Women Social Entrepreneurs Research Articles

Conceptualizing the Young Women Social Entrepreneurship Phenomenon in al-Madinah al-Munawarah

Social entrepreneurship has become a global trend, and in Saudi Arabia, it is gaining traction among public authorities, financial institutions, young people, and academics. Despite its growing popularity, scientific publications on the subject remain limited. This study aims to conceptualize the phenomenon of young women's social entrepreneurship in Al-Madinah Al-Munawarah, the cradle of Muslim civilization and Islamic charity. Based on the field experience of Basiqāt Waqf, which trained 128 young women from 2020-2022 in personal development and entrepreneurial excellence using the Personal Development Analysis (PDA) tool, the study finds existing models insufficient to capture the multidimensionality of this phenomenon. A key factor identified is the intrinsic pleasure young women derive from engaging in social entrepreneurship projects that sustainably improve the quality of life in the holy city. The challenge lies in identifying what these women love doing while being beneficial to others. Despite limitations, this study aids stakeholders in better coordinating efforts to promote social entrepreneurship among young women in Madinah beyond merely creating a competitive or attractive ecosystem. Data from 2023-2024 indicate that many of these trained women actively participate in the Basiqat project, particularly in organizing the breaking of the Ramadan fast at the Prophet's Mosque.

Can women empowerment contribute to sustainable growth – examining the enablers for social enterprise performance of women social entrepreneurs in India

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the factors that drive superior social enterprise performance for women-led social enterprises. The authors examined the role of individual entrepreneur cognitive characteristics contributing to social enterprise performance and recommended a framework for women's social entrepreneur development. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted an exploratory qualitative study of 22 women founders of social enterprises using a semi-structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews were conducted, and the transcripts were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Findings This study found a significant impact of self-efficacy on the performance of social enterprises among the studied subjects. Social support in the form of material, information and emotional support enhanced the ability of women social entrepreneurs to better achieve business sustenance and continuance of operations. The business skills of the women social entrepreneurs led them to move from just social impact generators to becoming thought leaders. The strong prosocial motivation of the founders contributed to building their resilience in the face of adversity. Research limitations/implications This study extended the existing theories on social entrepreneurship by bringing the dimensions of entrepreneurial resilience in driving social enterprise performance along with business skills. Thus, it provided an enhanced explanation to the existing body of knowledge on contributors to superior social enterprise performance. Practical implications This study gathered insights into the role of entrepreneurship education focused on business skills, especially for women social entrepreneurs in achieving superior performance for their social ventures. This also reconfirmed the role of social support and how structurally this could be provided by educational systems to aspiring women social entrepreneurs. Social implications The practice of social entrepreneurship by women social entrepreneurs has been growing. Its importance in developing economies because of its ability to make grassroots changes at the lower levels of society was substantive. Women have shown more inclination toward social business with an affinity for prosocial contribution. By focusing on nurturing these social enterprises, governments as well as global agencies like the United Nations and the World Economic Forum could accelerate social change. Furthermore, support for the current women social entrepreneurs as change-makers making a difference in society could be achieved. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research study was one of the first studies on women social entrepreneurs focusing on the factors of self-efficacy, social support and entrepreneurial resilience contributing to social enterprise performance. This study combined the social entrepreneurship intention theory with entrepreneurial resilience and business skills to understand the factors leading to successful social enterprise performance for women social entrepreneurs.

From the emancipated to the emancipator: an integrative perspective on women social entrepreneurs’ emancipation experiences

PurposeSocial entrepreneurship has been recently viewed as an emancipatory process that promotes freedom and autonomy for social entrepreneurs and those they serve. However, the mechanisms of how emancipation is enacted remain relatively underexplored. By using an integrative lens, this paper aims to explore the emancipation experiences of women social entrepreneurs and unpack the processes through which they extend their self-emancipation to facilitate the empowerment of others.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopted a qualitative multiple-case study approach. Semistructured interviews were conducted with eight women social entrepreneurs from various industries in Hong Kong to understand and examine their experiences of “emancipation from” and “emancipation to” in social entrepreneurship.FindingsThis study identified a three-phase emancipatory journey of women social entrepreneurs. Specifically, the findings revealed that their emancipation experiences started with self-awareness of constraints in their surroundings, primarily due to stereotyped social norms and institutional barriers. This phase is followed by embracing social entrepreneurship as a coping strategy for navigating the perceived constraints and exploring new possibilities with increased agency. Ultimately, this transformation extends beyond their individual growth into broader social impacts as women social entrepreneurs use their newfound agency to effect meaningful social changes.Originality/valueThis study enriches the “entrepreneuring as emancipation” perspective by embracing an integrative lens that allows us to delve into the complex layers of emancipation experiences of women social entrepreneurs. Notably, this study differentiates various conceptions of emancipation, presenting a dual role of women social entrepreneurs as both the emancipated and the emancipator. By situating the study in Hong Kong, where women often face gendered expectations that shape their career choices and development, this study offers a nuanced and contextual understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities women social entrepreneurs encounter in their environment.

