Journal of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Education (JWEE) ISSN 1821-1283 (print) ISSN 2406-0674 (online) The Journal of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Education (JWEE) is an international, peer-reviewed and open-access academic journal dedicated to advancing scientific knowledge in the fields of women’s entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. Established in 2008, JWEE was the first academic journal in the world dedicated specifically to this niche field and has since consistently contributed to the advancement of scholarly knowledge by addressing key issues in women’s entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial education. Women’s entrepreneurship represents a critical area of research, highlighting the role of women in economic development, social innovation, and the advancement of gender equality. By adopting a rigorous academic approach, JWEE contributes to the systematization and advancement of knowledge, enabling a deeper and more comprehensive understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and success factors shaping women’s entrepreneurial activities. Through its clearly defined and globally oriented scope, the journal provides unique insights into entrepreneurial processes, emerging trends, and best practices, serving as a platform for scholars, policymakers, educators, and business leaders committed to fostering inclusive and sustainable growth. The journal publishes high-quality, original research that advances both theoretical and empirical understanding of key topics, including business creation, innovation, leadership, and entrepreneurial learning from a gender perspective. All submitted manuscripts undergo a rigorous double-blind peer-review process, ensuring a high level of academic integrity, methodological robustness, and scholarly relevance. JWEE adheres to internationally recognized standards of publication ethics, transparency, and editorial accountability, in line with best practices in scholarly publishing. The journal is published semiannually (June and December) by the Institute of Economic Sciences, with an established “online first” publication model that enables the timely dissemination of accepted articles. This practice contributes to increased visibility, accessibility, and citation potential of published research. JWEE is indexed in several prominent international databases, including Scopus, DOAJ, ProQuest, EBSCO, EconLit, ERIH PLUS, EconBiz, RePEc, and ROAD. Inclusion in these databases enhances the journal’s discoverability, international reach, and citation impact. Through its commitment to high editorial standards, international collaboration, and the publication of impactful research, JWEE continues to strengthen its position as a relevant and credible source of knowledge in the global academic community, with clear potential for further growth in visibility and citation performance within leading indexing systems. Editorial team
Institute of Economic Sciences, Belgrade, Serbia
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Women Professionals in the Obscurity: Roles, Responsibilities and Emotional Costs in Accounting in Colombia
This article analyses the work of women in essential but often unrecognised roles within organisations. A quantitative methodology involving a survey of 1,106 women and men employed in accounting in Colombia in 2022 was employed. Women in the labour market can easily find employment, either as employees or freelancers, and they strive to achieve job and personal stability. They perform operational tasks that are important for individuals and organisations, yet they receive little social recognition for their work. Additionally, women juggle multiple roles in their daily lives and, alongside their core responsibilities, take on additional tasks delegated by managers or colleagues, which intensify at certain times of the year. Future studies should aim to elucidate the positive and negative factors influencing women's professional performance. As their operational activities and multiple roles are not visible, women receive little professional recognition. For women, practising their profession involves performing operational tasks and taking on multiple roles with heavy workloads in a job market with few opportunities for advancement and deep inequalities.
An Analysis of the Influence of Entrepreneurship Education and the Family Context on Entrepreneurial Intentions among Higher Education Students
Entrepreneurial interest remains underdeveloped in developing countries, making it crucial to foster it among students. This study examines the influence of entrepreneurial learning and the family environment, particularly parental roles, on students’ entrepreneurial interest. The study involved 312 undergraduate students from education departments at several universities in East Java, Indonesia, who were selected using a purposive sampling technique. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression were employed to analyze the data and examine variable relationships. The results show that entrepreneurship education and the family environment have a positive and significant effect on students’ entrepreneurial interest, with the model explaining 63.3% of the variance (R² = 0.633). These findings suggest that lecturers should carefully select and implement entrepreneurship learning models, while parental support remains essential to enhance students’ entrepreneurial interest. This study contributes to entrepreneurship education literature by showing that survey-based learning with direct interaction with business actors connects classroom knowledge to real practice, enhancing students’ contextual understanding and strengthening their entrepreneurial intentions. This study highlights the importance of the family environment in shaping prospective entrepreneurs. Its influence is not deterministic but works through entrepreneurial socialization, role modeling, and resource access, which collectively foster entrepreneurial orientation and capabilities. This study provides empirical insights into the relationship between survey-based entrepreneurial learning that directly engages business actors and students’ entrepreneurial interest and spirit, highlighting the importance of inclusive learning approaches and university-organized bazaar programs as experiential contexts in entrepreneurship education.
