Drivers of entrepreneurial spirit among young women entrepreneurs in Bangladesh: role of social media as mediation

Abstract

The economic advancement of a country necessitates the promotion and support of the entrepreneurial spirit, especially for young female entrepreneurs. The objectives of this study are to explore the key factors shaping the entrepreneurial spirit of young female entrepreneurs, to develop a model that reflects the relationships among the antecedents of entrepreneurial spirit, and to test the mediating role of social media. Based on the ‘positivism’ research philosophy, this study has used a quantitative methodology. It has utilized convenient sampling with a cross-sectional design to collect data from 212 women entrepreneurs. This research has developed a conceptual model based on social cognitive theory (SCT) and tested the hypothesized relationships using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). This study reveals the impact of entrepreneurs’ personal traits, environmental factors and digital competence on entrepreneurial spirit. This study also finds that social media mediates the relationship between digital competence and the entrepreneurial spirit of young female entrepreneurs. The empirical data have supported all the hypotheses of this research. The study has provided theoretical and practical implications that will serve as a guide for academics, researchers, entrepreneurs, and policymakers, based on the suggested framework for entrepreneurship development. This study has suggested future research directions for comparative studies and for research on the impact of advanced digital tools on entrepreneurial spirit.