Title: Supporting opportunities for female entrepreneurs in Jordan

Authors: Andrea Caputo; Salime Mehtap; Massimiliano M. Pellegrini; Reem Alrefai

Addresses: Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln, Brayford Pool, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK ' Department of Business Administration, King Talal Business School, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Khalil Sket Street, Al-Jubaiha, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan ' The Claude Littner Business School, University of West London, Paragon House, Boston Manor Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9GA, UK ' Department of Business Administration, King Talal Business School, Princess Sumaya University for Technology, Khalil Sket Street, Al-Jubaiha, P.O. Box 1438, Amman 11941, Jordan

Abstract: Female entrepreneurship in developing countries is a growing body of research that tries to address the main challenges faced in such a context. The aim of this paper is to shed some light on the real opportunities for female entrepreneurs in terms of support for their start-ups. A lack of studies with this specific focus may detach the pertinent literature from real business practice and the true conditions faced by women during the start-up process. We grounded our analysis in Jordan, a country that has received little attention, despite the fact that it has one of the liveliest entrepreneurial contexts in the Middle East. A sample of 28 institutions operating in Jordan that offer support for entrepreneurial activities were examined. This is followed by a discussion of the main implications of the initiatives dedicated to female entrepreneurs.

Keywords: female entrepreneurs; women entrepreneurs; entrepreneurship; developing countries; Arab countries; Jordan; entrepreneurial support; economic development; gender.

DOI: 10.1504/IJESB.2016.073991

International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, 2016 Vol.27 No.2/3, pp.384 - 409

Received: 20 Apr 2015
Accepted: 04 May 2015
Published online: 31 Dec 2015 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article