◽  
Monica Gallant
Keyword(s):  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Arab World ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Government Policies ◽  
Government Agencies ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Key Drivers ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
Depth Interviews

Drawing upon the scant literature on women's entrepreneurship in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), this paper explores the motivations of women business owners in the country based on 10 in-depth interviews. Considering the patriarchal socio-cultural environmental context associated with the Middle East, a number of surprising dynamics are highlighted in the specific case of the UAE. Growing numbers of women graduates and businesses are observed, which suggests that the historical silence among this group is gradually being broken and that changes in government policies and the socio-cultural environment are the key drivers behind this evolution. The paper will benefit both scholars and government agencies interested in the dynamics of women's entrepreneurship in the UAE and, by extension, the Arab world.

Patterns of female entrepreneurial activities in Turkey

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ipek Kalemci Tuzun ◽  
Bahar Araz Takay
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Future Needs ◽  
Qualitative Data Analysis Software ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose This study aims to identify and understand the challenges, motivational factors and future needs of female entrepreneurs in Ankara, Turkey. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the qualitative analysis methodology and uses the qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA 11. A total of 41 randomly selected female entrepreneurs from the city of Ankara and rural areas of the Ankara region participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. A total of 284 codes were defined. Findings Results indicate that female entrepreneurs are mostly intrinsically motivated and are driven by the desire to achieve and to become independent. The socially constructed role of women in Turkey is the primary challenge faced by female entrepreneurs in both urban and rural areas. Moreover, the major future needs identified for female entrepreneurs are support from public institutions and access to managerial consultants. Originality/value There are limited number of studies that closely examine the characteristics of female entrepreneurship activity and their challenges/motivations in Turkey. This research contributes to the existing literature through its qualitative nature and by highlighting differences in urban and rural female entrepreneurs. Moreover, the results of this study are useful for policy makers to evaluate the future needs of female entrepreneurs and the programs that will be needed to overcome the challenges facing female entrepreneurs in the entrepreneurial process.

Difficulties facing women entrepreneurs in Israel: a social stratification approach

2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 142-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sibylle Heilbrunn ◽  
Khaled Abu-Asbeh ◽  
Muhammed Abu Nasra
Keyword(s):  
Labor Market ◽  
Social Stratification ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Immigrant Women ◽  
Business Owners ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women Business Owners ◽  
Majority Population ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to explore the difficulties facing entrepreneurs in three groups of women in Israel: immigrant women from the Former Soviet Union (FSU), women belonging to the Palestinian Israeli minority and Jewish Israeli women belonging to the majority population. Relying on the stratification approach, the authors investigate the extent to which labor market, resource and women-specific disadvantages constrain women's entrepreneurship within these three groups. Design/methodology/approach – The target research population consisted of 477 women entrepreneurs who operated businesses between 2009 and 2010. Using systematic sampling, the authors surveyed 148 FSU immigrant women business owners, 150 Jewish Israeli women business owners and 170 Palestinian Israeli women business owners, using a comprehensive questionnaire administered in the entrepreneurs' native language. Findings – The authors found similarities and differences between the three groups as to their ability to handle difficulties deriving from labor market, resource and women-specific disadvantages. Overall, the authors found that Palestinian women entrepreneurs have relatively more difficulties than the other two groups. Research limitations/implications – Women entrepreneurs' socio-political status within stratified social realities imposes constraints on their economic activities. Further research should investigate policies, which could assist in overcoming these constraints taking into consideration similarities and differences between specific groups. Originality/value – In addition to shedding light on the impact of socio-political environmental circumstances on women entrepreneurs in a particular country, the authors believe that applying the social stratification approach is especially valuable at the intersection of minority status, gender and entrepreneurship.

