Exploring Barriers and Enablers for Women Entrepreneurs in Urban Ireland: A Qualitative Study of the Greater Dublin Area

Marcus Goncalves (), Megan Trainor and Andreana Ursini
Additional contact information
Marcus Goncalves: Boston University Metropolitan College, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Megan Trainor: Boston University Metropolitan College, Boston, MA 02215, USA
Andreana Ursini: Boston University Metropolitan College, Boston, MA 02215, USA

Social Sciences, 2025, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-36

Abstract: This research investigates the pivotal role of women’s entrepreneurship in urban Ireland. Utilizing a demand–constraint–choice framework for analysis, it explores the diverse motivations behind Irish women’s entrepreneurial ventures, emphasizing the impact of time- and place-specific factors. The study also assesses gender equality and disparities. This qualitative research presents a comparative analysis of motivations, perceptions, and experiences conducted through semi-structured interviews in Ireland’s diverse cultural and economic contexts. The findings highlight the influence of cultural factors on women’s entrepreneurial choices and the significance of government support systems. They underscore the necessity of proactive government intervention for gender-inclusive economic development, offering insights applicable beyond Ireland. Valuable for policymakers, researchers, and entrepreneurs, the findings enhance understanding of women’s entrepreneurial leadership, contributing to global strategies for empowering women in entrepreneurship. Several policy recommendations are provided.

Keywords: women entrepreneurship; push and pull motivational factors; Ireland; international entrepreneurship; gender inequality; gender disparities; Irish women entrepreneur; SDG:5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/7/412/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0760/14/7/412/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:14:y:2025:i:7:p:412-:d:1691067

Access Statistics for this article

Social Sciences is currently edited by Ms. Yvonne Chu

More articles in Social Sciences from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().