From Tradition to Transformation: The Social Entrepreneurial Journey of Japanese Women

The purpose of the study is to understand how Japanese women become social entrepreneurs. The challenges in fostering women’s entrepreneurship include socio-cultural traditional views on women’s roles and expectations and insufficient support systems. Despite such challenges, the rise of Japanese women as social entrepreneurs has been observed in recent years as a unique response to natural disasters and crisis situations, such as the Tohoku earthquake in 2011 and the Kumamoto earthquake in 2016. Women felt the need to make positive changes and assist their country to build back. However, limited research exists that examines Japanese women social entrepreneurs’ development throughout their lives. Women social entrepreneurs may have gone through critically reflective moments through significant life events, which can eventually change the course of their professional paths. The methods of the study include in-depth, individual interviews with five women entrepreneurs, field observations, and a review of documents, including women’s organization websites, news articles, and social media. These findings provide both practical and scholarly insights that can be useful for the field of adult education and human resource development and women’s studies, highlighting how women maneuver challenging conditions, and how they effectively learn and transition from such challenges to become successful social entrepreneurs.

Analysis of Stakeholders in Social Entrepreneurship Development

Stakeholders have an essential role in the development of social entrepreneurship (SE), so it is necessary to understand the role and contribution of stakeholders. Stakeholders referred to in the development of SE are parties involved and interested in the success and sustainability of SE. This research was conducted with women social entrepreneurs in the Greater Jakarta and Central Java Provinces. This study aims to discover the role of actors in developing SE in the Greater Jakarta and Central Java Provinces. The MACTOR analysis method is used in this study; this method includes determining system actors, setting goals, describing power relations, and assessing attitudes and the importance of dreams for actors. The analysis results are presented through graphs and figure, providing insight into actor competitiveness, alliance patterns, possible conflicts, and actor support for developing SE in the Greater Jakarta and Central Java Provinces. The study results show that policy is the central government; in this case, KEMENKOP UKM (MINISTRY OF COOPERATIVES AND SMES), UKM (Ministry of Cooperatives and SMEs), and KEMENSOS (MINISTRY OF SOCIAL AFFAIRS) (Ministry of Social Affairs) are vital in setting special SE regulations. The existence of rules issued by the central government will help social entrepreneurs get various social supports that are useful for developing SE.

Social media: A tool for collective action in food for Chennai, India – A case study

Ubiquitous emergent technologies including social media (SM) dramatically impact human lives: the way we live, learn, communicate and do our business. Despite its darker side, people make use of social media’s transformative potential to advance socio-economic-political narratives and for catalysing public engagement for social causes. This case study illustrates how a group of women social entrepreneurs in Food For Chennai (FFC), India, innovatively used social media, mobilized more than 250 volunteers, and saved more than 40,000 COVID-19 patients in a month through efficient and virtual operation. Data were collected via telephonic interviews using semi-structured questionnaires with founders and 20 other volunteers. While the findings can demonstrate that social media can serve as a catalyst for social change, especially in times of crisis, they may not be generalizable. Future researchers could employ a comparative, quantitative approach for broader validation.

