Purpose

Cognitive drivers of opportunity identification and development are important in entrepreneurship. This study examines antecedents of opportunity development among women founders of digital platform start-ups, defined as technology-mediated sites that facilitate user interactions, processing of transactions or other innovative practices. The opportunity identification and development literature framed our exploration of drivers into digital entrepreneurship among women in a middle-income economy, an area under-represented in prior research.

Design/methodology/approach

This research uses in-depth interview data with women founders of five digital platform start-ups in South Africa. The authors supplemented primary interviews with secondary data from a global big data site to provide context for how investors are funding women-owned start-ups in the country.

Findings

Entrepreneurs’ heightened alertness to opportunity developed from a confluence of factors such as personal values, impatience at the slow pace of change in post-Apartheid South Africa, corporate ennui and building for-profit business models driven by social purpose. Respondents had multiple identities, including gender, culture and generation that influenced their development as entrepreneurs and their adoption of digital platform strategy for start-up ventures.

Research limitations/implications

Multiple factors influence women entrepreneurs during the opportunity identification and development process as they enact the creation of digital platform start-ups. The authors recommend additional research linking opportunity identification and development to gender in emerging markets.

Practical implications

South Africa is witnessing the emergence of women-owned digital platform start-ups that attract risk capital investment. These entrepreneurs are university educated and use prior corporate experience to create growth-oriented companies that government should support.

Originality/value

The study contributes to opportunity identification theory building based on context, specifically how the concepts and strategies can inform new models that include women entrepreneurs.

中文翻译：

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女性企业家对数字平台初创企业的机会识别：来自南非的新证据

目的

机会识别和发展的认知驱动因素在创业中很重要。本研究考察了数字平台初创企业女性创始人机会发展的前因，这些初创企业被定义为促进用户互动、交易处理或其他创新实践的技术中介网站。机会识别和发展文献构建了我们对中等收入经济体中女性数字创业驱动因素的探索，这一领域在先前的研究中代表性不足。

设计/方法/方法

这项研究使用了对南非五家数字平台初创企业的女性创始人的深入访谈数据。作者用来自全球大数据网站的二手数据补充了初步采访，为投资者如何资助该国女性拥有的初创企业提供背景信息。

发现

企业家对机会的高度警觉性源于个人价值观、对后种族隔离后南非变化缓慢的不耐烦、企业厌倦和建立由社会目的驱动的营利性商业模式等因素。受访者具有多种身份，包括性别、文化和世代，这影响了他们作为企业家的发展以及他们对初创企业采用数字平台战略的方式。

研究限制/影响

在机会识别和发展过程中，多重因素会影响女性企业家，因为她们制定了数字平台初创企业的创建。作者建议进行额外的研究，将机会识别和发展与新兴市场的性别联系起来。

实际影响

南非正在见证吸引风险资本投资的女性拥有的数字平台初创企业的出现。这些企业家受过大学教育，并利用以前的企业经验创建政府应该支持的以增长为导向的公司。

原创性/价值

该研究有助于建立基于背景的机会识别理论，特别是这些概念和策略如何为包括女企业家在内的新模型提供信息。