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Of resistance to patriarchy and occupation through a virtual bazaar: an institutional theory critique of the emancipatory potential of Palestinian women’s digital entrepreneurship

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  • Doaa Althalathini
  • Hayfaa A. Tlaiss

Abstract

This study explores how institutional contexts and digital technologies influence women’s digital entrepreneurship and emancipation potential in the conflict-laden, Arab country-specific context of Palestine. Drawing on insights from Institutional Theory and emancipation literature, we capitalize on in-depth, semi-structured online interviews with Palestinian women entrepreneurs. Accordingly, we present empirical evidence demonstrating that while digital technologies enabled Palestinian women to launch their enterprises, the unsupportive institutional contexts confined them to home-based, feminine enterprises and subjected them to a toll of additional challenges, health issues and hostility. Our findings challenge the claim that digital entrepreneurship emancipates women by showcasing the context-specific nature of emancipation. This paper advances entrepreneurship research by demonstrating how Arab women’s digital entrepreneurship unfolds at the intersection between emancipatory enablers and unique, conflict-laden regulatory, normative, and cultural-cognitive institutional pillars.

Suggested Citation

  • Doaa Althalathini & Hayfaa A. Tlaiss, 2023. "Of resistance to patriarchy and occupation through a virtual bazaar: an institutional theory critique of the emancipatory potential of Palestinian women’s digital entrepreneurship," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 35(9-10), pages 956-978, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:entreg:v:35:y:2023:i:9-10:p:956-978
    DOI: 10.1080/08985626.2023.2241412
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    Cited by:

    1. Newman, Arielle & Lewis, Alexander & Coles, Ryan, 2025. "Emancipatory entrepreneurship in postcolonial economies: The clash of institutional systems in the Kejetia marketplace," Journal of Business Venturing, Elsevier, vol. 40(4).
    2. Mohamed Mousa & Doaa Althalathini & Vesa Puhakka, 2025. "When Grand Societal Challenges Stimulate the Creation of Public Value: A Study of Nurses in a Non‐Western Public Healthcare Sector," Public Administration & Development, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 45(2), pages 146-158, May.
    3. David Urbano & Claudia Alvarez & Tatiana Lopez, 2026. "Towards a comprehensive framework of the institutional dimensions in entrepreneurship research," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 66(3), pages 1059-1116, March.
    4. Jonghyun Lee & Jisong Kim, 2025. "Analyzing Determinants’ Priorities of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems for ICT Start-Ups in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Path Toward Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-22, February.
    5. Ishani Patharia Chopra & Kajal Jain & Tanu Jain, 2025. "Women’s e-entrepreneurship: a typology-based synthesis of drivers and challenges," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 15(1), pages 1-20, December.
    6. Camps, Carolin & Kraus, Sascha & Thomas, Asha & Tiberius, Victor & Jones, Paul, 2026. "Digital Entrepreneurship: A review, research synthesis, and development of a framework," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 84(C).

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