Skip to main content

Effects of Culture on Women Entrepreneurs’ Success: A Cross-Country Study

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Gender Studies, Entrepreneurship and Human Capital (IPAZIA 2019)

Part of the book series: Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics ((SPBE))

Included in the following conference series:

  • 650 Accesses

Abstract

Most entrepreneurs define success as business growth. However, for women entrepreneurs, success incorporates various aspects and meanings. Thus, success is by far one of the most complex concepts in the field of entrepreneurship. Because women entrepreneurs’ success is a multifaceted concept, it has, therefore, multiple interpretations. Moreover, researchers across the world provided various definitions correlated to qualitative or quantitative approaches to this phenomenon. In the meantime, cross-country studies revealed multiple factors affecting women entrepreneurs’ success. A crucial factor affecting the success of women entrepreneurs across the world is the culture. Thus, studies conducted across the globe revealed various types and dimensions of culture and indicated different effects of culture on women entrepreneurs’ success. The authors discovered the significance of gender for interpretation of success and culture. The purpose of the study is to examine various effects of culture on women entrepreneurs’ success in a cross-country context and to design an integrative, holistic theoretical framework that enhances our understanding of success for women entrepreneurs from a gender perspective and explains the effects of culture. The value of designing such theoretical framework is the increase in knowledge with regard to cultural impact on women entrepreneurs’ success and the request for viable solutions to be designed by policy makers, which can help women entrepreneurship to grow.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Acharya M, Bennett L (1983) Women and the Subsistence Sector: Economic Participation in Household Decision-Making in Nepal. Washington, DC: World Bank.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahl H (2006) Why research on women entrepreneurs needs new directions. Entrepreneurship theory and practice, 30(5): 595–621.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agarwal S, Lenka U, Agrawal V (2016) An empirical investigation of self-confidence of Indian women entrepreneurs, in Pillania, R.K., Bhandari, N., Dasgupta, M. (Eds), Emerging Themes in Strategy, New Delphi, Mc Graw Hill Education, (104–115).

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam S S, Jani M F M, Omar N A (2011) An Empirical Study of Success Factors of Women Entrepreneurs in Southern Region in Malaysia. International Journal of Economics and Finance, 3(2). https://doi.org/10.5539/IJEF.V3N2P166

  • Al Mamun A, Rajennd A, Muniady L, Permarupa P Y, Zainol N R B, Nawi N B C, & Malarvizhi C A (2016) Social capital and entrepreneurial competencies: A study among women micro-entrepreneurs in Malaysia. The Journal of Developing Areas, 50(5): 363–370.

    Google Scholar 

  • Angel P, Jenkins A, Stephens A (2018) Understanding entrepreneurial success: A Phenomenographic Approach. International Small Business Journal: Researching Entrepreneurship, 36(6): 611–636.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aramand M (2012) Women entrepreneurship in Mongolia: the role of culture on entrepreneurial motivation. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal. 32(1): 68–82.

    Google Scholar 

  • Asian Development Bank (2013) 12 Things on Asian Women Entrepreneurs. Available from http://www.adb.org/features/women-entrepreneurs-asia-and-pacific [Accessed 25 February 2019].

  • Banda J (2018) “Personal Characteristics of Successful Women Entrepreneurs in Mexico: a Conceptual Exploratory Study.” Small Business Institute® Journal (SBIJ), 14(1): 19–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardasi E, Sabarwal S, Terrell K (2011) How do women entrepreneurs perform? Evidence from three developing regions. Small Business Economics, 37(4): 417–441.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradley H (1996) Fractured Identities. Changing Pattern of Inequalities. Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Brush C, de Bruin A, Welter F (2009) A gender-aware framework for women’s Entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 1(1): 8–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Buttner E H, Moore P D (1997) Women’s Organizational Exodus to Entrepreneurship: Self-Reported Motivations and Correlates with Success. Journal of Small Business Management, 35(1): 34–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabrera E M, Mauricio D (2017) Factors affecting the success of women’s entrepreneurship: a review of literature. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(1): 31–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chant S (2014) Exploring the “feminization of poverty” in relation to women’s work and home-based enterprise in slum of the Global South. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 6(3): 293–316.

    Google Scholar 

  • Charoensukmongkol P (2016) Cultural intelligence and export performance of small and medium enterprises in Thailand: Mediating Roles of organizational capabilities. International Journal of Small Business, 34(1): 105–122.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chinta R, Andall A, Best S (2017) Personal wealth and perceptions of barriers to women’s entrepreneurship in the state of Alabama: The mediating effects of affordable childcare. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(3): 283–296.