Entrepreneurship and Innovation (L26, O33)
The Importance of Intensifying Mentorship Support to Women Digital Entrepreneurs in the Emerging Markets
Digital entrepreneurship has become an important driver of innovation, economic development, and employment in the modern economy. Women digital entrepreneurs, however, face numerous barriers in developing and scaling their businesses, including limited access to finance, insufficient information about support programmes, and persistent gender inequalities. Mentorship is increasingly recognised as a key mechanism for addressing these challenges by providing guidance, knowledge transfer, and access to professional networks. The aim of this study is to examine the role of mentorship in the development of women digital entrepreneurs in the Republic of Serbia. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. Quantitative data were collected at the end of 2024 through an online survey conducted among 54 women digital entrepreneurs and 23 mentors. In addition, qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with three mentors to provide deeper insights into mentoring practices and challenges. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistical methods, while qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. The results indicate that mentorship plays a significant role in strengthening entrepreneurial competencies, increasing confidence, and improving decision-making processes among women digital entrepreneurs. Furthermore, mentorship contributes to business performance and competitiveness by facilitating knowledge exchange, networking, and access to critical resources. A hybrid mentoring model, combining online and in-person interaction, emerged as the most effective approach, balancing flexibility with the need for personal engagement. The findings suggest that well-structured and accessible mentorship programmes can significantly contribute to the development, sustainability, and competitiveness of women's digital entrepreneurship in Serbia.
Does Content Creation Strengthen the Personality-Entrepreneurial Intention Relationship? Evidence from Female University Students
This study examines how personality traits and digital practices relate to entrepreneurial intention among female university students in an emerging economy. Specifically, it investigates the effects of extraversion and openness to experience on entrepreneurial intention and the moderating role of content creation. Using survey data from 261 female students enrolled in public and private universities in Albania, the study applies Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that both extraversion and openness positively predict entrepreneurial intention. In addition, content creation significantly strengthens the relationship between extraversion and entrepreneurial intention, whereas openness shows no moderating effect. These findings indicate that personality traits exert direct effects on entrepreneurial intention, while digitally mediated practices selectively amplify the influence of socially oriented dispositions. The study contributes to the literature by clarifying the role of content creation as a boundary condition in women’s entrepreneurial intention formation.
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Do Investment Decisions Mediate the Effect of Cognitive and Emotional Bias on Financial Performance in Women SMEs?
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can continue to grow due to the contribution of women entrepreneurs. The performance of SMEs and investment decisions made by women entrepreneurs have been proven to have a crucial role in a country, especially in economic growth. This research highlights the role of cognitive and emotional biases in investment decisions and the financial performance of female SMEs. Cognitive bias is proxied by overconfidence, representativeness, and herding biases. Emotional bias is proxied by loss aversion bias. The novelty of this study lies in treating investment decisions as an intervening variable. The study population comprised women-owned SMEs in two large provinces in Indonesia: Central Java and the Special Region of Yogyakarta. The sample used in this study was 130 SMEs. The results provide empirical evidence on the role of herding bias and loss aversion in improving investment decisions. The variables of overconfidence and representativeness bias were associated with improved company financial performance. The role of investment decisions as a mediating variable was not proven for all tested variables. This study provides theoretical contributions and practical implications for female SME owners and the government.
