Exploring women entrepreneurs’ motivations and challenges from an institutional perspective: evidences from a patriarchal state in India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Swati Shastri ◽  
Shruti Shastri ◽  
Abhishek Pareek ◽  
Riddhi Sudhan Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the motivational drives of women entrepreneurs and highlight the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs operating micro, small and medium enterprises from an institutional perspective in Rajasthan – a patriarchal state in India. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on data collected from a questionnaire survey conducted from July 2018 to January 2019 on 347 women entrepreneurs operating in seven districts of Rajasthan. Descriptive and factor analysis were used to find the major motivations and challenges of the entrepreneurs. Findings The findings indicate that intrinsic factors, namely, growth, creativity, autonomy and rejecting stereotypical gender identity are primary motivations driving women entrepreneurship in Rajasthan. Further, institutions pose challenges rather than offering a motivational drive to female entrepreneurs. The two most critical challenges, which the women entrepreneurs face are gender stereotypes and the lack of social capital. In patriarchal societies, entrepreneurial roles are considered masculine than feminine. Furthermore, cultural norms reflected in gender-specific role distribution result in the problem of work-life balance. The lack of both bonding and bridging social capital in terms of family support and networks, respectively, also reflects an unfavorable informal institutional environment. Originality/value The study adds to the sparse empirical literature on the motivations and challenges of women entrepreneurs in the Indian context. This study explores the motivations and challenges of female entrepreneurs from an institutional perspective for India in general and Rajasthan, in particular, using a large, heterogeneous sample using factor analysis.

Motivations and challenges of women entrepreneurs

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 338-355
Author(s):  
Swati Shastri ◽  
Shruti Shastri ◽  
Abhishek Pareek
Keyword(s):  
Small Businesses ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Qualitative Methodology ◽  
Unique Contribution ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Identity ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Gender Specific

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the motivations and key challenges women entrepreneurs experience in running small businesses in the Jaipur city of Rajasthan. Design/methodology/approach A purposive sample of 13 women entrepreneurs from a cross-section of enterprises is selected. A qualitative methodology based upon semi-structured, in-depth, exploratory interviews with female entrepreneurs is used which enables the respondents to give voice to their individual experiences. Findings The study reveals that pull factors including the urge for creativity, innovation, self-identity and independence, and to serve the society are the main motivations for female entrepreneurs to start their venture. From the institutional theory perspective, the challenges of female entrepreneurs originate mainly from informal institutions. A significant challenge is that their ability as a professional entrepreneur is not recognized and acknowledged by the society. Furthermore, the cultural norms reflected in the gender-specific role distribution result in the problem of work–life balance. The challenges emerging from the formal institutions do not appear to be pervasive and gender specific. Originality/value The unique contribution of the study is to provide evidences on the motivations and challenges of women entrepreneurs in Rajasthan based on qualitative data derived from in-depth interviews. Furthermore, the study is the first attempt to view the motivations and challenges of female entrepreneurs from an institutional perspective for India in general and Rajasthan in particular.

Another failed M&A: misaligned business models as culprit

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 18-26
Author(s):  
Gaël Le Floc’h ◽  
Laurent Scaringella
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Multinational Enterprises ◽  
Business Models ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
Medium Enterprises

Purpose Literature on business models (BMs) has grown ve ry rapidly since the beginning of the twenty-first century, and although the theoretical and empirical literature has developed significantly, the number of practical and management-oriented studies remains relatively low. A recent debate in the field has focused on the definition of BM invariants: sensing customer needs, creating customer value, sustaining value creation and monetizing value. Extant empirical studies have mainly focused on multinational enterprises (MNEs) and successful BMs; however, this study concentrates on the failure of BMs in the case of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). An important source of a BM’s failure is the misalignment between MNE and SME involved in an acquisition. Design/methodology/approach Looking through the lens of the four BM constants, the aim of this study is to examine the case of the acquisition Domestic Heating (an SME) by Ventilair (an MNE). Findings Although both separate entities were achieving good results and each had a specific BM, the acquisition produced poor results mainly due to the misalignment of the two BMs. The findings lead the authors to make recommendations to practitioners on avoiding BM misalignment during an acquisition. Originality/value The authors encourage practitioners to enhance communication, promote organizational experiments, acknowledge specificities of both entities, foster employee commitment and ensure homogeneity in IT system usage.

