Mindset matters! The active involvement of women in family businesses: harnessing context through the STEP project

The primary aims of this case study is to figure out the impacts of microfinance programs on business women in Kabul, Afghanistan. Data for this study were gathered through structured surveys and semi-structured interviews with women-led micro and small businesses which were supplemented through secondary literature, the research is intended to examine whether microfinance increase women’s economic participation, business performance, and decision-making independency. The results of the study indicate that nearly 70% of participants reported progressions in business operations, with average monthly income increasing from $100 to $150, and many participants reporting enhanced self-confidence. Despite considering the possible benefits, some important barriers for women include high interest rates, limited financial literacy, and persistent socio-cultural difficulties. This study argues that microfinance can serve as a catalyst for women’s economic empowerment; however, when it is supported by complementary training, institutional reforms, and community-level involvements. There are some policy recommendations in order to improve microfinance delivery in fragile contexts.

Women’s entrepreneurship is widely recognized as a critical driver of inclusive economic growth, poverty reduction, and employment creation, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. Despite increased policy attention and institutional support, women entrepreneurs in Kenya continue to face persistent structural, social, and individual barriers that affect the sustainability of their businesses. This study examines the barriers influencing business success among women business leaders in Kenya, with success operationalized as the number of years a woman’s most successful business has been in operation. Using survey data collected from 52 women business leaders, the study analyzes nine commonly cited barriers: start-up costs, access to financing, market knowledge, employment commitments, family responsibilities, regulatory barriers, social capital, marital support, and ethnic discrimination. Quantitative analyses were conducted using descriptive statistics, multiple regression with ANOVA, bivariate regression, and discriminant analysis. The findings indicate that while financial and regulatory barriers are perceived as significant obstacles at a descriptive level, they do not consistently predict business longevity when examined alongside other factors. Instead, market knowledge and employment commitments emerge as the most robust predictors of sustained business operation. Women who report better understanding of markets and fewer conflicts between employment and entrepreneurial activities tend to operate businesses for longer periods. Discriminant analysis further demonstrates that the combined barrier profile meaningfully distinguishes women whose businesses have achieved at least moderate longevity from those whose ventures are nascent or absent. The study contributes empirical evidence highlighting the importance of informational and time-related constraints in shaping women’s entrepreneurial outcomes in Kenya. The findings suggest that policy and programmatic interventions should complement financial support with targeted efforts to strengthen market intelligence, business development skills, and flexible work arrangements to enhance the long-term sustainability of women-owned enterprises.

The economic empowerment of women through entrepreneurship is essential for enhancing resilience, particularly in Nepal, where the government and development partners are promoting such initiatives. However, mere participation in entrepreneurial activities does not guarantee resilience, as entrepreneurs face multiple risks including natural disasters, climate change, and market volatility; for women, these are exacerbated by social inequalities. These obstacles can increase their vulnerability, especially during a crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects of such a crisis vary among women-led businesses: some capitalised on this crisis as an opportunity, while others struggled to survive. In this context, this study examines how entrepreneurial motivation, entrepreneurial orientation, and bonding, bridging, and linking social capital improved the resilience of women-led small businesses during the pandemic. A qualitative case study was conducted with nine women entrepreneurs to explore the resilience of women-led, small, agro-based businesses during the pandemic across the Lalitpur, Kavrepalanchok, and Dhading districts of Nepal. The study found that two enterprises with relatively large business turnovers maintained resilience during the pandemic, while others faced decreased vegetable production and suffered from financial loss. The social status of women entrepreneurs, business size, motivation and entrepreneurial orientation, and social capital determined the ability of small businesses to be sustained during the pandemic. Consequently, women entrepreneurs with a weaker social status and limited social networks had to rely on family resources, resulting in persistent vulnerability.

