Identifying Organizational and Environmental Drivers of Women's Digital Business Growth (Case Study: Female Entrepreneurs in Tehran)

Abstract

Many female entrepreneurs prefer the digital space over the physical space for entrepreneurship, as creating a business in the digital environment seems easier for them. Additionally, digital entrepreneurship has led to economic growth in the country and has created numerous opportunities for women. Therefore, the present study aims to identify the organizational and environmental drivers of women's digital business growth in Tehran. This exploratory research is applied in nature and employs qualitative content analysis for data collection and analysis. In this study, purposive sampling was used, and based on theoretical saturation, 15 interviews were conducted with female entrepreneurs and analyzed using thematic analysis. According to the research findings, the organizational drivers of women's digital business growth are categorized into three groups: appropriate human resource planning, effective marketing, and the advantages of the digital nature of the business. Furthermore, the environmental drivers of women's digital business growth fall into three categories: the academic startup ecosystem, government support, and the impact of COVID-19. The digital environment reduces many barriers to women's entrepreneurship and offers numerous advantages for women in business.