Objective vs. Perceived Digital Entrepreneurial Competencies of Female Students in Serbia
This study examines the relationship between perceived and objectively demonstrated digital entrepreneurial competence (DEC) among female higher education students in Serbia. The aim is to assess the extent of calibration between self-assessed and knowledge-based measures of DEC and to explore whether demonstrated competence and calibration differ by employment status and study level. The study applies a cross-sectional quantitative design using two complementary instruments: a self-assessment questionnaire and a knowledge-based test. The data originate from an online survey conducted between March and May 2025 among students in Serbian higher education institutions. The analysis focuses on the subsample of female students who completed both instruments (N = 62). The findings indicate a systematic tendency toward overestimation of DEC. Employed female students demonstrate higher objectively assessed competence, while Master’s students show both higher demonstrated competence and smaller calibration gaps; however, these differences should be interpreted cautiously due to the overlap between employment status and study level in the subsample. The results underline the importance of combining subjective and objective measures in the assessment of DEC and suggest that dual-assessment approaches can help educators and policymakers identify both competence gaps and self-assessment bias.
Perceptions of Flexible Work Arrangements Among Women Researchers in Serbia: Evidence from Social and Humanities Science Research Sectors
The increasing volatility and unpredictability of the business environment are encouraging organizations to implement flexible work arrangements. Starting from the assumption that such arrangements can also be beneficial in the research sector, especially in the humanities and social sciences, this study specifically focuses on gender differences in the perception and experience of flexible working arrangements among male and female researchers. The aim is to examine the relationship between gender and work model preferences, and to identify potential differences in attitudes towards flexible forms of work between women and men, with a special emphasis on the preferences of female researchers. For the purposes of this research, an empirical methodology was employed, involving data collection through a standardized questionnaire, followed by statistical analysis that included descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, the Chi-square test of independence, and binary logistic regression. Research findings indicate that gender is not a decisive factor in the choice of the primary place of work, that is, the preferred model, but they reveal certain differences in women's experiences compared to men regarding flexible forms of work.
Beyond Access: Entrepreneurial Capabilities and Business Context in Shaping P2P Lending Usage among Women-Led MSMEs in an Emerging Economy
While fintech expansion has reduced formal credit barriers for women entrepreneurs, increased access does not uniformly translate into opportunity-oriented growth. Challenging access-centric assumptions, this study conceptualizes peer-to-peer (P2P) lending usage as a capability- and context-dependent learning process rather than a universal enabler. Drawing on the Resource-Based View and Contingency Theory, the study examines how individual capabilities, financial literacy, entrepreneurial orientation, and digital finance experience and business characteristics jointly shape P2P lending usage and financial performance among women-led MSMEs. Survey data from 185 women entrepreneurs in Central Java, Indonesia, were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that financial literacy, entrepreneurial orientation, and prior digital finance experience significantly enhance P2P lending usage, while business context complements its use. Urban-based firms exhibit higher usage, whereas culinary enterprises primarily use P2P lending for short-term working capital. Importantly, P2P lending usage positively affects financial performance. The findings highlight that fintech supports women’s entrepreneurial upgrading only when individual capabilities align with contextual business conditions, offering implications for capability-based policy and entrepreneurship education.
KEYWORDS: Women entrepreneurship; Fintech adoption; Peer-to-peer lending; Entrepreneurial capabilities; Business Context. G23, L26, J16,
G23 – Non-Bank Financial Institutions; Microfinance Institutions
J16 – Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
Entrepreneurship and Financial Management, with a focus on Fintech and MSME Development
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When is Entrepreneurship a Career Option for Highly Educated Students? Evidence from Czechia
This article focuses on youths' opinions on becoming entrepreneurs. The primary objective of the research was to identify the motives, trigger events, and conditions that younger people consider when deciding to become entrepreneurs, in order to understand the decision-making process for entrepreneurship among young university students. We conducted 22 focus group discussions with 133 participants, comprising 15 initial focus groups with 94 participants (approximately half of whom were women) and seven follow-up focus groups with 39 participants. We found the Kaleidoscope career model (authenticity, balance, and challenge) highly relevant in explaining youths' decision-making. For youth, it was mainly a matter of their free choice, which depends on many factors relevant to their personal experiences. The cultural factors, including perceived family obligations, mainly constrain women.
