The paper examines accent-based discrimination against entrepreneurs during the fundraising phase. Specifically, the paper focuses on audible minorities in U.S.—naturalized citizens and permanent residents who speak with a foreign accent—who try to raise capital for their venture on equity crowdfunding platforms. The paper develops a theoretical model linking accent, stereotypes, venture quality assessments and crowdfunding performance. The model is tested using data collected through an online experiment. The findings illuminate the obstacles that nonnative speakers face as they embark on the entrepreneurial journey and reveal future research opportunities. The paper contributes to research on atypical entrepreneurship and to entrepreneurial financing.

Informal township small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Africa face challenges because of the limited use of performance indicators in their progression through the organizational life cycle. This study explores preferred indicators within the Results and Determinants Framework that may contribute positively toward the growth of informal SMEs. Using semi-structured interviews, qualitative data were obtained from 14 informal SMEs to explore the framework and key indicators. The results show that preferred indicators include leveraging social media for competitiveness, maintaining financial records for improved financial performance, a customer-centric approach to enhance service quality and fostering innovation through new ideas. A novice finding is the redefinition of growth for township businesses, which is unconventional and different from that of larger enterprise. The results suggest that informal SMEs can elevate their performance by using a tailored framework with strategic support from government institutions. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

There is unequal access to safe drinking water, particularly for the less privileged sections of society. The situation worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses a qualitative case-based approach to understand how Indian social entrepreneurs address the gap in access to clean drinking water by utilizing dynamic capabilities to achieve social sustainability. By integrating dynamic capabilities and their micro-foundations theory with social sustainability, social entrepreneurship, and crisis literature, we use multiple methods of data collection, including focus group interviews, observations and individual semi-structured interviews with the founder entrepreneur and employees. A thematic analysis of the data shows how social enterprises sense, seize and reconfigure their resources to achieve social sustainability. While ‘sensing’ involved building a rapport with empathy and a flexible approach, the enterprise ‘seized’ the opportunity by showcasing trust, a forward-thinking mindset and cutting-edge technology. The social enterprise ‘reconfigured’ its resources by providing training to its staff and spreading awareness through social media. By examining the micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities of social enterprises, the study advances knowledge on dynamic capabilities in social entrepreneurship and social sustainability.

This study investigates why some business ventures succeed as others fail and whether gender differences exist in entrepreneurial success (ES). It addresses a gap in international research by focusing on the survival of self-employment among university graduates—a group often overlooked in entrepreneurship studies, particularly regarding gender-specific factors. The analysis draws on Holland’s (1997) career choice model and Jovanovic’s (1979) job-matching theory to examine how sociodemographic and psychological characteristics influence business survival. The study explores how parental self-employment, personality traits and having children affect gender-specific entrepreneurial outcomes. Using data from the DZHW Graduate Panel 2009 (n [Formula: see text] 940), the study analyzes self-employment episodes through retrospective longitudinal data and applies linear probability models to identify influencing factors. Findings show that female graduates are more likely to exit self-employment than their male counterparts. For men, a self-employed father, having children and a high willingness to take risks increase the likelihood of remaining in business. For women, having children, holding a bachelor’s degree and specific fields of study are positively associated with entrepreneurial success. The results reveal persistent gender differences in entrepreneurial survival among graduates, highlighting structural factors beyond personality and the need for targeted support policies.

This study explores the multifaceted constraints that hinder smallholder farmers from engaging in agricultural entrepreneurship in the highland Himalayan region of Pakistan. Using a qualitative methodology based on 30 semi-structured key informant interviews with farmers’ representatives, agricultural experts and development experts, the study applies thematic analysis facilitated by the ATLAS.ti software and guided by the Gioia approach. The findings reveal eight distinct categories of constraints: sociocultural norms, human capital limitations, financial exclusion, geographic and infrastructural barriers, environmental risks, institutional gaps, political marginalization and conflict exposure, and market and value chain exclusion. These categories are analytically synthesized into three aggregate theoretical dimensions: sociocultural economic constraints, spatial-ecological constraints and macro-structural constraints. This study contributes to the emerging literature on constrained agricultural and rural entrepreneurship, particularly concerning marginalized rural communities. Moreover, it provides context-specific empirical evidence, especially focusing on the scarcely explored remote Himalayan region. The study offers theoretical and practical implications for various stakeholders in fostering agricultural entrepreneurship, thus improving the livelihoods of marginalized Himalayan rural communities.

This conceptual paper examines franchising as a pathway for socioeconomic mobility among minority entrepreneurs. Drawing on resource scarcity theory, social exchange theory, signaling theory and agency theory, the study introduces an integrated framework explaining how franchising can mitigate structural barriers to minority business ownership. Five theory-driven propositions articulate how franchising improves access to capital, builds social networks, signals legitimacy and reduces agency costs through formalized oversight. Real-world initiatives and international models are incorporated to illustrate key mechanisms. A future research agenda outlines empirical questions and design strategies aligned with each proposition. By positioning franchising as a resource equalizing structure, rather than solely a growth strategy, this study advances scholarship on minority entrepreneurs and offers actionable insights for franchisors, policymakers and ecosystem leaders working to promote inclusive economic development.

This study explores the role of Islamic financial institutions’ (IFIs) support in the entrepreneurial success of Muslim-owned micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). It also integrates the constructs of Islamic financial literacy, management control systems and the alleviation of financial constraints as key components of business internalization. The study involved 265 Muslim MSME owners, who were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The empirical results reveal that IFIs play a significant role in enhancing entrepreneurial performance by enabling MSME actors to access both tangible and intangible resources critical to business success. Furthermore, the findings emphasize that IFIs act not only as capital providers but also as entrepreneurial support organizations, facilitating strategic guidance to support economic transformation through a more integrated approach grounded in Islamic values.

This study integrates the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) with the push-pull framework to examine the motivational dynamics underlying hybrid entrepreneurship intention, where individuals engage in entrepreneurship ventures alongside traditional wage employment. Using a structured questionnaire, data was collected from 293 hybrid entrepreneurs in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and subjected to structural equation modeling-partial least squares (SEM-PLS). The findings highlight job dissatisfaction as a significant push factor, while the desire for autonomy emerges as a key pull factor, particularly among women. Interestingly, a high need for achievement is negatively associated with hybrid entrepreneurship intentions, suggesting a nuanced role for intrinsic motivation in this context. Additionally, the study finds that men are more likely to pursue hybrid entrepreneurship out of necessity, particularly in response to economic pressures. Work-life conflict further amplifies the effects of both job dissatisfaction and autonomy on entrepreneurship intentions, although it does not significantly moderate the relationship between need for achievement and hybrid entrepreneurship intention. By integrating TPB with the push-pull framework, this research offers a comprehensive perspective on the gendered and contextual motivations driving hybrid entrepreneurship. The results challenge conventional assumptions about entrepreneurship drivers and provide actionable insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to foster inclusive and flexible pathways to entrepreneurship in developing economies.