Soghra Ashouri; Zahra Mirhosseini
Abstract
AbstractThis qualitative research focused on exploring the meaning of entrepreneurship and analyzing how women entrepreneurs operate within the context of the Instagram social network. ...
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AbstractThis qualitative research focused on exploring the meaning of entrepreneurship and analyzing how women entrepreneurs operate within the context of the Instagram social network. To achieve this, in-depth interviews were conducted with 14 women entrepreneurs, each possessing an active Instagram presence. The collected data underwent thematic analysis, revealing three overarching themes: "(1) Instagram and the presentation of women's skills," "(2) Instagram online shops conducive to women’s multifold roles," and "(3) Instagram as a novel platform for women's expressive societal engagement." Along with the three overarching themes, seven organized themes were recognized: "Instagram shop," "customer-centric approach," "rapid business expansion," "work-life balance," "simultaneous progress and presence," "occupation suitability with feminine character,” and “prospects for women's personal development and creativity.” The findings of this study revealed that the virtual space, particularly Instagram, has established a secure, dynamic, and adaptable intellectual and action-oriented environment for women entrepreneurs to exert a socio-economic impact. Through this platform, women entrepreneurs can effectively attract and connect with customers while shaping their viewpoints and behaviors.IntroductionOver the course of recent decades, women’s role and participation in economic spheres have seen a significant expansion and diversification. This diversity can be attributed to a host of factors: advancements in technology, the acknowledgement of women's rights for independent socio-economic activities, and the complex challenges arising from their multiple roles within the family, personal, economic, social, and cultural realms. Entrepreneurship is a vital factor in increasing employment and, in turn, a nation's Gross National Product (GNP). This can lead to reduced imports, increased exports, and economic growth. Given these realities, if women are offered opportunities and conditions to participate in entrepreneurial endeavors, they can assume a substantial role in a country's economic progression. Within this framework, the cyberspace, encompassing platforms like Instagram, provides an enabling environment for women's entrepreneurial ventures. It seems that women have, to some extent, leveraging novel platforms such as cyberspace and international and domestic social media, managed to establish a competitive and inventive space for women-owned businesses that operate as online stores. This research seeks to explore and analyze women's entrepreneurship in cyberspace, with a specific focus on Instagram. The significance of this study lies in its potential to shed light on the entrepreneurial experiences of women operating online shops on Instagram. Furthermore, it can aid policymakers in crafting comprehensive and effective policies concerning women and the digital realm, with a particular emphasis on women's entrepreneurship.MethodologyThe primary objective of this research is to undertake a sociological analysis of female university graduates' entrepreneurial activities on Instagram and understand the process through which these entrepreneurial actions emerge and operate on this platform. As such, a qualitative approach and thematic analysis through conducting in-depth, semi-structured interviews are considered necessary for this study. The study's population encompasses female university graduates aged between 20 and 50, holding degrees ranging from associates to doctorates. All interviewees have less than 10 years of entrepreneurial experience and fall into the micro or medium category, either being self-employed or employing less than 20 individuals. The inclusion criterion stipulates that each participant has an active Instagram page for their entrepreneurial venture. The interviewed sample demonstrates a notable diversity in various aspects. For instance, this diversity encompasses differing levels of entrepreneurial experience, the relationship between the participants' field of study and their entrepreneurial venture, variations in terms of their business registration status, and distinctions between micro and medium-level businesses. To address the challenge of accessing individuals possessing specific characteristics, a snowball sampling method was utilized to select our interviewees. According to this method, one or more participants who fulfill the research criteria are asked to refer the researcher to others who share similar traits. A total of 14 individuals were interviewed, and theoretical saturation was reached after the 12th interview. To ensure reliability, two additional interviews were conducted, ultimately resulting in a total of 14 participants for this study.Results:Based on the analysis of the data collected through the interviews, the research yielded a series of findings that include 45 basic themes, 7 organizing themes, and 3 overarching themes. Below is a tabular representation of the findings: Basic themeOrganizing ThemeOverarching ThemeOfficially starting work by creating an Instagram page, finding entrepreneurs through Instagram pages, attracting the attention of economic institutions and news agencies to entrepreneurial activities, production networking, sales networking, marketplace creation networkingInstagram StoreInstagram and the presentation of women’s abilitiesGenerating ideas through direct messages, learning advertising from Instagram, learning to create sales content from Instagram, providing consulting to others to start a businessCustomer-CentricExcitement from creating, the joy of seeing the final result, the joy of seeing customer satisfaction, the joy of attracting customers and capturing their attention, flexible work, the blossoming of talents, the desire for innovative ideas, the desire for beauty and beautification, earning money and ensuring a happy time for oneselfRapid GrowthInstagram online shops suitable for women’s multiple rolesHousework and economic activity simultaneously, economic activity while raising children, the emergence and development of children’s talents, family members’ voluntary and joyful participation in entrepreneurshipWork-life balanceInterest in social activities, desire to impact society, not being indifferent to the economy of women, striving to influence the cultural society, striving to be useful in societyMoving Forward and in the MomentInstagram as a new platform for women’s active social actionLack of understanding of women’s conditions and identity roles in administrative jobs, striving to prove one’s abilities in administrative centers, the monotony of administrative work, unwillingness to do monotonous work, desire for a change in job, desire to balance multiple roles, desire to regain identityOpportunity for Women’s Growth and CreativityJob security, financial independence, skill development, recovery of personal-social-family identityJob Suitability with Feminine PersonalityConclusionAn examination of the research findings uncovers that female entrepreneurs on Instagram not only prioritize offering superior service to their customers but also express a concern for promoting healthy and value-based living. Moreover, these entrepreneurs do not shy away from imparting their profession to customers who wish to learn, thereby sharing their knowledge to foster the emergence of new entrepreneurial endeavors. This research highlights several vital characteristics of Instagram, as identified by the interviewees, that contribute to the value and advantages of Instagram-based businesses: (1) swiftness in communication, learning, and product delivery; (2) decreased time and capital demands for promoting and introducing the created product; (3) the lasting impact and establishment of entrepreneurship as a trusted reference; and (4) a secure environment for women to conduct significant economic and social activities, all while staying true to their feminine identities.