How Women Entrepreneurs Drive Business Sustainability? The Role of Financial Inclusion and Strategic Agility
Despite being an important component of Indonesia’s small business sector, women entrepreneurs struggle to sustain their businesses. This study aims to examine the influence of financial inclusion and entrepreneurial orientation on business sustainability among female SMEs and investigate the mediating role of strategic agility. This study employed a self-administered survey of 354 women-owned SMEs in Bandung, Indonesia, from March to April 2025. Data were further analyzed using Covariance-Based Structural Equation Modeling (CB-SEM) to test and confirm the proposed conceptual framework. The results indicate that although entrepreneurial orientation and financial inclusion do not influence business sustainability, both have significant influences on strategic agility among women-owned SMEs in Bandung. Meanwhile, strategic agility indicates a robust influence on business sustainability among women-owned SMEs. The mediation analysis reveals that strategic agility fully mediates the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and financial inclusion, as well as financial inclusion and business sustainability.
financial inclusion; entrepreneurial orientation; strategic agility; business sustainability; women entrepreneurs; SMEs
Application of Circular Economy Principles in Women’s Entrepreneurship: The Case Of Serbia
This study explores the application of circular economy (CE) principles among women entrepreneurs in Serbia. Using survey data from 35 women-owned enterprises collected in 2024, the research analysed awareness, adoption patterns, and key drivers of CE implementation through Spearman’s rho correlation and descriptive statistics (IBM SPSS v29). Findings reveal high awareness of CE principles but modest practical adoption, mainly in waste reduction, reuse, and renewable material use. No significant link was found between enterprise size and CE adoption, suggesting that firm size does not determine circular engagement. Managerial mindset, environmental commitment, and consumer expectations emerged as the strongest motivators, while limited technical knowledge and financing remain major barriers. The study contributes to understanding gendered entrepreneurship in sustainability contexts and calls for targeted CE training, access to green financing, and stronger institutional support to advance women’s participation in the circular transition.
Do Female Executives Manage Earnings Differently? A Gendered Analysis of Decision-Making
Given the fact that involvement of women in boardrooms and earnings reporting quality remain highly debated topics in the corporate environment — often offering mixed empirical evidence — this study reevaluates the gender–earnings management nexus from a regional perspective. Specifically, it investigates whether female presence on company boards and in CEO positions influences the extent of accrual-based earnings management. Applying panel data regression on a sample of 9,984 observations operating across Balkan economies between 2020 and 2022, the results reveal that a higher proportion of gender diversity within the board demonstrates a statistically significant effect on the extent of earnings management practices. However, a woman holding the CEO position does not seem to significantly constrain conservative earnings management behavior. These findings provide insights into how gender composition affects managerial decision-making and professional judgment in financial disclosure. By focusing on a transitional and institutionally evolving region, this research adds to the broader debate on whether gender diversity enhances ethical sensitivity and transparency in corporate governance. The results emphasize that while gender-balanced boards may foster more prudent reporting environments, leadership positions alone are insufficient to mitigate opportunistic financial behavior. The paper thus underscores the relevance of examining both structural and behavioral dimensions of gender balance when assessing the quality of earnings and corporate accountability.
Formulating Strategies for Empowering Women Fishery Entrepreneurs toward Sustainable Blue Entrepreneurship
This study develops a defensive strategy framework for women in the fisheries sector, focusing on their pursuit of sustainable blue entrepreneurship. The research employs a quantitative SWOT analysis, where data were collected through structured questionnaires, document reviews, and observations. Respondents evaluated internal and external factors using a Likert scale, and the results positioned women entrepreneurs in the defensive quadrant, highlighting the urgency of strategic responses to external threats and internal weaknesses. Findings emphasize three key dimensions: (1) resilience and vulnerability management to strengthen adaptive capacity, (2) social capital and collective action to reduce dependency and enhance cooperative power, and (3) adaptive co-management with quadruple helix collaboration, integrating community, academia, government, and private sector. These dimensions form a structured defensive strategy that ensures both survival and long-term sustainability. The novelty of this study lies in applying quantitative SWOT within a gender-sensitive framework for the blue economy. Practically, the results guide policymakers and stakeholders in empowering women entrepreneurs and reinforcing resilient coastal livelihoods.
