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Exploration of barriers faced by female graduate entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

Author

Listed:
  • Md Asadul Islam

    (University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia)

  • Amer Hamzah Jantan

    (University Putra Malaysia, Malaysia)

  • Abigail Hunt

    (University of Lincoln, United Kingdom)

  • Md. Ferdausur Rahman

    (Military Institute of Science and Technology, Bangladesh)

  • Mirza Manirajah Abdullah

    (Hanfiq Resources Ltd, Malaysia)

Abstract

This study explores and examines barriers faced by female graduate entrepreneurs founding and growing SMEs in Bangladesh. It particularly seeks to address the current gap in the literature on the barriers faced specifically by female graduate entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, and is among the first of its kind. We conducted 12 semi-structured interviews including 6 graduate female entrepreneurs of SMEs and 6 scholars in entrepreneurship in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and found that educated, graduate, females faced more barriers than uneducated or non-graduate females because of their educational background. It appears from our research that those women who had graduated from university were more likely to join in a company rather than starting and continuing to develop their own business. In addition to these key findings, we also found that Bangladeshi female graduate entrepreneurs had a lack of negotiation and pitching skills, little confidence, little access to institutional training and courses on SMEs and entrepreneurship. They also faced barriers such as lengthy, biased, and expensive loan facilities, corruption, operating in a conservative culture, a lack of support from their families and partners, barriers in mobility caused by traffic congestions in Dhaka, and risks to personal security. All of our findings from the interviews are well supported by additional research in the form of scientific observations of 79 entrepreneurs and 20 private and 5 public universities. The practical implications of these barriers are discussed in the paper and recommendations offered to key stakeholders to facilitate female graduate entrepreneurs in opening and operating SMEs in Bangladesh.

Suggested Citation

  • Md Asadul Islam & Amer Hamzah Jantan & Abigail Hunt & Md. Ferdausur Rahman & Mirza Manirajah Abdullah, 2019. "Exploration of barriers faced by female graduate entrepreneurs in Bangladesh," Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Issues, VsI Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Center, vol. 7(2), pages 1000-1014, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:ssi:jouesi:v:7:y:2019:i:2:p:1000-1014
    DOI: 10.9770/jesi.2019.7.2(15)
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Astrid Kunze & Amalia R. Miller, 2017. "Women Helping Women? Evidence from Private Sector Data on Workplace Hierarchies," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 99(5), pages 769-775, December.
    2. Mohammed S. Chowdhury, 2007. "Overcoming entrepreneurship development constraints: the case of Bangladesh," Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, vol. 1(3), pages 240-251, August.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    female graduate entrepreneurs; barriers; Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs); stakeholders; Bangladesh;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • A23 - General Economics and Teaching - - Economic Education and Teaching of Economics - - - Graduate
    • L21 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Business Objectives of the Firm
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance
    • L26 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Entrepreneurship
    • L31 - Industrial Organization - - Nonprofit Organizations and Public Enterprise - - - Nonprofit Institutions; NGOs; Social Entrepreneurship

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