Interlinking Economic, Familial, and Personal Dynamics in Shaping Women’s Entrepreneurship: A Statistical Study from Madhya Pradesh

This study delves at the intents and ability of women business owners from Madhya Pradesh to launch their own firms while juggling job and family responsibilities. Indore, Bhopal, and Jabalpur, the three largest entrepreneurial centres in the state, were evaluated using a standardised 5-point Likert scale questionnaire. Three hundred and fifty female business owners took part. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were conducted using SPSS 21 in this study. We used reliability, factor, correlation, and one-way ANOVA as our descriptive statistics. The statistical robustness of the instrument is shown by its outstanding sampling (KMO = 0.929; Bartlett's Test p < 0.001) and great internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.942). Improving women-led enterprises requires empowering women financially, since work-life balance and entrepreneurial drive are greatly influenced by economic factors (F = 61.23, p < 0.001; r = 0.456). Individual and vocational characteristics, as opposed to family variables, have a greater impact on self-regulation and adaptation. Women report higher levels of happiness and success when they are financially independent and have the support of their families. The results of this research provide credence to a model that attempts to explain the effects of familial and socioeconomic factors on the entrepreneurial success of women in regional markets. For the benefit of women entrepreneurs in Madhya Pradesh, policymakers should encourage the formation of family networks, simplify the process of taking out loans, and highlight the importance of personal finance.

Women entrepreneurship, work-life balance, motivation, economic factors, factor analysis

1. Acs, Z. J., Bardasi, E., Estrin, S., & Svejnar, J. (2011). Introduction to special issue on women's entrepreneurship in developing countries. Small Business Economics, 37(4), 393–396. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-011-9372-1 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

2. Ahl, H. (2006). Why research on women entrepreneurs needs new directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 30(5), 595–621. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2006.00138.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

3. Becker, G. S. (1975). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis, with special reference to education (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

4. Brush, C. G. (1992). Research on women business owners: Past trends, a new perspective, and future directions. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 16(4), 5–30. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

5. Brush, C. G., de Bruin, A., & Welter, F. (2009). A gender‐aware framework for women's entrepreneurship. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, 1(1), 8–24. https://doi.org/10.1108/17566260910942318 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

6. Brush, C. G., Greene, P. G., & Welter, F. (2019). Women’s entrepreneurship in the 21st century: An international multi-level research perspective. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 43(3), 504–526. https://doi.org/10.1177/1042258719835692 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

7. Buttner, E. H., & Moore, D. P. (1997). Women's organizational exodus to entrepreneurship: Self-reported motivations and correlates with success. Journal of Small Business Management, 35(1), 34–46. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

8. Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2000). The “what” and “why” of goal pursuits: Human needs and the self-determination of behavior. Psychological Inquiry, 11(4), 227–268. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327965PLI1104_01 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

9. DeMartino, R., & Barbato, R. (2003). Differences between women and men MBA entrepreneurs: Exploring family flexibility and wealth creation as career motivators. Journal of Business Venturing, 18(6), 815–832. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(03)00003-X [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

10. Deshpande, R., & Sharma, R. (2016). Barriers to women entrepreneurship in India. International Journal of Management and Applied Science, 2(1), 15–19. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

11. Dhameja, S. K. (2002). Women entrepreneurs: Opportunities, performance and problems. Deep & Deep Publications. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

12. Eddleston, K. A., & Powell, G. N. (2008). The role of gender identity in explaining sex differences in business owners' career satisfier preferences. Journal of Business Venturing, 23(2), 244–256. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2006.11.002 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

13. Farr-Wharton, R., & Brunetto, Y. (2009). Female entrepreneurs as managers: The role of social capital in facilitating a learning culture. Gender in Management, 24(1), 14–31. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410910936684 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

14. Fischer, E. M., Reuber, A. R., & Dyke, L. S. (1993). A theoretical overview and extension of research on sex, gender, and entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 8(2), 151–168. https://doi.org/10.1016/0883-9026(93)90017-Y [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

15. Gartner, W. B. (1985). A conceptual framework for describing the phenomenon of new venture creation. Academy of Management Review, 10(4), 696–706. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1985.4279094 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

16. Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM). (2022). Global entrepreneurship monitor: India country report 2022. GEM Consortium. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

17. Greenhaus, J. H., & Beutell, N. J. (1985). Sources of conflict between work and family roles. Academy of Management Review, 10(1), 76–88. https://doi.org/10.2307/258214 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

18. Gundry, L. K., & Welsch, H. P. (2001). The ambitious entrepreneur: High growth strategies of women-owned enterprises. Journal of Business Venturing, 16(5), 453–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0883-9026(99)00059-6 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

19. Gupta, N., & Malhotra, P. (2020). The gendered pathways of entrepreneurship: Evidence from India. Journal of Development Entrepreneurship, 25(3), 2050023. https://doi.org/10.1142/S1084946720500231 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

20. Gupta, V., Singh, P., & Dey, A. (2021). Women entrepreneurs and the institutional environment in India: A state-level analysis. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, 7(2), 118–139. https://doi.org/10.1177/23939575211003124 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

