Recovering the Socio-Economic Role of Female Academic Entrepreneurs through Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship: A Narrative Research

‌The proclivity of women with university education towards employment in government and private organizations is an undeniable trend. However, a notable phenomenon that deserves further exploration is the growing interest and enthusiasm of some women in entrepreneurship and establishing their own businesses. This study employed a qualitative and interpretive phenomenological approach, utilizing semi-structured in-depth interviews with 14 female university graduate entrepreneurs, to investigate the importance of small and medium-sized entrepreneurship as a crucial platform for effective policy-making in the field of women and to restore their socio-economic role. This type of research is vital due to the pressing need to promote women's social participation and decrease the unemployment rate of university-educated women. Therefore, the aim of this study was to comprehend the reasons behind the inclination of university-educated women towards small and medium-sized entrepreneurship and to listen to their narratives. The research findings reveal four major themes that have emerged from the interviews, namely “feminine creativity flourishing,” “entrepreneurship as a connecting bond of multiple identities of women,” “dwindling of women's confidence and creativity,” and “entrepreneurship as a win-win game.” These themes reflect the lived experiences of female entrepreneurs and the challenges they confront in entrepreneurship. Overall, the findings indicate that the lack of social structures supporting women and their low official employment rates have driven them to create new self-made social structures, such as entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship has the potential to define the field of activity and the role of women in expressing their abilities and skills, as well as their socio-economic participation. Based on this, policymakers are urged to take entrepreneurship among women seriously, as it can play a crucial role in empowering and enabling women to participate effectively in society and the economy.
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Keywords




Entrepreneurship, Women Entrepreneurs, Entrepreneurial Action, Socio-Economic Role
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‌Introduction
In today's world, a noticeable trend among women worldwide is the pursuit of employment based on their own desires and interests. This tangible phenomenon reflects the changes and developments that have occurred in modern times. Despite the many challenges and obstacles that women face in male-dominated job markets, there has been a growing interest in entrepreneurship and non-governmental professions. Entrepreneurship not only provides women with the potential to reduce poverty and generate income, but also offers the advantages of flexible working hours, which can greatly reduce conflicts between work and family responsibilities (Shahabadi et al., 2019: 62). The information provided suggests that exploring the topic of educated women's entrepreneurship and understanding its dimensions, particularly by listening to their experiences and narratives as they navigate entrepreneurship and reclaim their socio-economic roles through small and medium-sized businesses, is crucial in creating effective policies for women. The significance of conducting this study is to uncover the obscure and unexplored aspects of the experiences of female university entrepreneurs. These women have utilized their knowledge, passion, and creativity to establish opportunities for employment and income not only for themselves but also for others, thus contributing to an increase in female participation in different societal spheres. By tackling the pressing social issue of unemployment among female university graduates, they are paving the way for educated women to experience joy and contentment (Azizi et al., 2019: 577-579), and ultimately, for the realization of socio-economic progress in society. The primary objective of this research is to answer the question of how small and medium-sized entrepreneurship can contribute to the recovery of the socio-economic role of female university students and encourage them to take action in this area.
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Methodology
This study employed qualitative and interpretive phenomenological methods to investigate the experiences of female graduates aged 20 to 50 who had less than 10 years of entrepreneurship experience. The research collected data using semi-structured interviews and focused on small and medium-sized entrepreneurship that employed a maximum of 20 people, including the business owner. Interviewees were selected using targeted and snowball sampling methods based on their shared entrepreneurship experiences and university education. In total, 14 interviewees were selected, with data saturation achieved in the twelfth interview. To ensure the credibility of the research, two additional interviewees were included. Throughout the research, the interview questions were designed to elicit a clear understanding of the interviewees' statements and to ensure consensus and accuracy. The aim was to gain a comprehensive and credible understanding of the experiences of these female entrepreneurs.
 
Findings
The findings of this study, obtained through qualitative data analysis and in-depth interviews, are presented in the form of four primary themes: "feminine creativity flourishing", "entrepreneurship as a connecting bond of multiple identities of women", "dwindling of women's confidence and creativity", and "entrepreneurship as a win-win game". These themes are further divided into sub-themes, including "joy for production", "entrepreneurship as a maternal fertility", "preservation of femininity and maternal identity", "recovery of socio-economic identity", "male-dominated policy structures", "distrust of government structures", "satisfying the sense of altruism and social networking", and "achieving capability and independence". Data analysis indicates that women who have received education engage in entrepreneurship for various reasons, including both material and spiritual benefits, not only for themselves but also for their colleagues, target communities, and society at large. One notable observation is that women entrepreneurs frequently experience identity confusion due to a lack of suitable social platforms. On the one hand, they actively participate in various socio-economic fields, while on the other hand, societal gender division expects them to fulfill traditional roles, which can be challenging to balance. As a result, many women use entrepreneurial activities as a means of connecting their identities to multiple roles, reducing role conflicts, and creating new opportunities and structures for themselves. Despite the prevalence of male-dominated structures in policymaking and political institutions, which may lead to a dwindling of women's confidence and creativity, research shows that these factors do not deter women's motivations to enter small and medium-sized entrepreneurship. The study demonstrates that while material and spiritual benefits serve as driving forces for interviewees to embark on their entrepreneurial journey, their enthusiasm and passion for unleashing their talents and creativity play a crucial role in motivating them to pursue their dreams.
‌‌Result
In summary, this study shows that women are increasingly drawn to entrepreneurship because it allows them to effectively balance their social, economic, personal, and family responsibilities, while also nurturing their creativity. A university education has been instrumental in helping women develop the skills necessary for success in this field, despite potential challenges posed by societal and economic structures. However, it is worth noting that individual and family factors, particularly the support of spouses, also play a critical role in these women's achievements. Despite these significant findings, further research is needed to fully understand these factors and their impact on women's success in entrepreneurship. Therefore, future studies should aim to delve deeper into these issues.