Factors impacting the performance of women e-entrepreneurs in Bangladesh

This study identifies and examines the factors that affect the performance of women e-entrepreneurs (those involved in Internet technology-driven entrepreneurship) in Bangladesh and develops a conceptual model incorporating these factors. It assesses knowledge, skill, and attitudes as human capital, and financial, technological, and legal factors as external supports that might affect the performance of women e-entrepreneurs. This quantitative research used a structured questionnaire to collect primary data from 131 self-employed women e-entrepreneurs. Both in-person interviews and Google Forms sent through e-mails and social networking sites were used to collect data at the respondents’ convenience. The SmartPLS 4.0 software was used to analyse data and develop a regression model. It integrated and validated a conceptual model from a resource-based view and an entrepreneurial opportunities perspective. Human capital and external support factors moderately impacted the performance of women e-entrepreneurs. Resource-based constructs include knowledge, attitude, and skill, whereas opportunity-based constructs include financial, legal, and technological support in women’s e-entrepreneurial performance. Although all resource-based constructs were found statistically significant in e-entrepreneurial performance achievement, the support factors were found statistically insignificant. Despite being self-resilient, there is a discrepancy between the support women e-entrepreneurs receive and their capabilities to utilise this support for e-entrepreneurial performance. No prior research focused on these five major sectors – cosmetics, aesthetics, clothing, food, and agro and agro-based - while assessing the performance of women e-entrepreneurs in Bangladesh.