Employability characteristics and their impact on social impact: An exploratory study on women's small social enterprises

This study seeks to understand and explore how women social entrepreneurs select their employees and how this can affect their social impact. This study has two objectives. The first is to explore the most attractive employees' employability characteristics chosen by women entrepreneurs. The second objective was to explore the relationship between employability characteristics and the social impact of the social enterprises. This study used an exploratory quantitative paradigm to reach the study's findings. Multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) explores employability characteristics the women social entrepreneurs select and the relationship between the selected employability characteristics and the social impact of the women's social enterprises. The data were collected using a cross-sectional questionnaire. Data were collected from 382 employees working in 174 female social enterprises. Women social entrepreneurs were found to prefer employees with high interpersonal skills, high ethics, high physical abilities, high abilities to learn, high implicit knowledge, high reliability, and low soft skills. Linking these employability skills to social impact revealed that implicit knowledge and interpersonal skills are the most influential. A paucity of research discusses how women social entrepreneurs recruit their employees. This problem is getting worse when it comes to small social enterprises. This study led to a discussion about employability characteristics in women's social enterprises and their impact on social impact.

Young Women as Social Entrepreneurs in the Environmental Sector in Ghana: Development Hackers and the Re-imagining of Sustainable Development Models

The article considers the extent to which social entrepreneurship of young women is contributing to sustainable development in Ghana, based on field research conducted between October 2018 and April 2019. Data collection involved a review of the literature and a questionnaire survey of actors within the social entrepreneurship ecosystem in Ghana but is primarily based on the life histories of 13 women entrepreneurs collected using in-depth semi-structured interviews. Social entrepreneurship is undergoing a boom in Ghana which is characterized as having the most entrepreneurs as a proportion of the population globally and with women outnumbering men. Critical discourse analysis was employed to highlight the potential difference between grand narratives of entrepreneurship for development—how it is supposed to work, and how it is working in practice for young women social entrepreneurs in Ghana. The life histories demonstrate that the social entrepreneurship of young women in Ghana does not appear to be contributing to sustainable development because the enterprises yielded small or non-existent economic benefits for the entrepreneurs, demonstrating the limitations of this framework in the Ghanaian context. Indeed, most of the enterprises do not go beyond the ideation stage while the fame of winning social entrepreneurship competitions is used by individuals to build social and symbolic capital for employment by the public sector and the United Nations. In this way, young women are “hacking” social entrepreneurship for their own purposes as it is one of the opportunities open to them but it does not lead to sustainable enterprises. While the social entrepreneurship sector in Ghana is booming, it appears in reality to be a survival activity for women who are subject to gender inequalities and social-cultural harassment.

Exploring the Experiences of Women Social Entrepreneurs: Advancing Understandings of ‘Emotional Capital’ in Women-only Networks

The field of social entrepreneurship, a domain focused on implementing solutions to social, cultural and environmental issues, remains highly male-dominated. Research continues to emphasise that women social entrepreneurs are often expected to behave in masculine ways in order to become successful. The study presented in this article explored the perceptions and experiences of thirty-three women living in the United Kingdom who were developing their skills in social entrepreneurship. Documenting their experiences, we sought to understand how women work in a male-dominated field. Our analysis primarily builds on a Bourdieusian-revisionist approach of emotional capital to advance understandings of how women’s networks with other women allow them to navigate social entrepreneurship. Drawing on emotional capital, as a theory, we examine the ways in which these women find these spaces generative and how it contributes to their problematising of masculine orthodoxies.

Two echo chambers: Contradictions in voices of women social entrepreneurs in China

This study uses data from Chengdu, China, to analyse two differing approaches of Chinese women social entrepreneurs in gender discussions and the fight for women’s interests: gender and development and women in development. Each approach has formed an echo chamber and the development of social enterprise certification in China has deepened the gap between them. Balancing the practical and strategic interests for policy formulation and cultural construction is a process that requires the coordination of various women’s groups and their interests. Better dialogue in the public sphere and social systems is needed to broaden the understanding of women’s social entrepreneurship and facilitate a benign reflexive relationship between their differing voices and related policies.

Women's social entrepreneurship, a new approach to integrate and support women workers in the Moroccan informal sector

Women's social entrepreneurship, a new approach to integrate and support women workers in the Moroccan informal sector

Women in Nigeria: Examining the Motivations for Engaging in Social Entrepreneurship

