Perspectives of Young Women Entrepreneurs Towards Amazon in Pakistan: An Extension of E-Commerce in a Developing Market
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61506/01.00268Keywords:
Women Entrepreneurs, Amazon, E-commerce, Uses and GratificationAbstract
This research examines the experiences and viewpoints of young female entrepreneurs in Pakistan who use Amazon as a platform to run their businesses. This study aims to gain insights into the challenges and opportunities these women face in the context of e-commerce in a developing market. The researcher carried out a qualitative research approach, to conduct interviews with ten young female entrepreneurs who use Amazon as their business running platform. Through the lens of Uses and Gratification theory and thematic analysis, this study proposes that online earning platforms and digital media serve as tools for the empowerment of women. This research argues that e-commerce platforms like Amazon have the potential to revolutionize the business landscape for young women entrepreneurs in developing markets such as Pakistan. Addressing the challenges faced by these entrepreneurs can lead to greater gender equality and economic empowerment for women in the country. The findings of this research revealed several challenges that these entrepreneurs face, such as issues related to payment methods, logistics, and cultural barriers. Nevertheless, the study also highlights the advantages of using Amazon, including the potential to reach a broader customer base, increase sales, enhance the visibility of their businesses, and most importantly the sense of empowerment and financial independence. Moreover, it also brought valuable insights into how the potential of e-commerce platforms is driving gender equality and economic development.
References
Afza, T., & Amir Rashid, M. (2009). Marginalized women social well‐being through enterprise development: A glimpse of remote women status in Pakistan. Journal of Chinese entrepreneurship, 1(3), 248-267. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/17561390910999533
Alimahomed-Wilson, J., & Reese, E. (2020). Conclusion: Resisting Amazon Capitalism. In J. Alimahomed-Wilson & E. Reese (Eds.), The Cost of Free Shipping: Amazon in the Global Economy (pp. 275–284). Pluto Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16zjhcj.25
Ali, N., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2021). Amazon as a platform for women entrepreneurship in Pakistan: a thematic analysis of opportunities and challenges. Journal of Entrepreneurship in Emerging Economies.
Arshad, U., Yasir, T., & Shakeel, T. (2021, November). Web Usability and User Experience for Pakistani E-commerce websites. In 2021 International Conference on Innovative Computing (ICIC) (pp. 1-7). IEEE. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIC53490.2021.9693036
Barrech, D. M., Aslam, A., Ahmed, M., & Baloch, M. S. (2023). E-commerce in Pakistan: Prospects and Challenges. Al-Qantara, 9(1).
Bezos, J. (2015). The Man Who Sells Everything: A Conversation With Jeff Bezos. Foreign Affairs, 94(1), 2-6.
Bhadury, A. (2017). E Commerce: A silent revolution in women empowerment. International Journal in Management & Social Science, 5(3), 18-26.
Blanchard, E., Chesnokova, T., & Willmann, G. (2017). Private labels and exports: trading variety for volume. Review of World Economics, 153(3), 545-572. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10290-017-0284-2
Brynjolfsson, E., Hu, Y., & Simester, D. (2011). Goodbye Pareto Principle, Hello Long Tail: The Effect of Search Costs on the Concentration of Product Sales. Management Science, 57(8), 1373–1386. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1110.1371
Brynjolfsson, E., Hu, Y., & Smith, M. D. (2003). Consumer surplus in the digital economy: Estimating the value of increased product variety at online booksellers. Management Science, 49(11), 1580-1596. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.49.11.1580.20580
Cachon, G. P. (2004). The allocation of inventory risk in a supply chain: Push, pull, and advance-purchase discount contracts. Management Science, 50(2), 222-238. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.1030.0190
Carbonara, E., & Tagliaventi, M. R. (2023). Introduction: opportunities and challenges of the digital single market. SMEs in the Digital Era, 1-22. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803921648.00006
Chandra, N. H. S., Divyasree, G., & Rudroju, V. (2017). Value addition of underutilised fruits with a conceptual model for women empowerment. Plant Archives, 17(2), 1621-1624.
Chiang, W., & Feng, Y. (2010). Retailer or e-tailer? Strategic pricing and economic-lot-size decisions in a competitive supply chain with drop-shipping. The Journal of the Operational Research Society, 61(11), 1645–1653. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/jors.2009.139
Chin, W. W. (2010). How to write up and report PLS analyses. In Handbook of partial least squares (pp. 655-690). Springer. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-32827-8_29
Datta, S., & Sahu, T. N. (2021). Impact of microcredit on employment generation and empowerment of rural women in India. International Journal of Rural Management, 17(1), 140-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0973005220969552
Davcik, N. S., & Sharma, P. (2020). Entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance in the context of digital transformation: A moderated mediation analysis. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 151, 119812.
