Title: Configurational Pathways to Women's Economic Empowerment: Social Entrepreneurship in Vietnam's Rural and Ethnic Minority Communities
Authors: Le Kim Ngoc NGUYEN
Volume: 9
Issue: 7
Pages: 140-150
Publication Date: 2025/07/28
Abstract:
This study investigates the complex mechanisms through which social entrepreneurship facilitates women's economic empowerment in Vietnam's rural and ethnic minority communities. Drawing upon capability approach theory and feminist economics, this research develops a comprehensive theoretical framework that examines the configurational pathways linking social entrepreneurship initiatives to women's economic outcomes. The study employs a mixed-method approach, combining structural equation modelling (SEM) using partial least squares with fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to analyse data from 387 women entrepreneurs across northern Vietnam's mountainous regions. The findings reveal that social entrepreneurship creates economic empowerment through multiple pathways, with social capital, access to microfinance, and community support serving as critical mediating factors. The fsQCA analysis identifies three distinct configurational pathways to high empowerment outcomes: resource-intensive, network-based, and hybrid configurations. The study demonstrates that contextual factors including ethnic identity, geographic isolation, and traditional gender roles significantly moderate these relationships. These findings contribute to the growing literature on social entrepreneurship and gender empowerment whilst providing practical insights for policy development and programme implementation in emerging economies. The research offers theoretical contributions to understanding how social entrepreneurship operates as a mechanism for inclusive economic development, particularly in contexts characterised by structural disadvantage and cultural complexity.