women entrepreneurs, fisheries, blue economy, sustainability, swot analysis, defensive strategy
HRM / OB / Entrepreneurship/ Sustainability
Feedback Quality and Job Performance: The Roles of Feedback Seeking and Gender Similarity in Entrepreneurial Firms
This study investigates the relationship between feedback quality (FQ), feedback-seeking behavior (FSB), and job performance (JP), incorporating the moderating role of gender similarity. Considering samples from two industries, oil/petrochemical and banking in Iran, the organizations selected in these industries were among those that exhibited entrepreneurial behavior and could be considered entrepreneurial organizations. Also, using LISREL, Sobel, and SPSS software to analyze the data collected by questionnaires, four of the hypotheses of this research were confirmed. The findings show that high-quality feedback positively impacts job performance and enhances feedback-seeking behavior. Moreover, feedback-seeking behavior acts as a mediator between feedback quality and job performance. While gender similarity was hypothesized to moderate the relationship between feedback quality and feedback-seeking behavior, the results did not support this role; however, gender similarity independently influenced feedback-seeking behavior. These findings underscore the importance of providing high-quality, actionable feedback and fostering environments encouraging feedback-seeking for performance improvement. So, this study has clarified the complex relations between feedback quality, feedback-seeking behavior, job performance, and gender similarity and has contributed to a more accurate understanding of how these factors influence each other. From the practical point of view, designing feedback systems that emphasize quality, training managers to deliver constructive feedback, and addressing gender dynamics in workplace interactions can lead to improved job performance.
Assessing Performance of Women Home-Based Businesses from the Low-Income Group: Testing Multiple Mediator Model
A home-based business is a micro-business carried out more by women than men to increase personal and family income. The lack of attention given by past researchers has resulted in less-known information about the performance of these entrepreneurs, even though this activity has been around for a long time, and many women are engaged in it. This study examines the determinants of sustainable performance in women's home-based businesses to fill this gap. The second objective is to investigate the multiple mediating effects of digital competencies and Artificial Intelligence (AI) adoption towards the connections between entrepreneurial resources (i.e., access to finance, access to entrepreneurial education, and access to networking) and sustainable business performance. The data collection approach used a questionnaire directed to 300 low-income women home-based entrepreneurs in the Central Zone, Malaysia. The Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) analysis showed that digital competency and AI adoption have significant effects and mediate the relationship between entrepreneurial resources and sustainable business performance. This study provides an overview of the resources that can contribute to the business's abilities, which leads to a competitive advantage by applying physical and non-physical resources.
Restricted Ambitions: Analyzing Barriers to Women's Advancement in Serbia's Public Sector
This paper explores the “sticky floor” phenomenon that hinders women's career progression in the public sector in Serbia. This little-researched concept impedes the career path of women, especially in the early stages of their careers. The paper applied a theoretical review and quantitative analysis based on a survey of 100 employees in the public sector in Serbia, with the aim of investigating specific challenges such as a lack of support in career development, the elimination of social stereotypes, and better business-private life coordination. The research used a validated instrument from previous studies to develop the questionnaire, whereas the chi-square test of independence and cross-tabulation analysis were used for data analysis. Women reported a higher incidence of challenges related to lack of mentorship, difficulties in balancing work and family responsibilities, societal stereotypes, and gender-based discrimination. The goal of the research is to identify factors that hinder women's advancement and better understand the paths to success. Also, it has been investigated how possible it is to overcome all the obstacles mentioned. The study proposes relevant recommendations and new policies, including various education programs on workplace bias awareness development, better support programs, and more flexible working conditions in order to break down the barriers of the "sticky floor" and promote a more inclusive environment for the advancement of women in the public sector in Serbia. This research will allow us to understand better the challenges in women’s career development as well as to encourage a more supportive work environment.