Davis, A. M., Katok, E., & Santamaría, N. (2014). Push, pull, or both? A behavioral study of how the allocation of inventory risk affects channel efficiency. Management Science, 60(11), 2666-2683. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1940
Egnell, R. (2016). Gender perspectives and military effectiveness: Implementing UNSCR 1325 and the national action plan on women, peace, and security. Prism, 6(1), 72-89.
Filson, D. (2004). The impact of E‐commerce strategies on firm value: lessons from Amazon. com and its early competitors. The Journal of Business, 77(S2), S135-S154. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/381640
Gupta, V. K., Turban, D. B., Wasti, S. A., & Sikdar, A. (2009). The role of gender stereotypes in perceptions of entrepreneurs and intentions to become an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 33(2), 397-417. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2009.00296.x
Guthrie, S. R. (1995). Liberating the amazon: Feminism and martial arts. Women & Therapy, 16(2-3), 107-119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1300/J015v16n02_12
Haq, Z. A., Imran, M., Ahmad, S., & Farooq, U. (2020). Environment, Islam, and women: a study of eco-feminist environmental activism in Pakistan. Journal of Outdoor and Environmental Education, 23(3), 275-291. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42322-020-00065-4
Huang, X., Li, J., & Li, X. (2019). Entrepreneurial orientation and online reviews: Evidence from China. Journal of Business Research, 96, 104-116.
Imtiaz, S., Ali, S. H., & Kim, D. J. (2020). E-commerce growth in Pakistan: Privacy, security, and trust as potential issues. Culinary Science & Hospitality Research, 26(2), 10-18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20878/cshr.2020.26.2.002
Irani, L. (2015). Difference and dependence among digital workers: The case of Amazon Mechanical Turk. South Atlantic Quarterly, 114(1), 225-234. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1215/00382876-2831665
Jamil, M. A. (2022). Scope, associated risks, and major platforms of e-commerce in Pakistan.
Jamil, S. (2021). Artificial intelligence and journalistic practice: The crossroads of obstacles and opportunities for the Pakistani journalists. Journalism Practice, 15(10), 1400-1422. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1788412
Kalchuri, R. S., & Chhabra, S. (2017). E-Commerce: Tool for Empowering Women. Technological and Managerial Strategies for Next Generation Transformation, 504-510.
Kang, H. Y. (2022). Technological engagement of women entrepreneurs on online digital platforms: Evidence from the Apple iOS App Store. Technovation, 114, 102522. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2022.102522
Khan, L. M. (2019). The Separation of Platforms and Commerce. Columbia Law Review, 119(4), 973–1098.
Khan, M. A., Zubair, S. S., & Malik, M. (2019). An assessment of e-service quality, e-satisfaction and e-loyalty: Case of online shopping in Pakistan. South Asian Journal of Business Studies, 8(3), 283-302. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/SAJBS-01-2019-0016
Khan, M. A., Ahmad, U., Akhtar, S., & Jehanzeb, K. (2021). E-commerce platform adoption in emerging economies: the role of perceived trust, cost, and risk. Electronic Commerce Research, 21(1), 71-98.
Mahmood, B., Sohail, M. M., Khalid, S., & Babak, I. (2012). Gender specific barriers to female entrepreneurs in Pakistan: A study in urban areas of Pakistan. British Journal of Education, Society and Behavioural Science, 2(4), 339-352. DOI: https://doi.org/10.9734/BJESBS/2012/2128
Mahmood, S., Hussain, J., & Z. Matlay, H. (2014). Optimal microfinance loan size and poverty reduction amongst female entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 21(2), 231-249. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JSBED-03-2014-0043
Malik, F., Heeks, R., Masiero, S., & Nicholson, B. (2020). Digital platform labour in Pakistan: Institutional voids and solidarity networks. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/ITP-04-2020-0218
Malik, F., Nicholson, B., & Heeks, R. (2018). Understanding the development implications of online outsourcing: A study of digital labour platforms in Pakistan. Development Informatics Working Paper, (73). DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3427264
Mello, D., & Schmink, M. (2017, November). Amazon entrepreneurs: Women’s economic empowerment and the potential for more sustainable land use practices. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 65, pp. 28-36). Pergamon. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2016.11.008
Moody, K. (2020). Amazon: Context, Structure and Vulnerability. In J. Alimahomed-Wilson & E. Reese (Eds.), The Cost of Free Shipping: Amazon in the Global Economy (pp. 21–34). Pluto Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16zjhcj.8
Moody, K. (2022). Motion and Vulnerability in Contemporary Capitalism: The Shift to Turnover Time. Historical Materialism, 1(aop), 1-32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/1569206X-20222175
Mumtaz, K., & Shaheed, F. (1987). Women of Pakistan: Two steps forward, one step back?.
Noor, F., Bakhtyar, M., & Baber, J. (2019). Sentiment analysis in E-commerce using SVM on Roman Urdu text. In Emerging Technologies in Computing: Second International Conference, iCETiC 2019, London, UK, August 19–20, 2019, Proceedings 2 (pp. 213-222). Springer International Publishing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23943-5_16
Omeihe, K. O., Dakhan, S. A., Khan, M. S., Gustafsson, V., & Amoako, I. O. (2019). Riding the wave: Understanding the context of female entrepreneurship in Pakistan. In Women entrepreneurs and strategic decision making in the global economy (pp. 20-39). IGI Global. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-7479-8.ch002
Qasim, D., Bany Mohammed, A., & Liñán, F. (2018). The role of culture and gender in e-commerce entrepreneurship: Three Jordanian Case studies. Entrepreneurship Ecosystem in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Dynamics in Trends, Policy and Business Environment, 419-432. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75913-5_14
Qasim, Y., & Mahmood, Z. (2021). Why Is Technopreneurship Developing Slowly in Pakistan?. Abasyn University Journal of Social Sciences, 14(2).
Rashid, A. G., & Ejaz, L. (2019). Interest free micro credit loans: Pakistani female entrepreneurs. Journal of Islamic Marketing. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JIMA-04-2018-0071
Rehman, Z. Z. U., & Ahmad, M. (2022). E-commerce growth in Pakistan: A critical review in light of Abhijeet Banerjee’s poverty alleviation theory. Journal of Management Info, 9(2), 189-201. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31580/jmi.v9i2.2640
Rindita, F. S., Majlaton, E. G. I., Singh, A., Namazov, I., & Tick, A. (2021). The Impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on E-commerce. Management, Enterprise and Benchmarking in the 21st Century, 105-124.
Saleem, H., Uddin, M. K. S., Habib-ur-Rehman, S., Saleem, S., & Aslam, A. M. (2019). Strategic data driven approach to improve conversion rates and sales performance of e-commerce websites. International Journal of Scientific & Engineering Research, 10(4), 588-593.
Sarwar, A., Ahsan, Q., & Rafiq, N. (2021). Female entrepreneurial intentions in Pakistan: a theory of planned behavior perspective. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 553963. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.553963
Shah, M. A. (2017). Empowerment and Transformation of Women Entrepreneurs through Digital India Drive. Anveshana, 7(2), 14-27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.23872/aj/2017/v7/i2/168834
Sharma, P., & Singh, R. (2021). Business strategies and performance of women entrepreneurs in the context of e-commerce in India. Journal of Business Research, 134, 268-281.
Sharma, S., & Singh, A. (2021). Role of digital media in empowering women entrepreneurs in developing economies: An exploratory study. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, 28(2), 269-290.
Sovbetov, Y. (2018). Impact of digital economy on female employment: Evidence from Turkey. International Economic Journal, 32(2), 256-270. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10168737.2018.1478868
Sprague, J., & Mullassery Sathiamma, S. (2020). Transnational Amazon: Labor Exploitation and the Rise of E-Commerce in South Asia. In The Cost of Free Shipping: Amazon in the Global Economy (pp. 50-68). Pluto Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv16zjhcj.10
Sulaiman, M., & Al-Esmail, R. (2019). The effect of e-commerce adoption on SMEs' performance: The case of Saudi Arabia. Journal of Small Business Management, 57(4), 1514-1534.
Sultana, F., & Akter, A. (2021). Women e-commerce: Perspective in Bangladesh. Journal of Management, Economics, and Industrial Organization, 5(3), 1-13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31039/jomeino.2021.5.3.1
Taherdoost, H. (2016). Sampling methods in research methodology; how to choose a sampling technique for research. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3205035
Umar, M., Ali, S. A., & Sial, M. H. (2022). Exploring women entrepreneurship prospects, challenges, and barriers in Pakistan. International Journal of E-Entrepreneurship and Innovation (IJEEI), 12(1), 1-17. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4018/IJEEI.290823
Vroom, V. H. (1964). Work and motivation. Wiley.
Weiss, R. M., & Mehrotra, A. K. (2001). Online dynamic pricing: Efficiency, equity and the future of e-commerce. Va. JL & Tech., 6, 1.
Xu, Y. (2016). From E-commerce to she-commerce: the rise of she-era?: a small-scale case study on female entrepreneurs on Taobao in China.
Yunis, M. S., Hashim, H., & Anderson, A. R. (2018). Enablers and constraints of female entrepreneurship in Khyber Pukhtunkhawa, Pakistan: Institutional and feminist perspectives. Sustainability, 11(1), 27. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/su11010027
Zeb, A., & Ihsan, A. (2020, March). Innovation and the entrepreneurial performance in women-owned small and medium-sized enterprises in Pakistan. In Women's Studies International Forum (Vol. 79, p. 102342). Pergamon. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wsif.2020.102342
Zulqarnain, W., Hashmi, N. U., & Zulqarnain, A. Z. (2020). A Path to Empowerment: Usage of Facebook by Pakistani Women Entrepreneurs. Journal of Media Studies, 35(2), 51-63.