    Google Scholar 

  • Colino A, Benito-Osario D, Rueda-Armengot C (2014) Entrepreneurship culture, total factor productivity growth and technical progress: pattern of convergence towards the technological frontier. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 88: 349–359.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dalborg C (2015) The life cycle in women-owned businesses: from a qualitative growth perspective. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 7(2): 126–147.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Vita L, Mari M, Pogessi S (2013) Female Entrepreneurship Research: A Classification of Results. Italy: McGraw-Hill Education.

    Google Scholar 

  • Della-Giusta M, Phillips C (2006) “Women Entrepreneurs in the Gambia: Challenges and Opportunities.” Journal of International Development, 18 (8): 1051–1064. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, doi:https://doi.org/10.1002/jid.1279. [Accessed 25 Feb 2019].

  • Derera E (2014) “Gendered Lending Practices: Enabling South African Women Entrepreneurs to Access Start-Up Capital.” Journal of Enterprising Culture, 22(3): 313–330. Entrepreneurial Studies Source, EBSCOhost, doi:https://doi.org/10.1142/S0218495814500137. [Accessed 25 Feb 2019].

  • Dheer R J S (2017) Cross-national differences in entrepreneurial activities: role of culture and institutional factors. Small Business Economics, 48: 813–842.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dickerson C M (2005) Sex and Capital: What They Tell Us about Ourselves. St. John’s Law Review, 79(4): 1161–1191.

    Google Scholar 

  • De Bruin A, Brush C, Welter F (2007) Advancing a framework for coherent research on women’s entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 31(3): 323–339.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dvouletý O (2017) Determinants of Nordic Entrepreneurship. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. 24(1): 12–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Glancey K, Greig M (1998) Entrepreneurial Dynamics in the Small Business Service Sectors. Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 4(3): 249–268.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geertz C (1973) The Interpretation of Cultures. London: Hutchinson & Co Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gupta V K, Turban D, Arzu W S, Sikdar A (2009) The role of gender stereotypes in perceptions of entrepreneurs and intentions to become an entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 33(2): 397–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallam C, Dorantes Dosamantes C A, Zanella G (2017) Culture and social capital network effects on the survival and performance of high-tech micro and small firms. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 25(1): 81–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hallam C, Dorantes Dosamantes C A, Zanella G (2018) Culture and social capital network effects on the survival and performance of high-tech micro and small firms. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 25(1): 81–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Handy C B (1985) Understanding Organizations. 3rd edn. England: Peguin Books Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansmark O C (1998) The Effect of Entrepreneurship Program On need for Achievement & Locus of Control of Reinforcement. Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 4(1): 28–50.

    Google Scholar 

  • Henry C, Orser B, Coleman S, Foss L (2017) Women’s entrepreneurship policy: a 13 nation cross country comparison. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(3): 206–228.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirschi A, Shockley K M, Zacher H (2019) Achieving a work-family balance: An Action Regulation Model. Academy of Management Review, 44(1): 150–171.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hudson R (1994) Institutional Change, Cultural Transformation and Economic Regeneration. Myths and Realities from Europe’s Old Industrial Areas. In: Amin, A. and Thrift, N. (eds.) Globalization, Institutions and Regional Development in Europe. New York, USA: Oxford University Press Inc. 196–216.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede G (1980) Culture’s Consequences: International Differences in Work Related Values. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede G (2001) Culture’s Consequences: Comparing Values, Behaviors, Institutions and Organizations across Nations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hofstede G (2011) Dimensionalizing Cultures: The Hofstede Model in Context. Online Readings in Psychology and Culture, 2(1): 2–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hunt J G (1991) Leadership: A New Synthesis. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haque M, Itohara Y (2009) Women Empowerment through Participation in Micro-Credit Programme: A Case Study from Bangladesh. Journal o Social Science, 5(3): 244–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hyams-Ssekasi D, Stefan A, Agboma F, Kumar N (2019) Determinants of Women’s Entrepreneurial Attitude across European Cultures. in Tomos F, Kumar N, Clifton, Hyams-Ssekasi D (Eds.) Women Entrepreneurs and Strategic Decision Making in the Global Economy. Hershey, USA: IGI Global, 63–79. ISBN: 9781522574798, eISBN: 9781522574804, ISSN: 2327–3429, eISSN: 2327–3437, DOI: 10.418/978-1-5225-7479-8.ch004.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ismail H C, Shamsudin F M, Chowdhury M S (2012) An exploratory study of motivational factors on women entrepreneurship venturing in Malaysia. Business and Economic Research, 2(1): 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuppusamy J, Ganesan J, Rosada S A (2010) Leadership styles and management techniques: An analysis of Malaysian women entrepreneurs. Communications of the IBIMA, 1–10 doi:https://doi.org/10.5171/2010.817881