This study aims to analyse the role of coastal women in the Bira area, Bulukumba Regency, in promoting tourism through social media and its impact on the local economy, women's empowerment, and tourism sustainability. The research uses a qualitative method with a case study design. Data was collected through in-depth interviews, participatory observation, and documentation studies, with informants selected purposively based on the criteria of coastal women who actively promote Bira tourism, have resided there for at least one year, and are willing to provide information. Data analysis was conducted through data reduction, data presentation, and thematic conclusion drawing. The results of the study show that coastal women play an important role in producing and disseminating digital content through Instagram and TikTok to increase destination visibility, facilitate accommodation promotion through digital platforms, introduce local cultural identity through products such as woven fabrics, and build tourist attraction through direct interaction with tourists. This role has an impact on increasing MSME income, opening up employment opportunities for women, strengthening digital skills, and preserving local culture. This study recommends strengthening digital literacy training, forming women's business groups, and developing community-based tourism promotion to support women's empowerment and coastal tourism sustainability.

Purpose: This study extends Srivastava’s earlier conceptual work on women’s entrepreneurial competencies in family business contexts by developing and validating the Women in Family Business Entrepreneurial Readiness (WFBER) scale. The study aims to diagnose skill and mindset gaps among women students and support higher education institutions in redesigning entrepreneurship programs for improved leadership outcomes. Design/methodology/approach: Following a multi-stage mixed-method design, 94 initial items were generated through literature synthesis and expert validation, refined to 67 through pilot testing, and finalized into a 51-item, seven-dimensional model after exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Findings: The seven dimensions—Family-driven factors, Society-driven factors, Individual-driven factors, Institutional-driven factors, Technology-driven factors, Education & learning orientation, and Entrepreneurial readiness & mindset—capture holistic readiness factors influencing women’s participation and leadership in family enterprises. Grouped interventions were developed under six actionable categories: Mentoring & networking, Skill-building/Workshops, Experiential learning/Practical exposure, Digital & technology enablement, Policy/Awareness/Ecosystem support, and Family/Community engagement. Practical implications: The WFBER scale offers a diagnostic and intervention-oriented framework for institutions to assess, analyze, and address readiness gaps, aligning program design with women’s entrepreneurial learning needs. Originality/value: This study bridges a significant gap by transforming conceptual insights into an empirically grounded, action-oriented tool that empowers both institutions and women learners toward equitable leadership in family business ecosystems.

This Special Issue (SI) explores the development of female entrepreneurship throughout the twentieth century. The articles employ a mixed-methods approach to showcase various forms of female entrepreneurship, from self-employment and co-working in family businesses to innovators across underrepresented sectors, economic conditions, and institutional contexts in both Western and non-Western settings. The SI illustrates how qualitative and quantitative methods work together to provide new insights into how women pursued business opportunities in non-Western environments characterised by different paths of industrialisation, regional diversity, and business structures. Focusing on the twentieth century—which has received less attention in the history of female entrepreneurship—the articles also engage with current debates on female entrepreneurship. We offer a systematic review of existing literature, highlighting key themes, methods, and findings from prior research, along with their limitations. We then emphasise the contributions of this Special Issue in filling these gaps and suggest directions for future research.

ABSTRACT This article examines the dynamic formation of subjectivities among Chinese migrant women working in family businesses in Italy through the lens of positioning theory. Based on ethnographic data from 28 Chinese migrant family businesses, it conceptualises these enterprises as ambivalent socio-economic spaces where the convergence of productive and reproductive spheres under migration provides both economic stability and reinforces gendered hierarchies. Integrating positioning theory with an intersectional approach, the analysis traces how women negotiate their subjectivities across three interrelated positioning levels: inter-group (interactions with broader Italian society), intra-group (relational dynamics within family businesses), and intra-personal (conflicting obligations and aspirations). Findings reveal subjectivity as a contested process, articulated through ambivalent and often contradictory narratives where women position themselves as ‘discriminated’ yet ‘bravo migrants,’ ‘compromising’ yet ‘unacknowledged,’ and ‘accomplished’ yet ‘drained.’ By uncovering multi-scalar positioning shaped by structural constraints, interpersonal dynamics, and everyday practices, the article advances scholarship on gender, migration, and migrant entrepreneurship, highlighting how migrant family businesses operate simultaneously as sites of constraint and arenas for reconfiguring gendered agency and subjectivity.

