Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran
Abstract
:1. Introduction
2. Literature Review
2.1. Gender Inequality and Systemic Barriers
2.2. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Emerging Markets and Developing Nations
2.3. Empowerment and the Societal Impact of Women’s Entrepreneurship
2.4. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Iran: A Unique Case
2.5. Opportunities for Women Entrepreneurs in Iran
2.6. Challenges Faced by Women Entrepreneurs in Iran
2.7. Support Programs for Women Entrepreneurs in Iran
2.8. The Role of Leadership in Women Entrepreneurship
Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Context in Iran
2.9. Stewart’s Framework of Role Demands, Constraints, and Choices
3. Research Methodology
3.1. Interview Protocol and Data Collection
3.2. Data Analysis Process
4. Research Analysis and Findings
4.1. Analysis of Stewart’s DCC Framework
4.1.1. Role Demands Analysis
In terms of customers, I also get a report from CRM, and we check the customers’ requests and needs in a not-so-short period. I scrutinized the surveys. We investigate customer requests and needs, and based on this, we pre-register on the site. If the number of pre-registrations was sufficient, an educational course was held. Sometimes, we see a performance report; if we have a weakness in a part, we strengthen that part.(Interviewee 18)
Due to the economic conditions, I closed the workshop and continued the business online with the help of women who sew from their homes. I attempt to manage these limitations by offering promotions, discounts, and prizes. In the execution process, I have trouble displaying my work, which forces me to spend [time] on new photoshoots. Given the fluctuating dollar prices, my final costs are unstable, and I need to find cheap labor. For example, with my previous staff, I spent a lot of time, energy, and money helping them understand my work and needs.(Interviewee 24)
… during the Coronavirus pandemic, I produced masks considering my condition (I have MS). At first, I told the children to buy necessary things and equipment, but they did not bring anything, and when I followed up, I realized that they did not have the money to buy them, so I taught them something very simple to sew and make money, like kitchen handles, and I assured the families that they would spend little money on these basic things.(Interviewee 25)
The quality of Iranian raw materials is very low and foreign materials are expensive. I had a shortage of financial resources and needed to build trust. My work required a lot of physical energy, knowledge, and experience, so I had to spend a lot of time learning these things. My family and husband didn’t understand and expected our social and family gatherings and events to continue as usual. The government also offered loans with high interest rates or didn’t provide loans at all.(Interviewee 29)
My family supported me a lot in taking care of my children so that I could focus on my business. The tough working conditions have made me anxious and led to stress-eating. I wake up early to get some work done. I am trying to get more help from others with my work. Last year, when the segregation of boys and girls was mandated, it made me even more anxious, and I gained weight again.(Interviewee 16)
I didn’t have support from my family; my father still says that my daughter is doing something in the field of autism.(Interviewee 8)
Initially, the pressure from my family was the hardest because when I was exhausted, they would say that this work wasn’t suitable for me and that I was too old.(Interviewee 18)
I didn’t have high experience or enough financial resources to buy in large quantities, and suppliers were reluctant to sell me large quantities on credit. Sourcing raw materials was very difficult. I had a mix of hope and fear, and many of my friends mocked me, saying [that] this business wouldn’t succeed. But once I started [working], I became very successful. The government called me and threatened to shut down my page because of the unveiled photos. The cost of my raw materials is linked to the dollar, and because of the economic conditions, my customer base has decreased.(Interviewee 24)
I had financial supply issues and lived around Isfahan, which is a small city with not many customers, and I needed inner strength. China was a very big competitor, and it was very hard to source raw materials like buttons. We wanted to compete with Turkey, not [with] Chinese clothing, so our production costs were very high. I wasn’t encouraged or supported much by my husband, family, or even friends; they were obstacles and would give [me] negative energy and say discouraging things.(Interviewee 29)
4.1.2. Role Constraints Analysis
Starting work is always accompanied by uncertainty. We were not sure about the market. We had financial constraints, and since our product is medical equipment requiring a license, we have been waiting for over a year for the license. We also need to find customers, which is [a] very difficult [task].(Interviewee 8)
My family supported me a lot in taking care of my children so that I could focus on my business. The tough working conditions have made me anxious and led to stress-eating. I wake up early to get some work done. I am trying to get more help from others with my work. Last year, when the segregation of boys and girls was mandated, it made me even more anxious, and I gained weight again.(Interviewee 16)
Given the fluctuating dollar prices, my final costs are not stable, and I need to find cheap labor. For example, with my previous staff, I spent a lot of time, energy, and money helping them understand my work and needs.(Interviewee 22)
I really needed a loan or cooperation from the government and banks, but I haven’t received any support.(Interviewee 1)
My work required a lot of physical energy, knowledge, and experience, so I had to spend a lot of time learning these things. My family and husband didn’t understand and expected our social and family gatherings and events to continue as usual.(Interviewee 5)
