Gender and Entrepreneurship: Integrating Well-being Dimensions for Women Entrepreneurs in Morocco's Industrial Ecosystem

Abstract

This study examines gender disparities in entrepreneurship within Morocco's emerging economy, investigating how organisational culture, work-life balance, physical infrastructure, and career development affect women entrepreneurs' success. Building on recent research in women's workplace well-being in industrial contexts, this study extends theoretical frameworks to the entrepreneurial ecosystem through a multi- criteria decision-making approach.

A fuzzy TOPSIS methodology was employed to prioritise determinants across three dimensions: environmental factors, entrepreneurial capabilities, and individual characteristics. Data from 180 women entrepreneurs across four sectors (manufacturing 40%, technology 30%, services 20%, trade 10%) in Morocco's three major economic regions (Casablanca-Settat, Tangier-Tétouan-Al Hoceïma, Rabat-Salé-Kénitra) were analysed using linguistic weights and triangular fuzzy numbers.

Results reveal that career development and empowerment (closeness coefficient: 0.847), followed by organisational culture adaptation (0.723), are the most critical factors influencing women entrepreneurs' success. Gender-sensitive support systems and inclusive leadership significantly moderate entrepreneurial outcomes.

This study integrates gendered organisations theory with entrepreneurship research, offering systematic prioritisation of gender-specific barriers in Morocco's entrepreneurial landscape, with actionable implications for policymakers and support institutions.

This study employs a Multi-Criteria Decision-Making (MCDM) approach (Fuzzy TOPSIS), where the reported coefficients (e.g., 0.847; 0.723) represent ranking scores rather than statistical parameters.

Classification JEL: O16, L26, J16, O15

Paper type: Empirical Research