This study delves at the intents and ability of women business owners from Madhya Pradesh to launch their own firms while juggling job and family responsibilities. Indore, Bhopal, and Jabalpur, the three largest entrepreneurial centres in the state, were evaluated using a standardised 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty female business owners took part. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS 21 in this study. We used reliability, factor, correlation, and one-way ANOVA as our descriptive statistics. The statistical robustness of the instrument is shown by its outstanding sampling (KMO = 0.929; Bartlett's Test p < 0.001) and great internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.942). Improving women-led enterprises requires empowering women financially, since work-life balance and entrepreneurial drive are greatly influenced by economic factors (F = 61.23, p < 0.001; r = 0.456). Individual and vocational characteristics, as opposed to family variables, have a greater impact on self-regulation and adaptation. Women report higher levels of happiness and success when they are financially independent and have the support of their families. The results of this research provide credence to a model that attempts to explain the effects of familial and socioeconomic factors on the entrepreneurial success of women in regional markets. For the benefit of women entrepreneurs in Madhya Pradesh, policymakers should encourage the formation of family networks, simplify the process of taking out loans, and highlight the importance of personal finance.

Abstract: A conversation took place between three generations of Black women in the country music business who are committed to creating and sustaining equitable pathways for country artists, fans, and members of the music business. Their shared dedication to fighting for collective rather than personal struggles is one that echoes other historic civil rights and liberation movements. Their labor and perspectives offer visions for an alternative imagination that emphasizes communal well-being, providing lessons that reach far beyond country music. In a post– Cowboy Carter moment, when mainstream conversations have again been renewed about the past and present Black presence in country music, their joint, multigenerational experiences speak to what has and has not changed in Nashville, the center of the country music industry, over the past several decades, and where hope rests for the future of Black country music.

This study examines the evolving challenges faced by women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (WSMEs) operating in the high-income areas of Lusaka, Zambia. WSMEs constitute over 60% of the country’s SME sector and play a vital role in economic development. Drawing from both literature and primary data collected through 17 questionnaires, the study identifies limited access to finance, inadequate training, family responsibilities, and gender discrimination as the main barriers to growth. Findings reveal that only 11.76% of participants accessed formal loans, indicating a continued reliance on informal finance, while limited training opportunities from government and non-government institutions hinder business development. Although family responsibilities and traditional gender roles remain obstacles, 70.6% of respondents observed positive shifts in societal attitudes toward women entrepreneurs over the past decade. The study concludes that while financial and structural barriers remain, changing perceptions show the progress Zambia is making, though there are several recommendations for the Zambian government to further empower women business owners.

Miscarriages among newly married women is on the increase and this scenario has made these women to pass through psychological trauma. Miscarriage occur spontaneously and naturally thus leading to loss of pregnancy. Most of these women experienced these miscarriages right from their first intake (pregnancy) and some after their first child. These miscarriages are influenced by various biological, medical, psychological, social and cultural factors. This study is aim to evaluate the Emerging Patterns and Determinants of Recurrent Pregnancy Loss Among Newly Married Women in Urban Areas of South-South Nigeria. This was a cross-sectional study involving 250 women. A well-structured questionnaire was administered to participants. The study lasted for a period of 2 months. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 25.0 and p < 0.05 was significant. The results revealed that most of the participants were between 23-37 years of age and 60% had tertiary level of education, 44% were business women, 40% have married for a period between 2-4 years, 92% has been pregnant, 88% has been having miscarriages, 56% at 3 months gestation, 20% had a child, 76% had previous abortion and 80% are facing psychological trauma.

