Women as Social Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

By considering the rising notion of social entrepreneurship, the study intends to contribute to this novel phenomenon by exploring the lived experiences of women social entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. This study aims to sketch an experiential understanding of women social entrepreneurs' thoughts of devotion to addressing social entrepreneurship, which is embedded with social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The study adopted a phenomenological approach to advance methodological understanding, capturing in-depth interviews with nine diverse women social entrepreneurs. It tried to uncover the experiential structure that shapes their journeys to make them sustainable. The protocol analysis method has been adopted to engage with the noetic process that is designed to reveal noematic elements. These noematic elements include 'aggregate essences' along with essences. The first aggregate essence, named 'drives', including essences such as personal, entrepreneurial, and societal drives, reflects their pursuit of social entrepreneurship. The second aggregate essence highlighted as 'challenges' the women social entrepreneurs have encountered so far, which include essences such as gender discrimination, remote regions, workforce complexity, negative perception, inadequate preparation, and poor networking. Moreover, the third aggregate essence is termed 'opportunities', which clarifies how women social entrepreneurs capitalize on empowerment, financial stability, and positive transformation issues. Finally, the analysis uncovered the fourth aggregate essence - 'strategies' they deployed, such as building entrepreneurial capability, social values, proposing rewards, providing empowerment opportunities, promoting networking ability, and focusing on sustainable business models as essences that guide their paths to become sustainable social entrepreneurs. By considering the rising trend of social entrepreneurship, the study seeks to understand how women as social entrepreneurs shape the dynamics of this novel phenomenon. With an emphasis on the lived experiences of women social entrepreneurs, the study aims to contribute fresh insights to the existing body of knowledge on social entrepreneurship. The study aims to identify the driving forces in their respective social entrepreneurial fields that certainly foster the country’s sustainable development. In pertinence, this study highlights actionable strategies and illuminates practical mechanisms for negotiating with crucial challenges and ensuring future sustainability. Ultimately, the study serves as a guide for inspiring and supporting other women who aspire to become sustainable social entrepreneurs in the near future. xviii The study limited its scope by offering a nuanced, context-specific perspective on women social entrepreneurs. Future research projects could overcome this restriction and uncover a broader range of experiences by including both men and women covering developed and developing countries. However, this study urges the concerned authorities, including policymakers and governmental bodies, to provide appropriate attention, guidelines, and support (policy-related, technical, financial, and infrastructural) to encourage participatory contributions and mitigate challenges faced by women social entrepreneurs. This study put forth further investigations emphasizing innovative strategies and sustainable business models driven by social entrepreneurs.