Sustainability practices during COVID-19: an institutional perspective

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Olena Klymenko ◽  
Lise Lillebrygfjeld Halse
Keyword(s):  
Data Collection ◽  
Institutional Theory ◽  
Supply Chains ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Additional Time ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Business ◽  
The One

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how sustainable practices in supply chains are affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the lens of institutional theory.Design/methodology/approachThis research applies a twofold data collection approach: 1) qualitative semistructured interviews and 2) secondary data collection that includes sustainability reports, newspaper articles, journal articles, strategic plans, research reports and statements made by authorities and stakeholders concerning decision-making. In total, managers representing six companies in Norway were interviewed.FindingsThe study suggests that during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies tend to focus on short-term decisions and economic issues. The long-term focus on sustainability has, however, increased at the cluster level. The research also indicates that the pandemic has led to the development of new business routines that may transform institutional norms. The diversity of institutional contexts can, on the one hand, drive sustainability transitions through pressures and supportive programs but, on the other hand, also hinder the development of sustainability thinking.Research limitations/implicationsInstitutional factors must be included when analyzing the effects of crises and sustainable transitions. Researchers are encouraged to explore the COVID-19 implications in the form of longitudinal studies.Practical implicationsPolicymakers can benefit from in-depth knowledge on the adverse effects of an institutional environment on sustainability. For managers, the outbreak of the pandemic can afford them additional time to revise their strategies and seek innovation. The pandemic highlights the need to build more resilient and sustainable systems that will aid managers in responding rapidly during future uncertainties and enduring sustainability trajectories in operations.Originality/valueThe paper offers an in-depth investigation of COVID-19 effects on the sustainability of supply chains by drawing on institutional theory.

Challenges and enablers of women entrepreneurs’ career advancement in Vietnam’s coffee industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Giang NT Nguyen ◽  
Thinh Gia Hoang ◽  
Tam Minh Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Thien Ngo
Keyword(s):  
Sample Size ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Career Advancement ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Concept Generation ◽  
Contextual Influences ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose This paper aims to explore the motivational factors and contextual facilitators of female entrepreneurs in Vietnam’s coffee industry and also the barriers facing them. Design/methodology/approach This study adopts the grounded theory approach, using semi-structured in-depth interviews with 31 women entrepreneurs in the coffee industry in the rural Central Highlands of Vietnam. Findings This study found that necessity-driven factors play an important role in motivating female entrepreneurs to advance their careers. However, these factors may be transformed into the opportunity-driven motives. Furthermore, the findings suggest that Asia’s collectivism culture and family support significantly affect the success of the women entrepreneurs, although gender inequality is not perceived as a serious constraint in entrepreneurial activities. Research limitations/implications This study has implications for the literature of women entrepreneurs regarding motivations and contextual influences in agricultural and rural areas of Vietnam. However, the sample size is relatively small which limits the concept generation of the study. For further research, a larger sample size with different business sectors should be considered to generate more explicit findings. Practical implications The findings from this study can assist the policymakers in developing strategies and governmental policies to support the career advancement of women entrepreneurs and improving gender equality in Vietnam. Originality/value This study contributes to the literature about understanding the motives and the roles of socioeconomic contexts in women’s entrepreneurial activities in agricultural and rural areas.

scholarly journals Unethical consumer behavior: the role of institutional and socio-cultural factors

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-135 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arpita Agnihotri ◽  
Saurabh Bhattacharya
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Consumer Behavior ◽  
Unethical Behavior ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Institutional Trust ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quantitative Phase ◽  
Unethical Consumer Behavior

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to explore how institutional trust, frugality and materialism motivate consumers’ unethical behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted the study in two phases – qualitative and quantitative. In the qualitative phase through a content analysis of semi-structured interviews, a list of unethical activities was obtained. In the quantitative phase, a questionnaire was developed, which had questions related to the unethical activities. Data collection for the quantitative phase was achieved through mall intercept surveys. The collected data were subjected to exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and multivariate regression analysis.FindingsPoor institutional environment, frugal attitude and materialistic values motivate consumers from an emerging economy to indulge in unethical acts some of which were not explored before such as booking a cab but not boarding or stealing electricity.Originality/valueResearch evidence on unethical consumer behavior is lacking from emerging markets. Furthermore, extant studies have used mainly national culture models to explore unethical behavior, and finally, the role of institutional trust and frugality has not been explored in previous studies. The present study tries to fill these gaps by considering these elements as the cornerstone of this study.

