Rural women characteristics and sustainable entrepreneurial intention: a road to economic growth in Bangladesh
Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy
ISSN: 1750-6204
Article publication date: 8 April 2021
Issue publication date: 13 May 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a better understanding of the individual-level factors that affect rural women’s sustainable entrepreneurial intention in starting and running a business in Bangladesh and contributing to national economic growth.
Design/methodology/approach
Data from a sample of 297 rural Bangladeshi women were analysed using a quantitative approach with Smart PLS 3.0 (SEM) and SPSS V25. This was to explore the direct influence of perceived capability, social perception and individual competencies on women’s intention to become sustainable entrepreneurs. The indirect consequences of these three variables on perceived opportunity were also evaluated.
Findings
The studies confirmed a positive and significant association between perceived capability and social perception with the intention to become a sustainable entrepreneur. There is no conventional connection between women’s individual competencies and their intention to become an entrepreneur. Moreover, the data confirmed that perceived opportunity mediates the relationship between perceived capability and individual competencies with the intention to become an entrepreneur. However, no mediation role of perceived opportunity in the relationship between social perception and intention was found.
Originality/value
This study is one of very few to explore through empirical analysis the relationship between women’s individual characteristics and their intention to become sustainable entrepreneurs and to investigate whether rural women are motivated to become empowered to contribute to economic development through sustainable entrepreneurial intention.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the data collection team and all the participants in the study.
Citation
Polas, M.R.H., Raju, V., Muhibbullah, M. and Tabash, M.I. (2022), "Rural women characteristics and sustainable entrepreneurial intention: a road to economic growth in Bangladesh", Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Vol. 16 No. 3, pp. 421-449. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-10-2020-0183
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited