The influence of gender and cultural norms on indigenous Women's entrepreneurial practices

Abstract

Purpose This article examines the contexts, challenges, and notion of women's entrepreneurship through an indigenous cultural and gender framework. The aim is to provide indigenous voices to the diversity of entrepreneurship research from non-Western perspectives. This approach enables us to highlight the experiences of indigenous women entrepreneurs in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach This article uses a qualitative research approach to examine indigenous entrepreneurial practices. Data were collected through interviews with 15 Nigerian indigenous women entrepreneurs, who were purposively selected. In addition, focus groups were conducted to generate further data and validate participants' responses. Through thematic analysis, we developed an empirically derived framework for gender and indigenous entrepreneurship culture. Findings Inductive themes emerged from thematic analysis, revealing 7 Ms gender framework of indigenous women's entrepreneurship related to money, management, market, motherhood, meso-environment, macro-environment, and mobilisation of resources. Moreover, the findings reveal enabling elements of indigenous cultural entrepreneurship frameworks, such as the Ajo or Adeshe/Esusu traditional savings schemes, which promote “indigenous sources of capital,” and informal entrepreneurial learning that nurtures future entrepreneurial leaders. Research limitations/implications This study uses data from a single country, geographical area, and specific populations, which may limit the scope of the empirical findings. Future research could expand the parameters or combine qualitative and quantitative methods to provide a more in-depth analysis of different contexts and relationships. Originality/value Entrepreneurship research has been criticized for its non-inclusive theories, overreliance on Western philosophies, and failure to integrate indigenous knowledge from the Global South. This article makes an original contribution to knowledge by exploring the relationship among indigenous culture, gender, and entrepreneurship in a non-Western context.