Intangible resources and the growth of women businesses

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Ayorkor Sallah ◽  
Livingstone Divine Caesar
Keyword(s):  
Social Capital ◽  
Human Capital ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Intangible Assets ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Intangible Resources ◽  
Reputational Capital

Purpose Intangible assets are widely considered as key success factors for the growth of businesses in various economies. While the relationship between intangible assets or resources and business growth or performance have been extensively researched in advanced economies, there is limited understanding of the complexity of the phenomenon in developing/emerging markets. In Ghana specifically, there is a dearth of research on the impact of intangible assets on the growth of women businesses. Consequently, this paper aims to investigate how intangible assets available to women entrepreneurs contribute to the performance of their businesses. Design/methodology/approach Using an exploratory sequential research design (a type of mixed methods design), the data collection was organized into two main phases. The first phase was the qualitative phase where nine respondents were interviewed, and the responses were analysed using thematic analysis. The second phase was the quantitative phase where some 264 questionnaires were collected and analysed using multiple regression analysis. Findings Specifically, the findings focused on three intangible resources: social capital, human capital and reputational capital. The study found that, social, human and reputational capital all significantly contributed to the growth of women businesses. The study also showed a positive and significant effect of social capital, reputational capital and human capital on business growth. Practical implications These findings have implications for women entrepreneurs in Ghana. If they must grow their businesses, then using intangible assets alone may not be able to deliver growth in the required proportions. Serious consideration must be given to the significant impact of intra and extra industry networking and the social competency skills of the entrepreneur. The rationality of this assertion hinges on the findings made from this study that social competence can be effectively used to further enhance the effects of the value of one’s intangible assets. Originality/value Policymakers in Sub-Saharan Africa and specifically Ghana have accorded high priority to private sector entrepreneurship towards reduction in the dependence of the citizenry on government for jobs. Perhaps, this paper adds to the growing body of knowledge on female entrepreneurship in Ghana to understand how intangible assets available to women entrepreneurs contribute to the performance of their businesses.

Towards strengthening the development of women entrepreneurship in Malaysia

2014 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 432-453 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Ming Yen Teoh ◽  
Siong Choy Chong
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Developmental Issues ◽  
Entrepreneurship Development ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Policy Measures ◽  
Gender Aspect

Purpose – This paper aims to identify developmental issues associated with women entrepreneurship, with the Malaysian small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as a base. Subsequently, the paper also aims to devise certain stratagems and new policies for ensuring women entrepreneurial growth. Design/methodology/approach – An overview of the issues surrounding women entrepreneurship development in Malaysia is provided, drawing on the extant literature. The issues comprise cultural barriers, lack of spousal support, gender inequality, lack of confidence, weak social and business networking, few laws to support working families and neglected women entrepreneurs in the cottage industry, as well as domestic help and home-based childcare. Findings – Based on the issues identified, strategies are proposed to address them, contextualising on the gender aspect of women entrepreneurship. Practical implications – A summary is provided on the research and practical gaps from the perspective of strengthening women entrepreneurship and with the aim of encouraging further research in this area. The paper posits that an understanding of the gender aspect on issues related to the development of women entrepreneurship in Malaysia is required if policy measures are to be constructive in assisting women entrepreneurs in achieving their full entrepreneurial potential. Originality/value – Very limited studies have been undertaken in the past to assess the issues faced by women entrepreneurs in the context of overall development of women entrepreneurship. This is of great value to an SME-dominated economy such as Malaysia where the paper provides a comprehensive summary of the strategies and policy measures required to strengthen women entrepreneurship development.

Crossing the threshold from founder management to professional management in Russian firms

2015 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Galina Shirokova ◽  
Gina Vega ◽  
Dmitri Knatko
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Markets ◽  
Institutional Environment ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
Ceo Succession ◽  
Institutional Perspective ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Management ◽  
Organisational Factors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to bring together a strategic choice perspective and an institutional perspective in order to address the key research questions: how do Russian founder-CEOs perceive the institutional environment when succession issues are taken into consideration?; how do the perceived characteristics of different formal and informal institutions affect the founder-CEO’s decision to delegate authority to a professional CEO?; and what are the main barriers to founder-CEO succession in threshold firms in emerging markets such as Russia? Design/methodology/approach – Using a data set of 500 entrepreneurial companies from fast growing industries in Russia, the paper defines and studies threshold firms and analyses how various perceived characteristics of the institutional environment in emerging markets influence the likelihood of transition from founder management to professional management. Findings – Institutional factors such as poor security of property rights and dependence of the business on relationships with government officials have a negative impact on the likelihood of founder-CEO succession in threshold firms in emerging markets. At the same time, the perception of contract law as insecure increases the likelihood of transition from founder management to professional management. Originality/value – Most research on initial succession deals with internal organisational factors and does not consider external environments and their influence on founder-CEO departure and willingness to exit from company management. This study is unique in its focus on the external environment and institutional factors and their impact on management transitions in threshold firms in emerging economies.

