Purpose – Entrepreneurship policy is a vital component of any entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, the specific policy initiatives that have a greater impact on women’s entrepreneurship remain unclear in many developing economies. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of entrepreneurship policies targeted at women’s entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Design/methodology/approach – Employing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), this paper utilises and analyses secondary data collected by the World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law (WBL) from 1970 to 2020, encompassing 48 countries within SSA. Findings – Through our analysis, we identified two configurations that sufficiently support women’s entrepreneurship. First, a combination of gender-based policies focussing on enabling “access to credit” and “signing of contracts”; and second, a blend of policies supporting “signing of contracts”, “business registration”,and “opening a bank account”, represent significant antecedents to supporting women’s entrepreneurship. These distinct pathways are crucial to fostering women’s entrepreneurship in the SSA region. Research limitations/implications – The study’s findings indicate that the impact and effectiveness of entrepreneurship policies targeted at women entrepreneurs in developing economies depend on the effectiveness of other policies that are in place. Originality/value – This study offers new insights into the intricate interrelationship between entrepreneurship policies and women’s entrepreneurship in developing countries by considering the interdependence and combinative value of gender-based policies that effectively support women’s entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa.
Adegbile, Abiodun SamuelOgundana, Oyedele MartinsAdesola, Sola
Oxford Brookes Business School
Year of publication: 2024Date of RADAR deposit: 2024-02-06