Skip to main content

Digital Pentecostal Entrepreneurship Strategies and Motivations in Nigeria: A Qualitative Exploration

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Digital Entrepreneurship

Abstract

Following the growing acceptance and usage of internet-enabled platforms in business transactions, religious entrepreneurs in Nigeria have embraced digitization to reach their target market. Pentecostal pastors are prominent adopters of the digital space in religious entrepreneurial pursuits in Nigeria. Popularly called Pentepreneurs, these entrepreneurs pursue both sacred and secular activities simultaneously. While empirical research on digital entrepreneurship continues to develop, few studies have been devoted to emerging digital economies. Besides, studies focusing on digital Pentepreneurship strategies and motivations are currently missing in the global literature on digital entrepreneurship. This chapter closes these gaps by leveraging the institutional theory, the theory of planned behaviour and the qualitative approach. Thus, an online semi-structured interview was conducted using a purposive sample of digital Pentepreneurs from Southern Nigeria. Generated data were analyzed by means of inductive thematic analysis. This chapter makes theoretical and practical contributions by identifying digital Pentecostal entrepreneurship’s key strategies and motivations.

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 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 199.99
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

  • Abubakre, M., Faik, I., & Mkansi, M. (2021). Digital entrepreneurship and indigenous value systems: An Ubuntu perspective. Information Systems Journal, 31(6), 838–862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adepoju, O. O., & Opeyemi, D. L. (2022). Analyzing Nigeria’s PPE manufacturing capacity and the resultant entrepreneurial opportunities due to COVID-19. In A. A. Eniola (Ed.), Entrepreneurship and post-pandemic future (pp. 117–142). Emerald Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-80117-902-720221008

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Agba, C. I. (2022, November 9). Nigeria’s digital economy to make significant contribution to GDP. This Day.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agu, G. A. (2020). Marketing in an emerging digital economy: Perspectives from Nigeria – An introduction. In G. S. Okpara, A. G. Agu, & C. N. Ogbuji (Eds.), Marketing in an emerging digital economy: Perspectives from Nigeria (pp. 1–18). University of Abia.

    Google Scholar 

  • Agu, G. A., Onwuka, O. O., Okocha, E. R., & Madiche, N. (2021). Covid-19 pandemic and entrepreneurial intention among university students: A contextualization of the Igbo traditional business school. African Journal of Economic and Management Studies, 13(1), 89–104. https://doi.org/10.1108/AJEMS-05-2021-0227

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Agu, G. A., Okereafor, G. E., Omotosho, D. T., Okocha, E. R., & Uche, D. B. (2023). Drivers of religious entrepreneurial behaviour among Pentecostal pastors: Push-pull-mooring theory and theory of planned behaviour. Small Enterprise Research, 30, 275–300. https://doi.org/10.1080/13215906.2023.2231408

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I. (1985). From intentions to actions: A theory of planned behavior. In J. Kuhi & J. Beckmann (Eds.), Action-control: From cognition to behavior (pp. 11–39). Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I. (2002). Perceived behavioral control, self-efficacy, locus of control, and the theory of planned behavior. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 32(4), 665–683.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ajzen, I. (2005). Attitudes, personality and behavior (2nd ed.). Open University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Al-Jubari, I. (2019). College students’ entrepreneurial intention: Testing an integrated model of SDT and TPB. SAGE Open, 9(2), 1–15.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anim-Yeboah, S., Boateng, R., Awuni, K. E., Owusu, A., & Bedi, I. (2020). Digital entrepreneurship in business enterprises: A systematic review. In Responsible design, implementation and use of information and communication technology (Vol. 12066, pp. 192–203). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44999-5_16

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Antonizzi, J., & Smuts, H. (2020). The characteristics of digital entrepreneurship and digital transformation: A systematic literature review. In Responsible design, implementation and use of information and communication technology. I3E 2020 (pp. 239–251). Springer.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspers, P., & Corte, U. (2019). What is qualitative in qualitative research. Qualitative Sociology, 42, 139–160. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11133-019-9413-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Azungah, T. (2018). Qualitative research: Deductive and inductive approaches to data analysis. Qualitative Research Journal, 18(4), 383–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baig, U., Botool, M. H., & Leva, M. K. (2022). Digital entrepreneurship: Future research directions and opportunities. Sustainability, 14(9), 1–17.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bailey, B. (2022, June 22). 91% of Nigerians use digital channels for financial transactions – Mastercard. Business Day.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bardin, L. (2016). Análise de conteúdo. Edições 70.