Examining the religious tourism potential of Manisa, Turkey with a marketing perspective

2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (3) ◽  
pp. 214-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burak Kartal ◽  
Mustafa Tepeci ◽  
Hakan Atlı
Keyword(s):  
Web Sites ◽  
Action Plan ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Event Marketing ◽  
The Bible ◽  
Data Collection Process ◽  
Religious Tourism ◽  
Tourism Potential ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose – This paper aims to, by having a marketing perspective, assess the potential of Manisa for religious tourism and shed some light on the ways of increasing that potential and to add to the religious tourism literature and practice in general. Design/methodology/approach – A number of depth interviews were conducted with the experts of culture, tourism, religion and religious assets in Manisa. People and institutions regarding religious tourism were called, visited and asked for the names of right interviewees. As a result, a total of 14 interviews were arranged and successfully accomplished. In addition to depth interviews, top 15 most popular travel Web sites (www.ebizmba.com/articles/travel-websites) are examined for tourist and guide opinions toward Manisa’s religious sites and its surroundings. Findings – The findings indicate that Manisa has highly important religious monuments belonging to three major religions, including three of the seven churches mentioned in the Apocalypse section of the Bible. Many suggestions have been made regarding possible changes in products, referring to religious monuments and sites in this study, and other marketing mix elements like possible ways of promoting the product. Research limitations/implications – The findings are based on a qualitative study, which limit their generalizability. Yet, the sample of interviewees is fairly large and utmost attention is given to the selection of them. In the future, more stakeholders can be involved in the data collection process. Also, the views of general public on the topic can be investigated through surveys to determine the details of religious tourism activities. Practical implications – Preparations for selling souvenirs (like miniatures of religious monuments) and other religious and cultural goods near the sites of attraction can be made. In addition to selling souvenirs (e.g. miniatures, postcards), local food (i.e. Mesir paste, Mesir delight) and local drinks (i.e. Mesir tea, Sübye) can be offered at gift shops or stores to be opened next to religious monuments. Social implications – With the rising popularity of experiential and event marketing, tourists coming to Manisa to see religious monuments will be better off experiencing the atmosphere of these monuments. A specific team of experts from each related organization can be formed and an action plan be prepared to determine the steps to be taken regarding religious tourism. A wise planning and an effective implementation of religious tourism efforts require an intense coordination. Originality/value – Policy makers and managers who want to promote religious tourism need to determine the tourism products and services which appeal to a diverse types of tourists visiting any religious destination. Religious tourism products and services in other destinations can be offered in combination with such activities as camping, hiking and sightseeing or such other types of tourism as social and group tourism and adventure. Standard marketing strategies may not work for religious tourism because spiritual travel will take different forms and have different meanings. Promotional activities are utilized to make potential customers aware of products, induce demand and provide incentives to purchase.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial learning: gender differences

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 557-577 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ignatius Ekanem
Keyword(s):  
Learning Process ◽  
Small Businesses ◽  
Learning Experiences ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Learning ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Support Programmes

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the differences in the entrepreneurial experiences between male and female entrepreneurs. The study investigates what entrepreneurs learn, how they learn, who they learn from and what prompted such learning. Design/methodology/approach – The data under analysis is drawn from a qualitative study which involves in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted longitudinally as a case study in ten firms over a period of five years. The case study findings are analysed and discussed using a learning framework. Findings – The findings suggest some differences in the learning experiences between male and female entrepreneurs. Whilst male entrepreneurs were more likely to challenge and depart from industry norms, thus utilising double-loop learning process, female entrepreneurs were more likely to engage in “routinised” learning which enhances confidence, thus adopting the single-loop learning process. Research limitations/implications – The main implication of the study for policy makers is that unique training, networking and support programmes should be designed for women entrepreneurs. The study is limited to the extent that it can be generalised to a wider population of small businesses. Originality/value – To date, there have only been speculations and little understanding about whether there are differences in the entrepreneurial learning experiences between men and women. Thus, policy makers have little guidance as to whether or not unique training and support programmes should be designed for female entrepreneurs. The study is novel in so far as it was conducted longitudinally over a period of five years to sufficiently follow the learning behavioural pattern of entrepreneurs in different business sectors.

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