I want to say very honestly: They don’t take me seriously. I’m the CEO, and the other two co-inventors are gentlemen, but the investors don’t take me seriously at all, and many people see me after a few years and say, wow, you’re not the same shy and simple girl they’ve seen before. How much have you changed?! … … Regarding the investor, it was difficult when my audience was a gentleman, even though I knew more and had more control over the work, but when my colleague, who was a gentleman, spoke, the investor’s opinion was more positive than when I talked.(Interviewee 7)
Today, I cannot find many specialists because hiring new staff is challenging, especially since the entry of Afghans has become a problem; they have flooded our market and complicated things. I was looking to hire women in difficult situations or single women with financial problems.(Interviewee 12)
Our limitations are financial, and the laws and orders imposed by the authorities above us are also limitations. For example, our technical manager must be a mechanical engineer or the relevant employee must be an industrial engineer for quality control, which is hard to find, as well as specialized equipment. On the other hand, according to our assets and capital, we can see how many employees we need besides the technical manager.(Interviewee 15)
Fifty percent of my responsibility is to take care of the family, so I reduce the number of classes to manage everything and seek help from people I have trained in the past. I could hire more employees, but due to financial constraints, I can’t.(Interviewee 24)
Sometimes, due to the distance, I had to get up earlier than my husband and come home later, which put psychological pressure on me, leading me to quit my job and experience a new gym because the mental strain was too much. Furthermore, when I got home, I still had to cook.(Interviewee 5)
Being alone and the head of the household were the hardest because I had to take my child to school and had no financial support. This slowed down my work significantly, and I couldn’t do many things at all. I tried to stay strong. I offered a lot of free services to build trust, especially during the pandemic. Since I don’t have any other source of income and face many restrictions, I try my best to keep my job going.(Interviewee 13)
The most challenging part was not being understood by my family and husband.(Interviewee 17)
The hardest thing is customer dissatisfaction. Balancing the demands of my children and creating customer satisfaction is very challenging because both significantly increase my stress. … … I try to distance myself from work a bit to avoid passing the stress onto my children.(Interviewee 27)
Gaining customer trust was very difficult, especially because we were operating online, and building trust was challenging. Interacting with the market and sourcing raw materials, which were all male-dominated, was very difficult because I wanted to start with a small investment.(Interviewee 3)
4.1.3. Role Choices Analysis
Due to the economic conditions, I closed the workshop and continued the business online with the help of women who sew from their homes.(Interviewee 6)
… we determine what can be done with our limited budget. We list our wants and prioritize them based on our budget and time. If the budget is not met, we are forced to reschedule, or, for example, if we see that the dollar is rising, we quickly change our plans to avoid financial losses.(Interviewee 10)
Fifty percent of my responsibility is taking care of the family, so I reduced the number of classes to manage everything and seek help from people I have trained before.(Interviewee 28)
If the situation is such that I can postpone my business work, I will take care of my child and family first, but if the situation is very difficult, For example, if I have an important meeting, I give my child mental preparation, and then I get help from my wife, her mother, or my own mother.(Interviewee 1)
I do not evaluate management in this way at all, but I take action with risk and follow up extensively. When I see something good, I take action by reading a few articles and consulting with somebody.(Interviewee 5)
We move forward by trial and error, correcting mistakes. My team members are specialists, and through a lot of trial and error and working on the patterns of great masters, we were able to fix the flaws in our patterns.(Interviewee 10)
I offer a commission to those who innovate … My child wanted to go out with me, or my employees needed to work more, so I gave them a commission.(Interviewee 17)
In the middle of the summer term, we were mandated to segregate boys and girls, which imposed high costs on me. If any class was mixed, the institute would be closed. Parents also wanted their children to attend classes on the same day to reduce commuting costs, which meant [that] I had to deal with the expenses.(Interviewee 25)
We need to identify [the] limiting factors, set goals, and take action accordingly. For example, if our time is limited, we [will] accept orders based on that. We handle [the] processes based on our capabilities and resources. The salary expectations of potential hires are important because we have financial constraints, and we do not want someone with excessively high qualifications.(Interviewee 5)
5. Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations
5.1. Discussion
Implications to Theory
5.2. Conclusions and Recommendations
Recommendations
6. Limitations and Directions for Further Research
Directions for Future Research
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A. Interview Questions Used in the Semi-Structured Interviews
DCC Semi-Structured Interview Research Questions
- How do you set a vision and goals for your business that align with your personal, business, and customer demands?
