Women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa

An institutional theory analysis from a social marketing point of view

Datos Bibliográficos

ID23376568
AutoresLyn S Amine (Saint Louis University, autor de correspondencia), Karin M Staub (Saint Louis University)
Año2009
Volumen21
Número2
Páginas183-211
Fecha de publicación2009-03-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaEntrepreneurship and Regional Development (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0898-5626 • E-ISSN: 1464-5114
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/08985620802182144
OpenAlexW2017360289
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas52
Referencias citadas41

This paper takes an international marketing (IM) approach to the study of women entrepreneurs (WEs) in sub-Saharan Africa by examining factors in the environments in which WEs operate. The goal is to understand better how environmental barriers of many types impact the efforts of WEs. Using institutional theory-driven analysis, findings from a wide range of literature are integrated, with special attention to issues of the social legitimacy of women as entrepreneurs. Results of this study demonstrate that WEs in sub-Saharan Africa face a daunting array of challenges arising from the socio-cultural, economic, legal, political, and technological environments in which they live. Moreover, unfavourable conditions in local regulatory, normative, and cognitive systems place additional burdens on women who desire to become entrepreneurs or to expand an entrepreneurial business. In order to address these gender-specific problems, social marketing is recommended with the goals of (1) changing social beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that negatively affect Wes, and (2) improving conditions in institutional systems and market environments. Recommendations in the paper suggest how to bring about changes in attitudes towards women, work and their independent enterprise. In conclusion, directions for future scholarly research are identified.

Affect (linguistics) · Business · Entrepreneurship · Face (sociological concept) · Female entrepreneurs · Institutional theory · Legitimacy · Normative · Order (exchange) · Political science · Politics · Public relations · Social science · Sociology · Women entrepreneurs · Work (physics) · Entrepreneurship Studies and Influences · Family Business Performance and Succession · Innovation and Socioeconomic Development · Marketing