RESPONSIBLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP VISION DEVELOPMENT AND ETHICS

Understanding spatial mobility and
spatial capability in women entrepreneurship:
a case study on Saudi women entrepreneurs
Sara ALSHAREEF
Royal Holloway University of London
sara.alshareef.2013@live.rhul.ac.uk
Abstract: This study aimed to understand spatial mobility and spatial capability and its role in women’s
entrepreneurial social activities. The paper focused on Saudi Arabia and considered it as a unique context
when it comes to discussing women’s mobility. In-depth interviews were conducted to position spatial mobility
and spatial capability in entrepreneurship studies. Therefore, the study examined whether women’s
entrepreneurial social activities influence their spatial mobility and spatial capability, or is women condition
of spatial mobility and spatial capability determines and shapes their entrepreneurial activities. In addition,
this paper examined the contextual factors that of influence to women’s mobility.
This study focused on nascent entrepreneurs and the start-up phase of the businesses to generate an understanding
of women’s capabilities and experience of constraints. With that in min this study found that nascent
women entrepreneurs adjust their entrepreneurial social activities due to the structure of mobility in the society.
In addition, family ideology was one of the main components that shape nascent women entrepreneur’s
choice to travel and to participate in social activities. This clearly showed that nascent women entrepreneurs
accept the constraints by adapting to the limited mobility that exist in this study context and they refer to it
as a ‘preference of choice’.
Keywords: nascent women entrepreneurs, spatial mobility, spatial capabilities, family ideology, Saudi
Arabia
Theoretical framework
The study considered entrepreneurship from the conception of new venture creation
(Bygrave & Hofer, 1991). The start-up phase of entrepreneurship is defined as the activity
undertaken by an individual that culminates in the development of a new feasible firm
(Hechavarria & Reynolds, 2009). The start-up phase is a complex process (Jack & Anderson,
2002). Therefore, studying this early phase allows for further understanding of how
entrepreneurship can be fostered (Stevenson & Jarillo, 1990). It is argued in the study that if
entrepreneurship as a discipline focuses on identifying opportunities, then it is crucial to look