Women entrepreneurship research in the developing world relies on theoretical perspectives derived elsewhere. Hence, understanding the original business-development approaches adopted by women entrepreneurs in developing economies remains elusive. Accordingly, we collected and analyzed rich data generated through 31 in-depth interviews and artifacts of Nigerian women entrepreneurs in the garment manufacturing business. Our analysis revealed distinct constructs that account for their business-development activities. It shows money (access and utilization), market (customer intelligence), and management (nonformal education and experience) as crucial enterprise development components in women entrepreneurship. Motherhood (household responsibilities), meso-and macro-environments (socioeconomic and cultural factors) not only affected business development but also inhibited women entrepreneurs' access and utilization of money, management, and markets and shaped their business development actions. Theoretical and practical implications for entrepreneurship research and policy development initiatives in the developing world are offered.
KEYWORDS
Gender-based growth model; growth determinants; women entrepreneurshipWomen entrepreneurs in West Africa generally operate their businesses within an institutional environment characterized by corruption, lack of government transparency, incoherent policies, bureaucracy and inefficiency, excessive red tape, disproportionate taxes, and poor infrastructures (Dana, 2018; Ogundana, Forthcoming). The legal and judicial systems in many West African countries suffer from the (a) absence of law and criminal sanctions explicitly addressing sexual harassment in business; (b) lack of legislation that ensures that married women and men have equal property ownership rights; and (c) presence of laws requiring married women to obey their husbands (World Bank, 2013). African culture, religion, and family systems generally assume that women are subordinate to men. Accordingly, women carry the CONTACT Oyedele Martins Ogundana