This paper explored the motivations for women engaging in social entrepreneurship in Nigeria. Using the theoretical lens of African feminism, the paper specifically set out to explore the extent to which three factors- gender, penchant for solving social problems and economic/financial reasons influence the desire of women to engage in social entrepreneurship in a largely patriarchal society like Africa. Existing studies adopting critical feminist perspectives have shown that across the globe, there are embedded biases and institutional constraints which could separate women from men into what is considered appropriate “entrepreneuring” for their sex category (Muntean & Ozkazanc-Pan, 2016). This implies that while it is applauded that women can get self-employed in ventures that create social good, there is the risk of creating biases that unintentionally limits the potential of women toward less-lucrative/tasking self-employment. This phenomenon raised some key questions for this paper: Do women only perform better when it comes to designing enterprises for social good? Or do the narratives show that they could lead in other forms of entrepreneurship but are not because of existing constraints? Simply put, what is the drive or motivation for engaging in social entrepreneurship? Interestingly, such a study is lacking within the African context.
 For this research, a qualitative approach was adopted. Secondary data were obtained from the Ashoka.com repository, a reputable organization and social entrepreneurship website, profiled with stories of successful women social entrepreneurs. A total of 6 research subjects were randomly selected for the study. The sample was drawn from the list of published profiles based on the year of fellowship, country and sector of operation. Data were analysed using content analysis. The findings drawn from the analysis were discussed within the purview of African feminist theory and empirical works of other social researchers. The result showed that women social entrepreneurs are majorly motivated by the desire to solve a social problem (rather than make profit), which either stems from a personal experience or those around them. This study recommends that understanding the intrinsic motivation behind their actions can help social activist and feminist organizations supporting social entrepreneurs in their work. The paper further informs interventions that foster the design of social policies and programmes for successful women social entrepreneurship practice in Africa.

Female-driven social entrepreneurship in service business

The United Nations has stated that to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, analysis of the development and impact of women entrepreneurship is needed. Based on data from the Web of Science, an initial analysis of research on both women entrepreneurship and social entrepreneurship was performed. Although the first published article date back to 2004, it was not until 2014 when scholars began to study women social entrepreneurship more systematically. This special issue covers these two areas in conjunction, with an added emphasis on service business.

Women social entrepreneurs in a Muslim society: how to manage patriarchy and spouses

PurposeThis study aims to investigate how women social entrepreneurs in Indonesia use various behaviors to address challenges to their leadership authority created by socioreligious patriarchal norms in this Muslim society.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory study of six Muslim women social entrepreneurs was conducted using multiround, semistructured interviews in a contrast sample of three women who work with their husbands and three women who work without their husband’s involvement.FindingsThe study identifies a variety of leadership behaviors that women entrepreneurs use to mitigate the constraining impact of strong patriarchal religious gender norms. Observations revealed surprisingly effective micro adjustments often based on relationship-specific private negotiations between the entrepreneurs and their husbands.Research limitations/implicationsFuture research focused on the husbands’ perspectives and behaviors, as well as extensions to other patriarchal religions and societies, are encouraged.Practical implicationsRecognition of the crucial role of spousal relationships suggests the need for more holistic approaches to support women social entrepreneurship, e.g. by integrating husbands into related outreach programs.Social implicationsReligious gender stereotypes such as the stronger altruistic orientation of women can help counteract, to a degree, Muslim patriarchal norms when women lead social enterprises. Leadership of social enterprises by women promises to promote more gender equality over time, even if associated private and relationship-specific accommodations are not intended to challenge religious gender norms.Originality/valueThis study contributes to emerging research on the crucial role of spousal relationships for women’s entrepreneurship and the impact of private micro arrangements between spouses to mitigate the constraining impact of Muslim gender norms. Muslim women entrepreneurs approved of the religious gender norms that constrained them, in contrast to the more “feminist” perspectives common in women entrepreneurs in more secular and Christianity-dominated western societies.

IMPACT OF WOMEN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS ON MICRO-ENTERPRISES SURVIVAL DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC IN NIGERIA

Global economy activities, especially as it concerns the micro-small and medium enterprises (MSME), have been affected by the incidence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Social entrepreneurs are, however, leading efforts to combat the pandemic’s economic menace. Therefore, this study examines the impact of women social entrepreneurs on the survival of micro-enterprises in Nigeria. A survey research design was utilized covering micro-enterprises in Lagos state, which houses Nigeria’s highest number of MSMEs. A random sampling method was used to administer a structured questionnaire to 1537 managers and owners in the selected micro-enterprises. The descriptive and regression analysis result revealed that women social entrepreneurs played critical roles during the COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria, as they were able to alleviate poverty to an extent, involved in environmental sustainability, create jobs and enhance human capital development. The results reveal that women social entrepreneurs ([Formula: see text]; [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text]) significantly affect micro-enterprises’ survival during the COVID-19 pandemic. Further results showed that the need to eradicate poverty, the desire to make the society a better place, empathy and the desire to make money are the driving factors of women social entrepreneurs. The study concludes that women social entrepreneurs significantly impact micro-enterprises’ survival during COVID-19 pandemic. The study recommends a combination of laws facilitating women’s social entrepreneurship with multiple activities to establish and diversify micro-enterprises’ supply.