  • Kapadia K (1997) Mediating the Meaning of Market Opportunities: Gender, Caste and Class in Rural South India. Economic and Political Weekly, 35(52): 3329–3335.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klapper L F, Parker, S C (2011) Gender and the Business Environment for New Firm Creation. The World Bank Research Observer, 26(2): 237–257.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kirzner I M (1985) Discovery and the Capitalist Process. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Klofsten M (2005) New venture ideas: an analysis of their origin and early development. Journal of Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, 17(1): 105–119.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keat R (1991) Introduction: Starship Britain or Universal Enterprise? In: Keat, R. and Abercrombie, N. (Eds.) Enterprise Culture. London: Routledge, 1–20.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kelley D J, Singer S, Herrington M (2017) Global entrepreneurship monitor 2016 Global report. Global Entrepreneurship Research Association, London Business School.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewis K V (2017) Making meaning as well as money: the experience of young female entrepreneurs. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(4): 337–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Liñán F, Fernandez-Serrano J (2014) National culture, entrepreneurship and economic development: different patterns across the European Union. Small Business Economics, 42: 685–701.

    Google Scholar 

  • Maslow A H (1987) Motivation and personality (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McLaughlin H, Silvester J, Bilimoria D, Jané S, Sealy R, Peters K, Möltner H, Huse M, Göke J (2018) Women in power: Contributing factors that impact upon women in organisations and politics; psychological research and best practice. Organisational Dynamics, 47: 189–199.

    Google Scholar 

  • Metcalfe B (2008) Women, management and globalization. Journal of Business Ethics, 83: 85–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Minola T, Criaco G, Oschonka M (2016) Age, culture and self-employment motivation. Small Business Economics, 46: 187–213.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mohamed A, Syarisa Yanti A (2003) Strengthening Entrepreneurship in Malaysia. Malaysian Institute of Economic Research, Kuala Lumpur.

    Google Scholar 

  • MOWCA (2008) Ministry of women and children affairs: government of the people’s republic of Bangladesh. http://www.mowca.gov.bd/ [Accessed: 25 February 2019].

  • Najimudinova S (2015) “Kırgızistan'da Kadın Girişimciliği: Durum Analizi Ve Perspektifleri.” Sosyoekonomi, 23(2): 7–22. Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, doi:https://doi.org/10.17233/se.68080. [Accessed 25 Feb 2019].

  • National Association of women entrepreneurs of Malaysia (NAWEM) official website retrieved on 27 February 2019 from https://www.nawem.org.my/index.php

  • Ott S J (1989) The Organizational Culture Perspective. Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Packard M D, Bylund P L (2017) On the relationship between inequality and entrepreneurship. Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, 12: 3–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pandian K, Jesurajan V (2011) An empirical investigation on the factors determining the success and problems faced by women entrepreneurs in Tiruchirappalli district – Tamil Nadu. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(3): 914–922.

    Google Scholar 

  • Patel K (2015) Constraints and Opportunities Facing Women Entrepreneurs in Developing Countries. CLEAR International Journal of Research in Commerce & Management, 6(8): 53–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pearsall J (Ed.) (1999) The Concise Oxford Dictionary. (10th edn.) Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Prasad R M (2009) Loan Hurdles: Do Banks Discriminate Against Women Entrepreneurs? Academy of Management Perspectives, 23(4): 91–93.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qureshi M A, Khan P A, Uprit S (2016) Empowerment of rural women through agriculture and dairy sectors in India. Economic Affairs, 61(1): 75–79.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rennemo Ø, Widding L.Ø, Bogren M (2017) Business growth through intentional and non-intentional network processes. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 24(2): 242–260.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roddin R, Sidi N S S, Yusof,Y, Mohamed M, Razzaq A R A (2011) Poverty alleviation among single mother in Malaysia: Building entrepreneurship capacity. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 2(17): 92–99.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roomi M A (2005) ‘Women entrepreneurs in Pakistan: profile, challenges and practical recommendations’, paper presented at the 51st ICSB Conference, Washington, DC, June, available at: http://www.sbaer.uca.edu/Research/icsb/2005/164.pdf.

  • Roomi M A, Rehman S, Henry C (2018) Exploring the normative context for women’s entrepreneurship in Pakistan: a critical analysis. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 10(2): 158–180.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robb A M, Watson, J (2012) Gender Differences in Firm Performance: Evidence from New Ventures in the United States. Journal of Business Venturing, 27: 544–558.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rozy H S (2009) A briefing on 24 June 2009 at National Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Malaysia, available at: http://www.cedpa.org/images/docs/RozyHayateePresentation.doc, retrieved 1/12/2016.