Purpose Family businesses are a major economic force, and there is a need to better understand the unique challenges and opportunities faced by women in family businesses. The paper aims to understand the role of women in Indian family businesses. This paper draws upon the social identity theory while exploring the degree of engagement and participation exhibited by women in family-owned enterprises based on leadership position and decision-making, throughout diverse regions of India. Design/methodology/approach This study is applying a qualitative approach by conducting interviews with a purposive snowball sample of 20 women from family business backgrounds. To understand the participation of women in family business, a taxonomy of roles is distilled from a rigorous thematic analysis. Findings The investigation unveils a nuanced panorama of roles assumed by these individuals. The roles and corresponding responsibilities are intricately intertwined with the perceived self-identity of the women and the contextual environment in which they may be situated. Furthermore, the inclusion or exclusion of women within the family business domain appears contingent upon their self-appraisal of competence and the intensity of familial support extended to them. Research limitations/implications The exploratory study contributes to the debate on the role of women in family business. The analysis provides a taxonomy where women are involved in the family business, whether directly or indirectly. The future study could discuss each of the categorizations of women’s involvement in the family business based on the leadership role and authority. Social implications Historically, the role of women in family businesses has often been perceived as inferior or negligible. This study aims to challenge that perception by highlighting the significant involvement of women at various levels within family businesses. The findings reveal that when women are provided with a distinct identity within their social circles, they become more confident and independent. This, in turn, enhances social inclusivity, fostering a more inclusive and equitable business environment. Originality/value This study brings forth the sociocultural demarcations that build their identity and mindset of entering into a family business or starting their own business. The mapping of involvement of women in family business is based on a governance perspective, i.e. the strategic decision-making and the leadership role that women have in the family business.

Abstract This research investigates how entrepreneurial intention affects career sustainability. It also examines green creativity’s intervening role. The data was gathered from 150 women business owners from active small and medium enterprises, operating in Pakistan’s three major cities. Via a closed-ended questionnaire. The data was analyzed using structural equation modeling with partial least squares. Resultantly, entrepreneurial intention is directly associated with career sustainability and green creativity. Additionally, green creativity meaningfully mediates for entrepreneurial intention-green creativity relationship. The study’s findings provide individual female managers to introduce green innovation in businesses and further study delivers insightful knowledge that the Ministry of Commerce and company owners can utilize to encourage entrepreneurship in Pakistan. The study is limited to a single nation, and limited cities further exploration is highly to flourish the field of female entrepreneurship.

Currently, MSMEs are mostly managed by women. The purpose of this study is to analyze the financial performance of women in MSMEs in Purwokerto. This study uses primary data. Data collection was carried out by distributing questionnaires to female MSME owners in Purwokerto. The method applied as a sampling technique was the Convenience sampling method with a sample size of 150 respondents. Then, the respondent data was processed using SmartPLS software. The steps carried out in data processing were outer model testing, model feasibility testing, and hypothesis testing. The results of the study indicate that Liquidity, assets, and business capital have a positive and significant effect on the profitability of women's MSMEs. Solvency does not affect the profitability of women's MSMEs. The variables of liquidity, assets, and business capital have been shown to play a very important role in improving financial performance and stopping the business of women's MSMEs in Purwokerto.

Women’s entrepreneurship is well known for its significance in upholding the economic prosperity of many nations. However, in today’s unprecedented environment, rural women entrepreneurs have become increasingly vulnerable to relentless and catastrophic events, raising serious concerns among economies that are predominantly driven by this sector. Various determinants serve as crucial enablers of success for rural women entrepreneurs. Therefore, this systematic literature review aims to profile existing studies on women's entrepreneurship and to deepen the understanding of the determinants of success among rural women entrepreneurs. This paper systematically reviews studies on success determinants in the context of rural women entrepreneurs from 1994 to 2024, based on the PRISMA protocol. A bibliographic coupling analysis was conducted using VOSviewer software to identify the primary research themes and trends related to the relationship. The findings have shown that Tigges and Green have the highest citation rate for their work published in 1994, and most research on rural women’s entrepreneurship was published using quantitative methods. The coverage of women entrepreneurship includes agriculture, arts and humanities, business management, computer sciences, economics, finance, engineering, mathematics, social sciences, and women’s studies. Descriptive findings also indicated that India has the highest interest in rural women entrepreneurship. Lower-middle-income economies have the highest number of publications compared to other income economies. Findings from the bibliometric coupling analysis reveal 10 clusters that indicate the knowledge structure and mapping of research streams in rural women’s entrepreneurship. This study presents a novel framework, providing an in-depth understanding for the research community to explore rural women’s entrepreneurship research and propose future research directions that contribute to the sustainable development of rural women entrepreneurs.