sticky floor, women, advancement, public sector, gender equality, barriers, professional development
Management of Social Intelligence as an Element of Ensuring Personnel Security of the Enterprise: Gender Aspect
Gender diversity and awareness of its impact on the effectiveness of management decisions contribute to creating a strong corporate environment, improving team cooperation and increasing the organization's competitiveness in the modern market. Social intelligence, as one of the key factors affecting team unity, adaptability, and professional competence of employees, requires a deeper analysis of gender specifics. This research aimed to study the gender aspect in the management of social intelligence and its impact on the personnel security of the enterprise, in particular, loyalty and staff engagement. The research found a statistically significant (pâ‰¤0,001*) moderate positive relationship between social intelligence and staff engagement. This indicates the importance of social intelligence for integrating employees into work processes and their effective interaction with colleagues. A statistically significant (pâ‰¤0,001*) moderate positive relationship between social intelligence and staff loyalty was also established, which confirms the necessity of developing this indicator to ensure the personnel security of the enterprise. The research results prove a higher correlation on the Chaddock scale between social intelligence and engagement among men (0,513) compared to women (0,449). In the context of staff loyalty, a higher correlation was found between social intelligence and loyalty among men (0,484) compared to women (0,370). The research results indicate the need to implement gender-oriented approaches in HR strategies aimed at developing social intelligence, which positively impacts team productivity, staff loyalty and overall sustainability of enterprises. Men should be given opportunities to improve their social skills through participation in communication and leadership training. On the other hand, women should be supported in developing their ability to process social information by engaging in processes that require analysing interpersonal relationships and making decisions in a social context.
social intelligence, personnel security, social skills, corporate culture, gender diversity, loyalty, engagement, personnel management
A Qualitative Case Study on Issues of Women's Empowerment in Malaysia's Corporate Landscape
This qualitative case study investigates the intricate challenges hindering women's empowerment within Malaysian corporations. The research identifies systemic barriers impacting women's professional progress, access to leadership roles, and overall job satisfaction. Using a qualitative research methodology, the study captures diverse subjective experiences through in-depth interviews with professional women across various industries in Malaysia. Through thematic analysis, the findings highlight key issues such as cultural stereotypes, unequal pay, limited leadership representation, and work-life balance challenges. By uncovering the nuanced dynamics of these barriers, the study contributes to understanding the complexities surrounding women's disempowerment in the Malaysian business environment. These insights provide valuable perspectives for policymakers, corporate leaders, and scholars aiming to dismantle barriers to gender equality.
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in the United Arab Emirates
In the recent era, artificial intelligence has entered the business sector by increasing business productivity, decision-making, and competitive advantage in markets for entrepreneurs. This is why the use of AI is a corresponding aspect of business activities across the globe. The study investigates the role of AI in supporting Emirati women entrepreneurs using mixed-method research. This approach allows research instruments like survey questionnaires and interviews to gain quantitative and qualitative insights. Using the convenience sampling procedure, quantitative data were gathered from 207 respondents, and interviews were conducted and analyses using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings indicate that AI-powered automation enhances the effectiveness of operations, minimises bureaucracy, and fosters evidence-based decision-making. In addition, AI opens access to funding by simplifying credit analysis and investment prospects, thus eliminating conventional financing hurdles. AI-based learning solutions also enhance skills, giving women entrepreneurs the skills to manoeuvre flexible business environments. Moreover, AI-based market analytics delivers richer customer insights, allowing customized services and business growth. Despite these benefits, data privacy and technology adoption issues are still pertinent. The research finds that AI is a game-changing facilitator for women entrepreneurs, enabling business scale and limiting gender-based hindrances in entrepreneurship. The study’s policy implications underscore the imperative for inclusive AI adoption policy, focused training programs, and facilitating policies to achieve the fullest possible potential for AI in catalysing women’s business success.
Artificial Intelligence, Women Entrepreneurs, Business Efficiency, Market Analytics, Financial Inclusion, AI-Driven Learning
Business, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Gender Studies, Economics
Content Marketing Strategies and Their Impact on the Entrepreneurial Intentions of University Women
The study analyzes the impact of content marketing strategies on the entrepreneurial intentions and female empowerment of female university students in Peru. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional design is used, applying a simple random probability sampling to 668 students from a private university in Lima. Data were collected using a validated questionnaire, which showed excellent reliability (α = 0.979). The analysis was performed using SmartPLS 4.0, which assessed the validity of the constructs and hypotheses raised. The results indicate that content marketing strategies have a positive influence on entrepreneurial intentions (H3: p < 0.05), confidence in skills (H4: p < 0.01), and female empowerment (H10: p < 0.05). All the hypotheses posed were accepted, which reinforces the relationship between these variables. It is highlighted that access to resources and support networks is crucial for the success of women entrepreneurs. Women who implement these strategies have higher entrepreneurial intentions, with a 25% increase compared to those who do not use them. The conclusions suggest that encouraging the use of content marketing can be key to boosting female entrepreneurship in the Peruvian digital context. It is recommended to design support programs and public policies that promote digital inclusion and access to resources for women entrepreneurs.
