Founders' identity and international business opportunity recognition : A study of Ghanaian Women's international micro businesses

• Micro-women entrepreneurs' (MWEs) engagement in international business has become necessary for developing countries trying to find alternative ways of growing their economies. This article aims to study the entrepreneurial identity and international business opportunity recognition (IBOR) of women-owned Ghanaian small businesses. A qualitative research method was used to collect data from 22 MWEs. The study found an autonomous entrepreneurial identity in addition to know-how transition and solution-seeker entrepreneurs recommended by Owalla and Holmquist (2017). Regarding BOR activities, two new activities vital for entrepreneurial success but not associated with BOR - observing changing trends in their environment and talking to customers about their needs were cited. This study provides meaningful insights into entrepreneurial identities and IBOR of MWEs. The theoretical contribution is in the proposal of a new entrepreneurial identity – autonomous entrepreneurial identity and incorporation of observing changing trends in their environment and talking to customers about their needs into the Kuckertz et al. (2017) model of the dimension of opportunity recognition activities. The paper identified new entrepreneurial identity and IBOR activity relevant to the micro women entrepreneurship literature by studying MWE's micro women.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Ekonomi och näringsliv -- Företagsekonomi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Economics and Business -- Business Administration (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Ghanaian micro women entrepreneurs

international business

entrepreneurial identities

international business opportunity recognition

Marketing

Marknadsföring

Publikations- och innehållstyp

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