    Google Scholar 

  • Biclesanu, I., Sorin, A., Ovidiu, B., & Marco, S. (2021). Digital entrepreneurship: Public perception of barriers, drivers, and future. Administrative Sciences, 11(4), 125. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci11040125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brieger, S. A., Chowdhury, F., Hechavarría, D. M., Muralidharan, E., Pathak, S., & Lam, Y. T. (2022). Digitalization, institutions and new venture internationalization. Journal of International Management, 28(4), 100949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intman.2022.100949

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bruton, G. D., Ahlstrom, D., & Li, H. (2010). Institutional theory and entrepreneurship: Where are we now and where do we need to move in the future? Entrepreneurship: Theory and Practice, 34(3), 421–440.

    Google Scholar 

  • Chiluwa, I. (2012). Online religion in Nigeria: The internet church and cyber miracles. Journal of Asian and African Studies, 47(6), 734–749.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chowdhury, T., Adafin, J., & Wilkinson, S. (2019). Review of digital technologies to improve productivity of New Zealand construction industry. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 24, 569–587. https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2019.032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • David-West, O., Umukoro, I. O., & Onuoha, R. O. (2018). Platforms in sub-Saharan Africa: Start-up models and the role of business incubation. Journal of Intellectual Capital, 19(3), 581–616. https://doi.org/10.1108/JIC-12-2016-0134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dillon, S. M., Glavas, C., & Mathews, S. (2020). Digitally immersive, international entrepreneurial experiences. International Business Review, 29(6), 101739. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ibusrev.2020.101739

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DiMaggio, P. J., & Powell, W. W. (1991). Introduction. In W. W. Powell & P. J. DiMaggio (Eds.), The new institutionalism in organizational analysis (pp. 1–38). University of Chicago Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dutot, V., & Horne, C. V. (2015). Digital entrepreneurship intention in a developed vs. emerging country: An exploratory study in France and the UAE. Transnational Corporations Review, 7(1), 79–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eggert, M., Chwallek, C., & Wolff, F. (2022). The role of environmental factors for the success of digital start-ups. European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS), Timisoara, Rumania.

    Google Scholar 

  • Esfandiar, K., Tehrani, M. S., Pratt, S., & Altinay, L. (2019). Understanding entrepreneurial intentions: A developed integrated structural model approach. Journal of Business Research, 94, 172–182. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.10.045

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eunjoo, C., Zola, K. M., & Tiffany, B. (2019). A qualitative study on motivators and barriers affecting entrepreneurship among Latinas. Gender in Management: An International Journal, 34(4), 326–343. https://doi.org/10.1108/GM-07-2018-009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • European Commission. (2015). European Commission (EC), Digital Transformation of European Industry and Enterprises. A report of the Strategic Policy Forum on Digital Entrepreneurship. http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/9462/attachments/1/translations/en/renditions/native

  • Evans, C. (2017). Analyzing semi-structured interviews using thematic analysis: Exploring voluntary civil participation among adults (Sage Research Methods Datasets). Sage Publishing Ltd.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frese, M., & Gielnik, M. M. (2014). The psychology of entrepreneurship. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 1(1), 413–438. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-031413-091326

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Given, L. M. C. (2008). Semistructured interview. In The Sage encyclopedia of qualitative research methods. SAGE Publications, Inc.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Hanseth, O., & Lyytinen, K. (2010). Design theory for dynamic com-plexity in information infrastructures: The case of building Internet. Journal of Information Technology, 25(1), 1–19.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hull, C. E. K., Hung, Y. T. C., Hair, N., Perotti, V., & DeMartino, R. (2007). Taking advantage of digital opportunities: A typology of digital entrepreneurship. International Journal of Networking and Virtual Organization, 4(3), 290–303. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJNVO.2007.015166

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ibanga, I. (2022, February 22). ICT: Leaping into the future. Premium Times.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ilac, E. J. D. (2018). Exploring social enterprise leadership development through phenomenological analysis. Social Enterprise Journal, 14(3), 268–288.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, B. R. (1990). Toward a multidimensional model of entrepreneurship: The case of achievement motivation and the entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 14(3), 39–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • King, N. (2004). Using templates in the thematic analysis of text. In C. Cassell & G. Symon (Eds.), Essential guide to qualitative methods in organizational research (pp. 257–270). London, UK: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kong, F., Zhao, L., & Tsai, C. H. (2020). The relationship between entrepreneurial intention and action: The effects of fear of failure and role model. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 229. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00229. PMID: 32194472; PMCID: PMC7066201.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kraus, S., Palmer, C., Kailer, N., & Spitzer, J. (2019). Digital entrepreneurship: A research agenda on new business models for the twenty-first century. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior and Research, 25(2), 353–375.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuijpers, F. M., & Eijdenberg, E. L. (2021). Showcasing entrepreneurs’ responses to severe drought: Qualitative findings from Cape Town, South Africa. In T. Chaiechi (Ed.), Economic effects of natural disasters (pp. 131–146). Academic Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Lai, L. S. L., & To, W. M. (2020). E-entrepreneurial intention among young Chinese adults. Asian Journal of Technology Innovation, 28(1), 119–137.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laukkanen, M. (2022). What lies behind entrepreneurial intentions? Exploring nascent entrepreneurs’ early belief systems. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, 28(9), 177–197. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJEBR-08-2021-0625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liao, Y. K., Nguyen, V. H. A., & Caputo, A. (2022). Unveiling the role of entrepreneurial knowledge and cognition as antecedents of entrepreneurial intention: A meta-analytic study. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 18, 1623–1652. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-022-00803-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liew, T. W., Mat Zin, N. A., & Sahari, N. (2017). Exploring the affective, motivational and cognitive effects of pedagogical agent enthusiasm in a multimedia learning environment. Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences, 7, 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13673-017-0089-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madichie, N., & Agu, G. A. (2022). The role of universities in scaling up informal entrepreneurship. Industry and Higher Education, 37(1), 94–109. https://doi.org/10.1177/09504222221101548

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maji, S. K., & Laha, A. (2022). The role of digital skill in mitigating digital divide: Evidences from Asia-Pacific region. Rajagiri Management Journal, 6(3), 260–271. https://doi.org/10.1108/RAMJ-05-2021-0035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mariampolski, H. (2001). Qualitative market research: A comprehensive guide. Sage.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Maul, A. (2018). Judgment sampling. In B. Frey (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of educational research, measurement, and evaluation (pp. 914–914). SAGE Publications, Inc. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506326139.n367

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Mehdi, M. M., Nafees, L., & Sarma, T. R. (2022). Digital entrepreneurship in India: Call for papers. Emerging Markets and Case Studies. www.emarldgrouppublishing.com

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyer, J. W., & Rowan, B. (1977). Institutionalized organizations: Formal structure as myth and ceremony. American Journal of Sociology, 83(2), 340–363.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mir, A. A., Hassan, S., & Khan, S. J. (2022). Understanding digital entrepreneurial intentions: A capital theory perspective. International Journal of Emerging Markets, 18(12), 6165–6191. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOEM-05-2021-0687

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mishra, S., & Tripathi, A. R. (2020). Literature review on business prototypes for digital platform. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 9, 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-020-00126-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell, R. K., Busenits, L., Lant, T., McDougall-Covin, P. P., Mose, E. A., & Smith, J. B. (2002). Toward a theory of entrepreneurial cognition: Rethinking the people side of entrepreneurship research. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 27(2), 93–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nambisan, S., Wright, M., & Feldman, M. (2019). The digital transformation of innovation and entrepreneurship: Progress, challenges and key themes. Research Policy, 48(8), 103773. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.respol.2019.03.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • NIBSS. (2022). E-payments rise by 45%, N55tn transferred in two months. www.nibss-plc.com.ng

  • Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission. (2022). Nigeria’s Internet population grows by 108.39%, now 80.68 million. www.nipc.gov.ng

  • Nowell, L. S., Norris, J. M., White, D. E., & Moules, N. J. (2017). Thematic analysis: Striving to meet the trustworthiness criteria. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406917733847

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • OECD. (2019). Digitization and innovation. www.oecd.org

  • OECD/European Union. (2019). The missing entrepreneurs 2019: Policies for inclusive entrepreneurship. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/3ed84801-en

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Ojo, S., & Nwankwo, S. (2020). God in the marketplace: Pentecostalism and marketing ritualization among Black Africans in the UK. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 14(3), 349–372. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-12-2019-0126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Paul, J., Alhassan, I., Binsaif, N., & Singh, P. (2023). Digital entrepreneurship research: A systematic review. Journal of Business Research, 156, 113507. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.113507

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pierson, J. (2021). Digital platforms as entangled infrastructures: Addressing public values and trust in messaging apps. European Journal of Communication, 36(4), 349–361. https://doi.org/10.1177/02673231211028374

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2006). The content validity index: Are you sure you know what’s being reported? Critique and recommendations. Research in Nursing & Health, 29, 489–497.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, M. (2003). Information and communication technologies and the global digital divide: Technology transfer, development, and least developing countries. Comparative Technology Transfer and Society, 1(1), 72–88.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roy, W. G. (1997). Socializing capital: The rise of the large industrial corporation in America. Princeton University Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Scott, W. R. (2013). Institutions and organizations ideas, interests, and identities. Sage Publications Inc.

