Rural Women Entrepreneurs in Oman: Motivations and Behaviors

Omar Durrah

Dhofar University, Oman

Biography :

Omar Durrah is an Associate Professor and Chairperson of Management Department, College of Commerce and Business Admin­istration, Dhofar University, Oman. He holds a PhD in management (2011). He is a Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Advance HE, UK. His researches focus on behavioral, psychological, and organizational subjects, In addition to entrepreneurship. He has 34 papers indexed in Scopus and web of science in many journals. He serves as a member of the editorial board/scientific committees of several peer reviewed research journals and conferences. Durrah won the National Research Award in Oman 2021.

Abstract :

This study offers a novel approach to promoting women’s entrepreneurship by illuminating the motivations and barriers affecting women’s participation in Oman’s rural communities. The study’s main goal is to identify the extrinsic and intrinsic factors that encourage rural women to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors. Further­more, the study aims to determine whether these women’s decision to become entrepreneurs is influenced by “pull” factors, “push” factors, or a combination of the both. A sample of 183 female entrepreneurs from Oman’s rural districts participated in a quantitative study. The research hypotheses were tested using structural equa­tion modeling (SEM) by SmartPLS software. The study’s findings provide insight into the existence of a positive influence of extrinsic factors on the behaviour of Omani rural women entrepreneurs to start organizing their own projects. The findings also show that the attitudes and motivations of female entrepreneurs have an impact on their behavior when it comes to choosing self-employment. These findings provide important insights into the tangible incentives that motivate women’s entrepreneurship in rural Oman. Policymakers can use these findings to create measures that promote the social empowerment of rural Omani women and encourage their active engagement in economic endeavors, thereby contributing to Oman’s development.