What is it about?
Women entrepreneurs in Nigeria often face challenges when expanding their businesses internationally. These challenges include gender stereotypes, family responsibilities, limited access to business networks, and unstable business environments. This study shows that successful internationalization is not simply about overcoming these barriers but about finding practical ways to work within them. The women entrepreneurs combined careful planning with flexibility, built trusted relationships through family and professional networks, and demonstrated both business competence and social credibility to gain international opportunities. Rather than viewing culture as a barrier, they adapted to cultural expectations while pursuing business growth. The study also shows that entrepreneurial success depends on balancing local cultural values with international business practices. These findings provide new insights into how women in emerging economies create innovative pathways into global markets and offer lessons for policymakers, entrepreneurship support organizations, and future women entrepreneurs seeking more inclusive international business opportunities.
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Why is it important?
Women's entrepreneurship is increasingly recognized as a driver of economic development, innovation, and gender equality, yet many theories of international entrepreneurship are based on evidence from Western economies. This study provides new evidence from Nigeria, showing that women do not simply overcome cultural barriers but strategically work within them to build legitimacy, trust, and international business relationships. The research introduces a new way of understanding international entrepreneurship by showing how cultural expectations can become entrepreneurial resources rather than obstacles. These findings have practical implications for governments, incubators, export promotion agencies, and development organizations seeking to support women-owned businesses in emerging economies. By highlighting context-sensitive pathways to internationalization, the study also contributes to broader discussions on inclusive entrepreneurship, sustainable development, and gender equality.
Perspectives
This project was motivated by a simple question: why do many successful women entrepreneurs in emerging economies remain underrepresented in international entrepreneurship research? Much of the existing literature focuses on barriers, but during our interviews we found something different. These entrepreneurs were remarkably strategic, resilient, and innovative in navigating complex cultural environments. Rather than resisting local traditions, they creatively balanced cultural expectations with international business ambitions. That insight became the foundation of this paper. I hope this research encourages scholars to move beyond deficit-based perspectives and to better recognize the diverse ways women entrepreneurs create opportunities in different institutional and cultural contexts.
Dr. Faisal Saeed Malik
Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Gendered legitimacy and hybrid cultural logics in women’s international entrepreneurship: evidence from Nigerian female entrepreneurs, International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship, July 2026, Emerald,
DOI: 10.1108/ijge-02-2025-0047.
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