The Mediating Effect of mindfulness on the Relationship between Authentic Leadership and Self-leadership, Moderated by Gender
Mindfulness has received increasing attention in leadership research. Yet, its potential to influence the leadership development process remains insufficiently explored. The aim of the study is to evaluate the mediating effect of mindfulness on the relationship between authentic leadership and self-leadership. Given the role of gender in shaping leadership behaviors and experiences, the study also explores the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between authentic leadership and self-leadership. To test the research hypotheses, the study employs partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) in a sample of 208 participants from a developing country, Peru. The key findings are summarized as follows. Authentic leadership has a positive and significant effect on self-leadership and mindfulness, while mindfulness also has a positive and significant effect on self-leadership. Furthermore, mindfulness partially mediates the relationship between authentic leadership and self-leadership. Finally, the moderation role of gender is confirmed, revealing that the relationship between authentic leadership and self-leadership is stronger for women than men. The study not only expands existing knowledge but also offers actionable strategies to foster self-leadership through mindfulness, considering how gender influences the effectiveness of these strategies in organizational settings. Future studies could expand the research to include other factors that influence job performance, economic sectors, and other demographic and cultural variables.
Determinants of Women's Financial Inclusion: Evidence from the Gulf and the Western Balkan Region
Women's financial inclusion represents a key element in enhancing women's entrepreneurship. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of age, education, employment, income quintile, and region on the level of financial inclusion (FI). The data for the four Gulf countries (Gulf Cooperation Council) and five Western Balkan countries were gathered from the Global Findex Database 2017. The total sample includes 3,973 women. Multiple linear regression is used to investigate the impact of socio-demographic factors on FI. Additionally, the paper provides an overview of the latest available data on several indicators related to FI at the macro level. The results show that education, employment, and income quintile have a statistically significant positive impact on FI. The relationship between age and FI is statistically significant, exhibiting an inverted U-shape. This means that FI increases up to 55 years, and after that transition point, it starts to decline. Moreover, the region plays a significant role, considering that the level of FI of the respondents from Western Balkan countries is lower than that of those from the Gulf region.
The Entrepreneurial Quotient (EQ) Among Women Entrepreneurs: Assessing Creativity, Risk-Taking, Resilience, and Sustainability in Modern Enterprises
The Entrepreneurial Quotient (EQ) is a crucial framework for understanding the competencies that drive entrepreneurial success, particularly among women entrepreneurs. This study examines the dimensions of EQ – creativity, risk-taking, resilience, and sustainability, and their impact on technology adoption in contemporary enterprises. Using the Digital Transformation and Technology Adoption Model (DTTAM), the research examines how women entrepreneurs integrate technological innovations into their businesses. A structured survey was conducted from January to June 2020 among 100 women entrepreneurs in India to assess their EQ and its impact on business adaptability. The findings highlight that creativity fosters innovation, risk-taking enhances strategic decision-making, resilience strengthens adaptability, and sustainability ensures long-term business viability. These insights underscore the importance of integrating EQ development into entrepreneurial education through mentorship programs, experiential learning, and sustainability-focused curricula. The study provides actionable recommendations for educators, policymakers, and business leaders seeking to cultivate resilient, innovative, and future-ready enterprises.
