An Empirical Investigation of Multi-Dimensional Factors Influencing the Entrepreneurial Intensity of Women Entrepreneurs in West Bengal

Abstract

Entrepreneurship plays a pivotal role in societal prosperity and economic development. The promotion of women entrepreneurship, recognized globally as a key objective of sustainable development, serves as a powerful mechanism for women’s empowerment. Prior research indicates that women entrepreneurs contribute significantly to national GDP, generate employment, reduce poverty and inequality, and enhance overall social welfare. Although women possess many inherent qualities that make them capable and successful business owners, they often encounter barriers that restrict their growth from small, under-resourced ventures to larger and more profitable enterprises. In India, despite substantial leadership potential among women, structural, socioeconomic, and political constraints hinder their entrepreneurial advancement. To overcome these challenges and achieve sustained business success, women entrepreneurs must exhibit high levels of Entrepreneurial Intensity (EI)—a construct reflecting the degree of entrepreneurial activity within a business, determined by an individual’s innovativeness, risk-taking ability, and proactivity. EI is considered a strong predictor of business performance as it captures the commitment and focus entrepreneurs devote to their ventures. A comprehensive review of literature identifies four core dimensions of EI: innovativeness, proactiveness, risk-taking, and competitive aggressiveness. This study investigates the potential positive influence of multiple identified factors on the entrepreneurial intensity of women-owned enterprises in West Bengal and proposes corresponding hypotheses for empirical examination. With the help of SMART PLS software, a conceptual model was tested to measure the impact of various factors influencing entrepreneurial intensity among women entrepreneurs.