The role of social entrepreneurial leadership and benchmarking in women empowerment

PurposeWomen are the change agents in today's society. They are not only the harbingers of growth and development but also act as a major catalyst in the economic advancement and prosperity of the nation. India has been witnessing an expansion in women entrepreneurs given the conducive startup ecosystem we have created over the years. It has inspired women to break the shackles and switch to being a game changer for themselves and many others over the years. The study aims to explore the impact of social entrepreneurial leadership on women empowerment and how does benchmarking help in this process.Design/methodology/approachUsing a semi-structured questionnaire, the study conducted one-to-one in-depth and focused group interviews with the five women social entrepreneurs and their team. NVivo was used for content and thematic analysis.FindingsMajor themes identified from the study include financial independence, women empowerment, social identity, autonomy, mobility, attaining self-confidence, creativity and innovation, fulfillment of motives, action and social learning, and setting standards (benchmarks). The findings revealed that social entrepreneurial leadership has a significant impact on women empowerment through benchmarking.Originality/valueSocial entrepreneurial leadership has the potential to revolutionize the very concept of women empowerment. The research tries to study specific cases of social entrepreneurial leadership and how they have been instrumental in shaping up the life of others through their efforts and determination.

Women Social Entrepreneurs in a Muslim Society: How to Manage Patriarchy and Spouses

Women Social Entrepreneurs in a Muslim Society: How to Manage Patriarchy and Spouses

Which Factors Affect Social Entrepreneurship Development for Rural Women in Varamin Township?

This study was conducted to design a rural women's social entrepreneurship (RWSE) development model in Varamin. A total of 176 rural women were selected as the study's statistical population through- proportionate stratified sampling. The data collection tool is a questionnaire. The reliability of the questionnaire was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha and theta coefficient. SPSS and AMOS software was used to analyse the results. The results showed individual factors include risk-taking, locus of control, and ambiguity tolerance with a regression coefficient of 0.537, had the most significant impact on the RWSE. The results also showed that hiring people according to human rights has the most significant impact on the RWSE development.

Indigenous Women Social Entrepreneurship; Poverty Alleviation Tool Used by Development NGOs in Ghana

This research paper examines the role of Non-Government Organizations (NGO) in the use of indigenous women social entrepreneurship as a means of reducing poverty in Northern Ghana. The study focused on an Estonian NGO working in significantly poor-rural districts of Northern Ghana. The study employed case study design where face to face semi-structures interviews were used to gather data from local women entrepreneurs, NGO staff and local government officials. A sample of twenty-one (21) respondents was gathered purposefully to achieve the aim of the study. The study found out that, most poor communities in Northern Ghana are endowed with resources needed for production. What are however lacked are managerial training, financial and technical support as well as market access. Development NGOs connect indigenous resources such as raw materials, human capital and social capital together through provision of equipment and skills training to produce internationally certified products for both local and international market. The study found out that producing local products for international market increases the rate of poverty alleviation since many local people get involved and the financial returns is higher than producing for the local market. The study also identified the creation of new macro-micro international relations between the NGO’s home country and the indigenous communities. Keywords: Indigenous Social entrepreneurship, Women, Poverty alleviation, Development NGOs, Northern Ghana.

Social Information Process on Instagram to Develop Social Entrepreneur Women in Madiun Indonesia

This research has the aim to reveal how social businesses to follow their business growth trends. The research method used in this research is a case study that is analyzed qualitatively. This study took female social entrepreneur figures in Madiun City who survived more than 2 years and used social media as a means of empowerment. In collecting data, researchers used in-depth interviews, field observations to grouping data through the internet. Make it show in the last two years, women social entrepreneurs more often use Instagram than other social media to develop social communities and business entrepreneurs.