Synthesis of Necessity and Opportunity Motivation Factors in Women Entrepreneurship: A Systematic Literature Review

The dichotomy of the Necessity and Opportunity motivation (Push-Pull model) has been frequently used to explain Women Entrepreneurial Motivation (WEM) unvaryingly in most situations. The literature indicates a need for clarity and precision in the context-specific conceptualization of this construct. Understanding the disparities between WEM in developed and developing nations will further clear the ambiguity. The current article addresses this gap in three stages. Systematically analyzing 103 articles published in WEM research, an exhaustive list of all WEM factors is built and categorized as necessity and opportunity motivation using Computer-Aided Qualitative Data Analysis Software (CAQDAS) assisted Thematic Content Analysis (TCA). Subsequently, necessity and opportunity motivation themes are generated and the related sub-themes and their constituents are identified. Finally, the contextual differences in WEM tendencies are highlighted in the light of women entrepreneurship in developed and developing nations. The main contribution of this review, apart from the comprehensive consolidation of WEM factors, is the revelation of the clear contextual difference in the usage and connotation of certain WEM factors in developed and developing countries. These contextual insights of WEM may provide future research scholars as well as policymakers with an improved understanding of necessity and opportunity motivation factors.