Prahok (fermented fish paste) is a staple food for Cambodians. It is primarily produced by Cambodian women in fishing communities for both home consumption and sale. Analyzing how Cambodians produce prahok in the face of decreasing fish resources, this research found that the decisions made by women prahok producers were shaped not only by climate and economic considerations, but also by gender norms, livelihood alternatives, and family composition of respondents. Women’s perceptions regarding prahok production and consumption are closely tied to their role as caregivers in the household, as well as their sense of professionalism as entrepreneurs. While prahok is well-known as a food source, a livelihood, and a business for women, this research shows that it is also a marker of identity and pride for Cambodian women.

Purpose: The study aims to identify the factors influencing women entrepreneurs to balance their work and life while performing home-based business in Bangladesh. Methodology: A qualitative approach is adopted in this study. Both snowball and convenience sampling techniques are used to get the study participants. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the researchers conducted 20 in-depth face-to-face interviews of women entrepreneurs from four districts including kushtia, jhenaidah, jashore, and khulna. Content analysis approach is applied to analyze data. Findings: The results of this study demonstrate that the main elements influencing the work-life balance of women entrepreneurs include multiple tasks, time management, social and family support, mental and physical health issues, dependent care, financial and socio-cultural factors. Furthermore, the study discovers that most of the respondent experience challenges in balancing their personal and professional lives. These challenges differ depending on demographic characteristics. Women entrepreneurs, who have supportive families, can reduce family conflicts related to business operations from home. The study also reveals that home-based food business creates the opportunity for women entrepreneurs to keep their family as the first priority. Practical Implications: The results will be useful in developing an all-encompassing framework to support women entrepreneurship in home-based food business. It will encourage women to start their business to achieve financial ability as well as personal fulfillment. The academicians can further scrutinize the dimensions of work-life balance to develop suitable balancing strategies for home-based women entrepreneurs. Moreover, the study findings will generate fundamental guidelines for policymakers in promoting entrepreneurial endeavors among women in home-based business.

This article examines Amy Stelly’s longstanding grassroots struggle—through the Claiborne Avenue Alliance—to remove the I10 Claiborne Expressway from Tremé, New Orleans, as a case of Black feminist geography in action. Drawing on oral histories, “driveandtalk” mobile ethnography, and archival/contextual analysis, I situate Stelly’s activism within Clyde Woods’s account of the “neoBourbon” political economy to show how interstate infrastructure produces racialized environmental harm and slow violence. Centering Black women’s embodied knowledge and leadership, the article conceptualizes fractured solidarities to name the tensions, uneven kinship, and isolations that organizers navigate inside historically Black neighborhoods subject to disinvestment, surveillance, and gentrification. I argue that Stelly’s praxis—alongside allied women business owners in Tremé—enacts a reparative spatial politics that reclaims memory, public space, and planning literacy against toxic infrastructures that sever community life. The analysis contributes three interventions: (1) a feminist rereading of highway removal as environmental justice grounded in Black women’s placebased knowledge; (2) an articulation of fractured solidarities as a durable, if opaque, form of collective action; and (3) an applied framework for pairing oral history with mobile ethnography to inform policy debates (e.g., “Reconnecting Communities”) and public health/urban design assessments. In centering Black women’s testimonies as theory, the article expands Black feminist geographic accounts of repair and offers a methodology for ethically collaborating with communities confronting infrastructural racism.

Abstract The ever-increasing presence of women in diverse international business (IB) spheres has prompted research about their position across industries, management levels, geographic regions, and organizational types. This research is signaling a transformative shift towards inclusiveness and an acknowledgement of diverse perspectives as critical drivers of organizational success. Nonetheless, a methodical, holistic, and nuanced understanding of the role and position of businesswomen in IB remains unresearched. As such, this article investigates the factors shaping their professional advancement through a systematic literature review, drawing on bibliometric and content analysis methods. The Web of Science database has selected 129 publications published from 1997 to 2024 for analysis. The findings reveal several distinct thematic clusters addressing key themes: yellow—entrepreneurial identity and environment, red—gender inequality and career development, blue—work-life balance and leadership diversity, green—social, cultural, and international aspects, and purple—leadership style, ethics, and CSR. Further detailed content analysis explores these studies across five dimensions, from theoretical frameworks to methodological approaches. The study concludes by presenting trends in scholarly paradigms across different categories during the selected period. It also proposes future research directions aligned with the identified clusters, offering a roadmap for advancing the discourse on gender diversity in IB.