Women’s entrepreneurship in Iran

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the growth motivations of women owning and managing home-based businesses (HBBs) in Iran. Design/methodology/approach The qualitative approach was used by 20 in-depth interviews with Iranian female HBBs owners/mangers. Findings The business growth motivations of women owning and managing HBBs were categorized in intrinsic and extrinsic motivations. Results show that women owning and managing HBBs are motivated to growth their businesses by intrinsic motivations including need for achievement, need for independence, proving competency and socio-cultural concerns. Also, they are motivated by some extrinsic motivations including financial issues, fame, positive feedback from others and the problems of working at home. Research limitations/implications Given the importance of entrepreneurial growth, the findings provide additional insight into growth motivations of women entrepreneurs. Practical implications The results of this study can help policymakers to develop purposeful growth policies for women’s HBBs that are commensurate with the motivations. Social implications Also, women owning and managing HBBs themselves could better concentrate on enhancing business growth by deepening their understanding of their business growth motivations. Originality/value The paper contributes to the scarce knowledge about women-owned HBBs in Iran, a rapidly growing, developing country, which can provide better insights from a less explored context. Moreover, as there is only a limited understanding of HBB growth, especially in relation to women business owners, the study results can prove helpful for researchers in the domain of female entrepreneurs. Also, this paper contributes to theory on the motivation for entrepreneurship and to research on growth motivation.

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