Title: Young women's perceptions of successful entrepreneurship: evidence from the Kingdom of Bahrain

Authors: Debashish Sengupta; Charbel M. El Khoury; Ray Titus; Sejal Valera

Addresses: University of Portsmouth, Lower Floor, Juniper House, 221 Hoe Street, E17 9PH, London ' School of Business, American University in Dubai, P.O. Box 28282, Dubai, United Arab Emirates ' Alliance University, School of Business, Anekal, Bengaluru – 562 106, Karnataka, India ' Learning and Curriculum Design Lead, Institute of Product Leadership, Hosur Main Road, Bangalore-560029, India

Abstract: The perception of women concerning entrepreneurship remains among the current and most critical topics that require constant exploration. This research aims to understand the perception of young women concerning successful entrepreneurship in Bahrain. A narrative inquiry method was chosen to collect the data. More precisely, 17 semi-structured interviews with Bahraini women nationals and residents were conducted, and responses were generated using thematic analysis. Findings show that perceptions regarding successful entrepreneurship among young women in Bahrain can be categorised into five themes: triumph over adversity, autonomy and work-life balance, sense of worth (inward) and sense of accomplishment (outward), path to prosperity, and leaving a discernible social impact. While the first three belong to the psychological success indicator, the fourth one is related to social influence, and the fifth fits with the economic return indicator of entrepreneurial success.

Keywords: entrepreneurial intention; entrepreneurial success; young women; entrepreneurial perception.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBEM.2025.142934

International Journal of Business and Emerging Markets, 2025 Vol.17 No.1, pp.26 - 48

Received: 06 May 2023
Accepted: 22 Jun 2023
Published online: 02 Dec 2024 *

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