A question of ties: The impact of social ties on resource mobilization of women entrepreneurs in the Sri Lankan floriculture industry

Abstract

Current understanding of women entrepreneurs in emerging economies remains limited, despite the fact that women entrepreneur numbers are rapidly growing across the globe. In particular, there is little empirical study on how women entrepreneurs identify opportunities, access resources and develop business networks. Floriculture is a booming agribusiness in Sri Lanka, especially for women growers. This research identifies the social reality of respondents and examines it objectively. The research used a mixed design, with questionnaire surveys. The interview sample was of floriculturists in Western Province. Variables of influence included support from family and from institutes. The study found that 76% of women sampled received support from their family and 16% support from other institutes. The results revealed that both strong ties and weak ties play a significant role in determining business growth for Sri Lankan women entrepreneurs.
Keywords: Floriculture, social capital, strong ties, Sri Lanka, weak ties, women entrepreneurship