Entrepreneurial resilience of small and medium-sized businesses among rural women in Iran

ABSTRACT

Purpose

The present study aimed to analyze the entrepreneurial resilience of small and medium-sized businesses among rural women.

Design/Methodology

The study was conducted using a survey, and 269 individuals were selected through stratified random sampling. This research was conducted in three stages. First, the Lifespan Resilience Scale-Business was used to identify the factor structure of women's business resilience. Second, the resilience of women entrepreneurs' businesses was analyzed. And third, path analysis was carried out to identify the factors affecting the resilience of women's businesses.

Findings

The business resilience of rural entrepreneur women was determined by the following components: external resources, internal resources, innovation, opportunity and adaptation, risk management, and family support. The results of the causal model indicated that the variables of marketing strategy, marketing mix, marketing methods, business communication, business plan preparation skills and supporting policies are effective factors in improving business resilience.

Theoretical Implications

To improve the entrepreneurial resilience of rural women, it is necessary to identify the influential factors and their indicators to reduce entrepreneurial failure, analyze the factors that foster resilient behaviors in rural entrepreneurship, and provide contexts that are resistant against changes for women.

Practical implications

Holding companies that specialize in agricultural development in Iran play an important role in improving women's entrepreneurial resilience. These companies could empower rural women to overcome barriers and apply new methods through educational and extension programs that are appropriate to changes in technology and the market.

Originality/value

This study presents the Lifespan Resilience Scale-Business as a native model for measuring the resilience of rural women’s businesses in Fars province of Iran.

KEYWORDS:

• Business
• entrepreneurship
• resilience
• rural women
• entrepreneurs

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam

Kurosh Rezaei-Moghaddam is Professor of agricultural extension and development at Shiraz University, Iran. His research interests consist environmental sociology, rural entrepreneurship, attitude and behavioral modelling, sustainability, ecological footprint, organic farming and rural poverty. He has large publications in international journals as well as doing national research projects on these subjects. He has held many national conferences regarding sustainable agriculture and natural resources as the main executive secretary. Currently, he works as the consultant of vice-chancellor of educational affairs of Shiraz University having major role in entrepreneurial and skill-based activities of the university.

Fatemeh Badzaban

Fatemeh Badzaban was passed her B.Sc. and M.Sc. of agricultural extension and education at Shiraz University, Iran. She got first rank among her classmates and her research interests include rural entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial activities in agriculture and resilience of rural SMEs.

Mahsa Fatemi

Mahsa Fatemi is Assistant Professor of agricultural extension and development at Shiraz University, Iran. Her research interests include environmental sociology, ecological footprint, rural entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture, causes and consequences of drought, land use change, and attitude and behavioral modelling. She has some international publications in these areas. She passed one-year sabbatical learning in the USA as research scholar at University of California, Santa Cruz as well as Global Footprint Network in 2015. Currently, she works as the head of Entrepreneurship center at the School of Agriculture at Shiraz University.