- How do you balance your customers’ needs with those of your employees and stakeholders?
- How do you foster a culture of innovation and creativity within your business?
- How do you promote diversity and inclusion within your business, and why is it essential?
- What critical demands do you face when starting a new venture?
- How do you navigate the various demand conditions you face?
- In your experience, which demands conditions have been most challenging, and why?
- How do you assess and manage your constraints when deciding which choices to pursue?
- How does the presence or absence of constraints affect your choices regarding which job or demand to attend to and execute?
- How do you balance your desire for autonomy and control with the constraints of satisfying the demand?
- How do you choose when considering the demands and constraints you face in your business and personal environment?
- Considering your constraints, how do you choose which jobs/opportunities to pursue?
- Can you describe a situation where you faced a demand or constraint you could not decide to engage in or overcome? What lessons can be learned from this experience?
- Can you describe when you had to make a difficult choice that impacted your personal life, customers, employees, or stakeholders?
- How do you approach the choices or decisions you make?
- Is there anything you want to share regarding handling the daily demands of various actors, the constraints you typically have in addressing such needs, and how you choose what to engage in and execute? In other words, how do you decide on what to focus on?
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Interviewee | Marital Status | Age | Children | Education | Role | Years of Exp. | No. Employees | Industry |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Interviewee 1 | Married | 45 | 2 | Bachelor’s degree in fashion design | Manager | 27 | 3 | Clothing |
Interviewee 2 | Single | 33 | 0 | Master of medical engineering | Cofounder | 4 | 10 | Social innovation/autism children |
Interviewee 3 | Married | 42 | 1 | Ph.D. of entrepreneurship | Cofounder | 14 | 35 | Technical inspection of products |
Interviewee 4 | Married | 34 | 0 | Doctor of medicine | Co-founder and manager | 5 | 2 | Laboratory |
Interviewee 5 | Married | 58 | 3 | Junior high school | Co-founder and manager | 33 | 4 | Clothing |
Interviewee 6 | Married | 40 | 0 | Master of management | Manager and founder | 3 | 4 | Clothing |
Interviewee 7 | Married | 43 | 3 | Architectural associate | Manager and founder | 15 | 4 | Clothing |
Interviewee 8 | Single | 38 | 2 | Master of language translation | Manager and founder | 7 | 4 | English language institute |
Interviewee 9 | Married | 60 | 2 | Bachelor of industrial engineering and cooking | Manager and founder | 13 | 2 | Cooking school |
Interviewee 10 | Married | 36 | 2 | Ph.D. of medical engineering | Executive director | 2 | 1 | Production of medical instruments |
Interviewee 11 | Married | 38 | 1 | Ph.D. of entrepreneurship | Manager and founder | 14 | 4 | Online fitness club |
Interviewee 12 | Single | 33 | 0 | Master of management | Manager | 10 | 6 | Distribution of automobile equipment |
Interviewee 13 | Married | 36 | 2 | Diploma | Co-founder and manager | 20 | 15 | Beauty salon |
Interviewee 14 | Married | 38 | 0 | Bachelor of elementary Education | Executive director | 15 | 10 | Production of felt products |
Interviewee 15 | Single | 33 | 0 | Bachelor of IT | Manager | 8 | 7 | Digital marketing |
Interviewee 16 | Married | 47 | 2 | MBA | Executive director | 18 | 49 | Travel agency |
Interviewee 17 | Married | 46 | 1 | Bachelor of management | Manager and founder | 15 | 6 | Interior design products |
Interviewee 18 | Single | 38 | 0 | Doctor of medicine | Manager and founder | 6 | 20 | Online pharmacy |
Interviewee 19 | Married | 61 | 2 | Ph.D. in health psychology | Manager and founder | 30 | 14 | Pregnancy and midwifery counseling center |
Interviewee 20 | Married | 39 | 2 | Ph.D. in management | Executive director | 17 | 2 | Consulting center and providing management services |
Interviewee 21 | Single | 43 | 0 | DBA | Executive director | 23 | 12 | Starch factory (food industry) |
Interviewee 22 | Single | 39 | 0 | Master of management | Manager and founder | 13 | 6 | Restaurant |
Interviewee 23 | Married | 34 | 0 | Bachelor of language translation | Manager and founder | 9 | 9 | Clothing |
Interviewee 24 | Single | 43 | 0 | Master of language teaching | Executive director | 10 | 9 | English language institute |