21. Hisrich, R. D., & Peters, M. P. (2002). Entrepreneurship. McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

22. Hughes, K. D. (2003). Pushed or pulled? Women’s entry into self‐employment and small business ownership. Gender, Work & Organization, 10(4), 433–454. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0432.00205 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

23. Jamali, D. (2009). Constraints and opportunities facing women entrepreneurs in developing countries: A relational perspective. Gender in Management, 24(4), 232–251. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410910961532 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

24. Jayachandran, S. (2021). Social norms as a barrier to women’s employment in developing countries. IMF Economic Review, 69(3), 576–595. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41308-021-00140-w [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

25. Kabeer, N. (2005). Is microfinance a ‘magic bullet’ for women’s empowerment? Economic and Political Weekly, 40(44–45), 4709–4718. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

26. Kantor, P. (2001). Promoting women’s entrepreneurship development based on good practice programmes: Some experiences from the North to the South. International Labour Organization (ILO). [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

27. Kirkwood, J. (2009). Motivational factors in a push–pull theory of entrepreneurship: Gender differences. Gender in Management, 24(5), 346–364. https://doi.org/10.1108/17542410910968805 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

28. Kossek, E. E., Baltes, B. B., & Matthews, R. A. (2011). How work–family research can finally have an impact in organizations. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 4(3), 352–369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2011.01353.x [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

29. Kumar, R., & Bansal, M. (2022). Exploring entrepreneurial motivation among women in India: A regional perspective. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, 8(1), 85–103. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

30. Meenu, & Kaur, H. (2019). Self-help groups and women entrepreneurship in India: Issues and challenges. International Journal of Management Studies, 6(3), 45–55. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

31. Minniti, M., & Naudé, W. (2010). What do we know about the patterns and determinants of female entrepreneurship across countries? European Journal of Development Research, 22(3), 277–293. https://doi.org/10.1057/ejdr.2010.17 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

32. Mishra, A., & Kiran, R. (2021). Digital entrepreneurship among women: A new pathway for inclusive growth in India. Journal of Asian Business and Economic Studies, 28(2), 134–152. https://doi.org/10.1108/JABES-04-2020-0042 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

33. MSME Report. (2023). Annual report 2023–24: Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises, Government of India. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

34. Nambisan, S. (2017). Digital entrepreneurship: Toward a digital technology perspective of entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 41(6), 1029–1055. https://doi.org/10.1111/etap.12254 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

35. Nayyar, R. (2020). Policy frameworks for promoting women entrepreneurship in India: An evaluation of government initiatives. Journal of Entrepreneurship Education, 23(5), 1–10. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

36. North, D. C. (1990). Institutions, institutional change and economic performance. Cambridge University Press. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

37. Nunnally, J. C. (1978). Psychometric theory (2nd ed.). McGraw-Hill. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

38. Panda, S. (2021). Women entrepreneurship and financial inclusion in India: Challenges and policy imperatives. Journal of Rural Development, 40(2), 131–150. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

39. Parasuraman, S., & Simmers, C. A. (2001). Type of employment, work–family conflict and well-being: A comparative study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 22(5), 551–568. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.102 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

40. Rao, K. (2022). Economic empowerment and entrepreneurial motivation among Indian women: A behavioral analysis. Indian Journal of Economics and Development, 18(4), 44–56. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

41. Reddy, A., & Tripathi, R. (2021). Determinants of women entrepreneurship: Evidence from Indian microenterprises. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 28(7), 1061–1083. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

42. Roomi, M. A., & Parrott, G. (2008). Barriers to development and progression of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Journal of Entrepreneurship, 17(1), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/097135570701700105 [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

43. Saxena, S. (2018). Digital transformation and women entrepreneurs in India. International Journal of Management Studies, 5(2), 90–103. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

44. Sharma, P. (2018). Women entrepreneurs in India: Challenges and prospects. Journal of Entrepreneurship and Management, 7(3), 35–47. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

45. Singh, R. (2014). Barriers faced by women entrepreneurs in India: A study of small-scale enterprises. International Journal of Research in Business Management, 2(5), 17–26. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

46. Singh, S., & Bala, R. (2022). Women entrepreneurship in India: A statistical analysis using SEM and factor analysis. Global Business Review, 23(5), 1182–1201. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

47. Sinha, P. (2003). Women entrepreneurship in the North East India: Motivation, social support and constraints. Journal of Entrepreneurship, 12(2), 213–232. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

48. Tambunan, T. (2009). Women entrepreneurship in Asian developing countries: Their development and main constraints. Journal of Development and Agricultural Economics, 1(2), 27–40. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

49. Tambunan, T. (2017). Women entrepreneurs in developing countries: A comparative study. Springer. [Google Scholar] [Crossref]

• "Towards GDP to GEP-Centric Model: A Proposed GEP Index Framework and Its Application in Haryana"
• Physicochemical Analysis of Petroleum Products in Selected Depots in Calabar Metropolis Cross River State and The Effects on Motor Engine
• Impact of Employee Welfare Measures on Workforce Well-Being in SBI: Insights from the Public Banking Sector
• Problem of Small-Scale Farmers in Agricutlure Sector in Tirunelveli Taluk
• Globalization, Economic Development, and Ecological Footprint in Tunisia: A QARDL Approach