Putting the peaces together: a situated model of mediation

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 145-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter T. Coleman ◽  
Katharina G. Kugler ◽  
Kyong Mazzaro ◽  
Christianna Gozzi ◽  
Nora El Zokm ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Empirical Literature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Number Of Factors ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Conflict Mediation ◽  
Mediation Processes

Purpose – Research on conflict mediation presents a scattered, piecemeal understanding of what determines mediators’ strategies and tactics and ultimately what constitutes successful mediation. This paper presents research on developing a unifying framework – the situated model of mediation – that identifies and integrates the most basic dimensions of mediation situations. These dimensions combine to determine differences in mediator’s strategies that in turn influence mediation processes and outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – The approach used by this paper was twofold. First, the existing empirical literature was reviewed on factors that influence mediator’s behaviors. Based on the findings of this review, a survey study was conducted with experienced mediators to determine the most fundamental dimensions of mediation situations affecting mediators’ behaviors and mediation processes and outcomes. The data were analyzed through exploratory factor analysis and regression analysis. Findings – The results of the study show that four of the most fundamental dimensions of mediation situations include: low vs high intensity of the conflict, cooperative vs competitive relationship between the parties, tight vs flexible context and overt vs covert processes and issues. Each of these factors was found to independently predict differences in mediators’ behaviors and perceptions of processes and outcomes. These dimensions are then combined to constitute the basic dimensions of the situated model of mediation. Originality/value – The situated model of mediation is both heuristic and generative, and it shows how a minimal number of factors are sufficient to capture the complexity of conflict mediation in a wide range of contexts.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurial prospects and challenges for women amidst COVID-19: a case study of Delhi, India

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjeev Kumar ◽  
Neha Singh
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Family Background ◽  
Small And Medium Enterprises ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Indian Government ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Gender Based ◽  
Access To Data ◽  
Medium Enterprises

PurposeThis paper aims to encapsulate the gendered support and hindering factors along with the role of the state experienced by Delhi-based women entrepreneurs in setting up/operating their enterprises amidst the challenges posed by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe study used mixed methods to explore the challenges faced and recovery mechanisms adopted by women entrepreneurs with special reference to the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 50 Delhi-based young women entrepreneurs (42 actual entrepreneurs + 8 prospective/struggling entrepreneurs) selected using snowball/purposive sampling were studied through both a semi-structured questionnaire and personal interviews. National Small Industries Corporation (NSIC) and micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) were consulted for the government’s policy documents and data. The SPSS package was used for quantitative data analysis.FindingsLow-budget/very small-scale women entrepreneurs face common as well as gender-based challenges in the context of the market, finance, social capital, family support and awareness in addition to accessing the state’s resources/policies in both their startups and crisis situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Although gender sensitization, entrepreneurial family background, and equal access to technology and the Internet has enabled women entrepreneurs to initiate, adapt, and scale their enterprises, male domination within the family, society, market, and state apparatuses is omnipresent and has served as a bottleneck for women-owned startups while hindering the recovery of their enterprises amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.Research limitations/implicationsThe study was limited to exploring the challenges and prospects of Delhi-based women entrepreneurs at the beginning of their enterprises and amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. On the other hand, the study had access to data and facts announced by the Indian government. No data were available on the implementation of policies and programs, and therefore specific policy analysis was not attempted. However, the reachability and accessibility of government resources and policies were employed.Practical implicationsThe study highlights the complexity of patriarchy, which hampers women entrepreneurs in all family, society, market and state domains. Therefore, policy enactment and implementation and further research on women entrepreneurship are suggested to focus more deeply on the gender dimension.Originality/valueThe data used in this work comprised inputs from government sources as well as insights from fieldwork that have not been used by any other publication.

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