Technological innovation versus Gender Equality
Women remain significantly underrepresented in the leadership of agricultural organizations. Simultaneously, increasing environmental pressures and global efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) create new opportunities to restructure agribusiness operations and promote women’s leadership. This study analyzes data from over five hundred dairy enterprises in the Visegrad Group countries (Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, sourced through ORBIS) to identify management features that foster female leadership within this European context. Principal Component Analysis revealed that a higher number of female directors and shareholders is associated with enhanced women’s leadership. These features are most common in medium-sized enterprises. In contrast to these findings, current EU initiatives promoting gender equality in European agriculture target start-ups and small businesses. However, statistical analysis indicates that leadership in small enterprises is less strongly influenced by gender dynamics. Meanwhile, emerging innovations in dairy production could further strengthen larger companies, potentially diminishing the role of women-led smaller enterprises. To counterbalance this shift, future policies should actively promote gender diversity in corporate boards to ensure equitable leadership opportunities across all business sizes while simultaneously strengthening support for small businesses, regardless of gender.
Gender Perspectives on SME International Trade and Revenue in the Digital Era: Evidence from Serbia
International trade drives expansion and development, significantly contributing to national productivity and job creation. The aim of this research is to investigate four groups of factors that act as independent variables and their impact on the export performance of SMEs as the dependent variable. This study examines critical elements shaping the global trade success of small businesses and medium-sized enterprises, with export revenue as the dependent variable. A sample of 342 Serbian enterprises, primarily exporters, was surveyed through an online questionnaire conducted at the end of 2024, in collaboration with the Serbian Association of Employers. The survey targeted business owners and managers, who provided their assessments using a Likert scale on 12 statements related to four predefined research variables, focusing on factors influencing SME export propensity, with a particular emphasis on gender. The findings, with contingency table analysis, indicate that internal factors, such as the implementation of new technologies and organizational adaptability, exert the greatest influence on export performance, along with all external factors examined. Additionally, company size was found to have a significant impact on export revenue. Regarding gender, the study assessed the role of female-owned SMEs and found that they are less likely to engage in export activities. The results align with existing academic literature, suggesting that female-owned SMEs face systemic disadvantages due to smaller firm size, limited managerial capacity, resource constraints, and insufficient market knowledge. Consequently, gender was not identified as a significant direct determinant of SME export performance and revenue. These research findings contribute to the literature on SME internationalization, digitalization, organizational change, gender issues, and women's entrepreneurship. Furthermore, they offer valuable insights for feminist economic studies and policy discussions aimed at supporting female entrepreneurs.
Women’s Economic Empowerment in Kazakhstan: Institutional Trust, Economic Participation, and Sociocultural Barriers
The paper explores institutional trust, women's participation in the economy and politics in both urban and rural areas of Kazakhstan, considering regional differences between these areas. The research is quantitative in its approach that combines both Latent Class Analysis (LCA), which explains latent attitudinal categories, with Change-Point Analysis to determine key turning points in Gender Inequality Index (GII) over a 16-year time series from 2008 to 2023. The study finds a high level of gender perspective disparity between urban and rural areas in Kazakhstan, in addition to essential changes in gender inequality levels. The results show that institutional trust plays a vital role in shaping women's participation in the economic sphere, with a lower level of trust correlated with a decrease in labor force involvement and career growth. In addition, two key turning points in gender development have also been identified in 2019 and 2022, which are linked with government reform as well as socioeconomic alterations.
Fostering Entrepreneurial Spirit: Impact of Incubation Activities on Female Students’ Entrepreneurial Intention
Women around the world continue to inspire in various professions and careers. Women's entrepreneurship is one such sphere that is rapidly expanding around the globe. With women's entrepreneurial activity reaching levels comparable to men and showing higher engagement at an early age—the entrepreneurial intentions of female students are a crucial area of research. The objective of this study is to ascertain the impact of entrepreneurial incubation on the entrepreneurial intention of female students in selected higher education institutions. The well-being of female students is important not only to their personal development and success but also to the collective success and reputation of an educational institution. The study employs descriptive research design and a stratified random sampling technique. The sample includes 250 female students from five NAAC and NIRF accredited colleges in the state of Tamil Nadu, and the data collected are analyzed statistically based on various tools like exploratory factor analysis, multiple correlation, regression analysis, and SEM. Results from the research recommends that entrepreneurial incubation activities need to be cultivated in every educational institution to nurture entrepreneurial intention among female students. This study attempts to establish the correspondence between various incubation activities and entrepreneurial intentions of female students in multiple institutions of higher education in Tamil Nadu.