  • Rousseau D (1991) Quantitative Assessment of Organizational Culture. Group and Organizations Studies, 15(4): 448–460.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smircich L, Calas M F (1987) Organizational Culture: A Critical Assessment. In: Jablin F, Putnam L, Roberts K, Porter R L (Eds.) Handbook of Organizational Communication. Beverly Hill, CA: Sage. 228–263.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sajjad A, Raza A (2007) Access to Finance for Female Entrepreneurs in Pakistan, a report by The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Pakistan.

    Google Scholar 

  • Storey J (2006) Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: An Introduction. 4th edn. England: Pearson Education Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schein E H (1985) Defining Organizational Culture. Classics of Organization Theory, 3: 490–502.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tambunan T (2007) Development of SME and Women Entrepreneurs in a Developing Country: The Indonesian Story. Small Enterprise Research, 15(2): 31–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tödtling F (1994) The Uneven Landscape of Innovation Poles: Local Embeddeness and Global Network. In: Amin, A. and Thrift, N. (eds.) Globalization, Institutions and Regional Development in Europe. New York, USA: Oxford University Press Inc., 68–90.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomos F, Clark A, Thurairaj S, O C Balan, Turner D (2016) The Emergence of Women Entrepreneurs and Communities of Practices Within the Global Context. In: Buckley, S., Majewski, G. and Giannakopoulos, A. (Eds.), Organizational Knowledge Facilitation through Communities of Practice in Emerging Markets, Hershey, USA: IGI Global, 85–114. ISBN: 9781522500131, ISSN: 2326–7607, eISSN: 2326–7615, DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-0013-1.ch005.

  • Tomos F (2019) The Impact of Learning and Digital Platforms & ICTs on the Success of Women Entrepreneurs in Communities of Practice in South East Wales. PhD Thesis submitted to University of South Wales.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomos F, Thurairaj S (2019) New Emerging Technologies and ICTs and their Impact on Women Entrepreneurs’ Success. In: Tomos, F., Kumar, N., Clifton, N. and Hyams-Ssekasi, D. (Eds.) Women Entrepreneurs and Strategic Decision Making in the Global Economy. Hershey, USA: IGI Global, 144–167. ISBN: 9781522574798, eISBN: 9781522574804, ISSN: 2327–3429, eISSN: 2327–3437, DOI: 10.418/978-1-5225-7475-8.ch008.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomos F, Clifton N, Hyams-Ssekasi D, Balan O C (2019) Inequalities: A Concern for Capitalism and Global Strategy. In: Tomos, F., Kumar, N., Clifton, N. and Hyams-Ssekasi, D. (Eds.) Women Entrepreneurs and Strategic Decision Making in the Global Economy. Hershey, USA: IGI Global, 1–20. ISBN: 9781522574798, eISBN: 9781522574804, ISSN: 2327–3429, eISSN: 2327–3437, DOI: 10.418/978-1-5225-7479-8.ch001.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) (1996). Preparatory Assistance (PA) Document Number: PAK/96/016 –Facilitating Women’s Mobility, Islamabad: UNDP

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Witteloostuijn A, Kolkman D (2018) Is the firm growth random? A machine learning perspective. Journal of Business Venturing Insight, 10: 1–5.

    Google Scholar 

  • Venugopal V (2016) Investigating women’s intentions for entrepreneurial growth. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 8(1): 2–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Warrick D D (2017) What leaders need to know about organisational culture. Business Horizons, 60: 395–404.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watson J, Stuetzer M, Zolin R (2017) Female underperformance goal oriented behaviour? International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 9(4): 298–318.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weber P C, Geneste L (2014) Exploring gender-related perceptions of SME success. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 6(1): 15–27.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams R (1983) Keywords: A Vocabulary of Culture and Society. Revised Ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Xavier R S, Ahmadb Z S, Nora M L, Yusofa M (2012) Women Entrepreneurs: Making A change From Employment to Small and Medium Business Ownership. Procedia Economics and Finance, 4: 321–334.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge that this paper was submitted to BAM 2019 Conference, in a first form, and want to thank the anonymous reviewers for comments on the earlier version of the paper. For this research, the authors received no funding, and there is no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Tomos, F., Aggrawal, A., Thurairaj, S., Balan, O.C., Hyams-Ssekasi, D. (2020). Effects of Culture on Women Entrepreneurs’ Success: A Cross-Country Study. In: Paoloni, P., Lombardi, R. (eds) Gender Studies, Entrepreneurship and Human Capital. IPAZIA 2019. Springer Proceedings in Business and Economics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-46874-3_15

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics