Does network work? Women business‐owners' access to information regarding financial support from development programme in Bangladesh

2022

SAJBS

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PurposeAlthough the extant literature has already recognised the negative impact of homebound responsibilities on women's entrepreneurship during the COVID-19 pandemic, it is yet to know whether and how the family has any other role in women's businesses during this critical period. This research aims to explore the patronising and patriarchal roles of the family regarding women's small businesses in a developing nation during the pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThis feminist study is based on the interviews of women business-owners of a highly patriarchal developing nation, Bangladesh. During the period of the interview, Bangladesh was one of the top ten regions of the world in terms of the identified coronavirus cases.FindingsThe research unveils work-family enrichment by illustrating the help of family members in meeting the challenges of the pandemic period regarding women's certain business activities, such as the innovative production process. Besides, the study reveals the assisting and, in some cases, the non-cooperative approaches of family members concerning additional homebound responsibilities that affect work-family conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic.Originality/valueWhereas the existing literature on women's entrepreneurship regarding the family revolves around work-family conflict due to maternal or caregiving responsibilities during the COVID-19 period, this feminist study substantially contributes to the understanding by revealing how family members help women by getting involved in business activities. It further enriches the prevailing knowledge regarding assisting or hindering activities of family members concerning domestic activities that affect women's businesses during the pandemic.

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 80%

Section: Women Business Owners Family and Covid-19supporting

confidence: 71%

Help and hindrance: family roles concerning small businesses of women in Bangladesh during COVID-19 pandemic

2022

SAJBS

Self Cite

“…The issues concerning the limited networking for familial responsibilities have already been established in the literature (Kirkwood, 2016; Neumeyer et al , 2019; Roomi et al , 2018; Surangi, 2018). The particular problems concerning the access to debt finance of women due to the restricted informal networks in Bangladesh have also been addressed in the literature (Jaim, 2021c). Shampa's comments specifically reveal that women are comparatively in disadvantaged positions in repaying loans for the gender-specific barrier of networking.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Problems of political unrest: women in small businesses in Bangladesh

2021

NEJE

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PurposeWhereas the extant literature on women's entrepreneurship is almost exclusively focused on developed nations, the effect of many context-specific issues of other countries on ventures of women has been overlooked. The study aims to reveal how political unrest, a common feature of the developing nation, can significantly affect the experiences of women in small businesses of that region.Design/methodology/approachThis feminist research is conducted on Bangladesh, which is one of the most politically unstable countries in the world. The study conducts interviews with women to explore the adverse effect of political unrest on their small firms.FindingsThe feminist research reveals some problems of women business-owners concerning political unrest in this highly patriarchal context. It also discloses how political chaos challenges the government initiative in financially supporting women business-owners.Practical implicationsPolicymakers of developing nations can be benefitted by taking into account the problems of women business-owners concerning political unrest, specifically the access to debt financing issues while designing policies for women's empowerment.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the women's entrepreneurship scholarship with reference to political unrest, a contextual issue of developing nations. Whereas the existing studies mostly concentrate on holding women individually liable for the limited scale of their business operation, this research potentially challenges the view by drawing upon political unrest as an external factor that negatively affects their ventures. The study further advances the prevailing knowledge by critically unveiling some gender-specific problems of women business-owners regarding political unrest.

“…There has already been criticism that studies of entrepreneurship in developing countries are almost exclusively concentrated on women in micro‐credit (Jaim, 2019). Given the differences in the class or educational background of women in micro‐enterprises, and those who are in small businesses, the cohort of women in small enterprises may be supposed to have different experiences (Jaim, 2021b). Researchers need to reflect the voices of women engaged in small businesses to contribute to the field of women's entrepreneurship in an all‐encompassing manner.…”

Section: Where To Next?mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies of the distinct experiences of women entrepreneurs in non-Western developing countries are limited (Ahmad & Naimat, 2011;Constantinidis et al, 2019;Danish & Smith, 2012;Ghouse et al, 2019;Jaim, 2021aJaim, , 2021bJaim, , 2020aJaim, , 2020bMehtap et al, 2017;Wolf & Frese, 2018). To critically analyze gendered experiences of women familial issues are important as the family is intrinsically associated with women's lives (Walby, 1990), and, it is argued to have a significant influence on businesses (Aldrich & Cliff, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Women's entrepreneurship in developing countries from a family perspective: Past and future

2021

Glob Bus Org Exc

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Studies of the distinct experience of women entrepreneurs in non‐Western settings are rare. Extant studies of women's entrepreneurship focus, almost exclusively, on developed Western economies and tend to underplay the role of the family, which has become unnaturally separated from entrepreneurship research. Based on a structured literature review, this article advances the understanding of how family related issues shape women's gendered experience as entrepreneurs in developing countries. It addresses the diversity of experiences of women entrepreneurs, and discusses both the positive and negative aspects of familial issues, as well as some broader contextual features related to the family. It offers an agenda for future research on this topic, and provides a useful guide for policy makers and practitioners intending to facilitate women's entrepreneurship in developing countries.