    Google Scholar 

  • Shah, N., Zehri, A. W., Saraih, U. N., Abdelwahed, N. A. A., & Soomro, B. A. (2023). The role of digital technology and digital innovation towards firm performance in a digital economy. Kybernetes, 53(2), 620–644. https://doi.org/10.1108/K-01-2023-0124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sichler, R. (2014). Motivation, overview. In T. Teo (Ed.), Encyclopedia of critical psychology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5583-7_491

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Stebbins, R. (2001). Exploratory research in the social sciences. Sage. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412984249

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Sulkowski, L., & Ignatowski, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on organization of religious behaviour in different Christian denominations in Poland. Religions, 11(5), 254. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11050254

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Taura, N. D., Bolat, E., & Madichie, N. O. (2019). Introduction to African digital entrepreneurship. In N. Taura, E. Bolat, & N. Madichie (Eds.), Digital entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa (Palgrave Studies of Entrepreneurship in Africa). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-04924-9_1

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Ting, D. S. W., Carin, L., Dzau, V., et al. (2020). Digital technology and COVID-19. Nature Medicine, 26, 459–461. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0824-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tulinayo, F., Ssentume, P., & Najjuma, R. (2018). Digital technologies in resource constrained higher institutions of learning: A study on students’ acceptance and usability. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 15, 36. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239-018-0117-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ukah, A. (2011). God unlimited: Economic transformations of contemporary Nigerian Pentecostalism. In L. Obadia & D. C. Wood (Eds.), The economics of religion: Anthropological approaches (Research in Economic Anthropology) (Vol. 31). Emerald Group.

    Google Scholar 

  • UNCTAD. (2019). Digital economy report: Value creation and capture: Implications for developing countries. Available at www.unctad.org

  • UNESCO. (2022). Digital skills critical for jobs and social inclusion. Available at www.unesco.org

  • Vamvaka, V., Stoforos, C., Palaskas, T., & Botsaris, C. (2020). Attitude towards entrepreneurship, perceived behavioural control, and entrepreneurial intention: Dimensionality, structural relationships, and gender differences. Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, 9, Article 5. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13731-020-0112-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • van der Aalst, W., Hinz, O., & Weinhardt, C. (2019). Big digital platforms. Business and Information Systems Engineering, 61, 645–648. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12599-019-00618-y

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • World Bank IBRD-IDA. (2019). The digital technology for Africa. initiative.www.worldbank.org

  • World Bank Report. (2016). Digital dividends. www.worldbank.org

  • World Economic Forum. (2020). Our shared digital future: Responsible digital transformation – Board briefing. www.weforum.org

  • Yaghoubi Farani, A., Karimi, S., & Motaghed, M. (2017). The role of entrepreneurial knowledge as a competence in shaping Iranian students’ career intentions to start a new digital business. European Journal of Training and Development, 41(1), 83–100. https://doi.org/10.1108/EJTD-07-2016-0054

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yaser, H. S. A., & Mossad, M. A. (2022). Understanding entrepreneurship intention and behavior in the light of TPB model from the digital entrepreneurship perspective. International Journal of Information Management Data Insights, 2(2), 100106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jjimei.2022.100106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yitshaki, R., & Kropp, F. (2018). Revisiting entrepreneurial motivation and opportunityrecognition. In M. Brännback & A. L. Carsrud (Eds.), A research agenda for entrepreneurial cognition and intention (pp. 122–141). Edward Elgar Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang, J., van Gorp, D., & Kievit, H. (2023). Digital technology and national entrepreneurship: An ecosystem perspective. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 48, 1077–1105. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10961-022-09934-0

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors sincerely thank the Editor, Professor Nezameddin Faghih, and the anonymous reviewers for providing insightful suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Agu Godswill Agu .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Agu, A.G., Omotosho, T.D., Salamzadeh, A., Dike, O.N., Samuel, G.E., Etochkwu, O.G. (2024). Digital Pentecostal Entrepreneurship Strategies and Motivations in Nigeria: A Qualitative Exploration. In: Faghih, N. (eds) Digital Entrepreneurship. Contributions to Management Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-58359-9_9

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics