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Women’s entrepreneurship from an institutional perspective: the case of Uzbekistan

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Abstract

This paper aims to make a contribution to our conceptual understanding of women entrepreneurship under ‘early stage’ transition conditions, by researching the nature of it in Uzbekistan. Institutional theory is used as a guiding frame of reference because the specific characteristics of the external environment under transition conditions make the latter a particularly strong influence on entrepreneurship. Empirically, the paper draws on data which was collected in Uzbekistan, within a collaborative research project (INTAS 00-843). The empirical material demonstrates that informal institutions dominating Uzbek society contribute to the prevailing forms of female entrepreneurship.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Damira Mirzakhalikova, Natalja Schakirova and Charos Maksudova for their support in conducting the empirical study in Uzbekistan.

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Correspondence to Friederike Welter.

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Welter, F., Smallbone, D. Women’s entrepreneurship from an institutional perspective: the case of Uzbekistan. Int Entrep Manage J 4, 505–520 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11365-008-0087-y

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