Interviewee 25 | Married | 50 | 2 | MBA | Manager and founder | 25 | 10 | Beauty school |
Interviewee 26 | Married | 51 | 2 | Ph.D. in educational management | Manager and founder | 3 | 8 | Entrepreneurship and business skills training institute |
Interviewee 27 | Married | 45 | 2 | Bachelor of food industry | Manager and founder | 14 | 8 | Production of date products |
Interviewee 28 | Married | 43 | 0 | Doctor of medicine | Executive director | 1 | 7 | Stone factory |
Interviewee 29 | Married | 39 | 0 | Master of medical engineering | Executive director | 7 | 6 | Importation of medical instruments |
Interviewee 30 | Single | 47 | 1 | Bachelor of physical education | Manager and founder | 32 | 42 | sport club |
Theme | Description |
---|---|
Financial Independence and Security | Many interviewees expressed the importance of financial autonomy, seeking alternative sources of income through loans, collaborations, or secondary businesses to sustain their ventures. |
Work–Life Balance and Family Pressures | Managing family expectations and business commitments is a central challenge, and entrepreneurs often make personal sacrifices to balance work and family. |
Gender and Societal Constraints | Gender bias and societal expectations limit entrepreneurial efforts. Women must prove themselves and face unequal treatment compared to male colleagues or spouses. |
Customer-Centered Approach and Innovation | Entrepreneurs emphasize understanding customer needs and market trends. They adjust offerings based on feedback and adopt online channels to stay relevant. |
Building and Maintaining Networks | Networking within entrepreneurial ecosystems or with partners is essential for business growth. Collaborations and mentorships help overcome challenges. |
Resilience in Adversity | Entrepreneurs demonstrate resilience despite economic, social, or personal challenges, persisting with a positive mindset. |
Challenges with Regulations and Resources | Financial constraints, lack of government support, and difficulties sourcing raw materials are common. Regulatory hurdles create additional pressure. |
Employee and Resource Management | Hiring and retaining skilled employees is difficult, with high turnover rates. Entrepreneurs use commissions, flexibility, and a team atmosphere to retain staff. |
Personal Sacrifice and Entrepreneurial Passion | Many entrepreneurs are driven by a passion for their work, motivating them to overcome obstacles despite opposition from family or societal challenges. |
Category | Description |
---|---|
Demands | Women entrepreneurs faced multiple demands, including balancing family responsibilities, managing business operations, and meeting customer expectations. They often used creative time management and integrated family roles into their ventures to manage these competing demands. |
Constraints | Constraints included financial limitations, gender biases, and regulatory hurdles. Limited access to loans and discriminatory practices were key barriers, but entrepreneurs adapted by using informal networks and restructuring operations to comply with regulations. |
Choices | Entrepreneurs made strategic choices to mitigate risks, focusing on incremental growth and sustainable practices. They leveraged digital platforms, delegated tasks, and set personal boundaries to manage both personal and business priorities effectively. |
Major Theme | Resilience and adaptability emerged as a single major theme across the study. Women entrepreneurs displayed remarkable creativity in managing constraints and demands, using informal support systems, digital tools, and emotional well-being strategies to sustain their ventures. |
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Goncalves, M.; Sartipi, S.; Asadi Damavandi, G. Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran. Merits 2025, 5, 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits5010001
Goncalves M, Sartipi S, Asadi Damavandi G. Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran. Merits. 2025; 5(1):1. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits5010001
Chicago/Turabian StyleGoncalves, Marcus, Sadaf Sartipi, and Ghazale Asadi Damavandi. 2025. "Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran" Merits 5, no. 1: 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits5010001
APA StyleGoncalves, M., Sartipi, S., & Asadi Damavandi, G. (2025). Leadership and Entrepreneurial Choices: Understanding the Motivational Dynamics of Women Entrepreneurs in Iran. Merits, 5(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.3390/merits5010001