SUSTAINABLE SOLOPRENEURSHIP PRACTICES: THE ROLE OF GENDER

Abstract

Sustainability practices have grown to an increasing significance for entrepreneurial success, reflecting the true commitment to environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic viability. While sustainability and gender in entrepreneurship have been approached as independent studies, the point of confluence of both gender and sustainable solopreneurship practices has not been the focus of much research. The aim of the research was to comprehensively examine sustainable solopreneurship practices, focusing on the significant role of gender dynamics. The purposive sampling method was adopted to select 10 solopreneurs and investigate their experiences. This study used a phenomenological research design, and the data collection method includes semi-structured interviews, allowing the participants to explain in detail their motives, challenges, and strategies for practicing sustainability. The identification of the patterns and variations was conducted through thematic analyses to ensure the legitimacy of the rigor and credibility. The study found that the challenges are family expectations and gender stereotyping, while the opportunities are profitability and adaptability to market changes. Strategies that emerged for financial resilience included savings and cost efficiency through bulk purchases and energy conservation. The study has enormous implications for the design of tailored support to aid males in female-dominated businesses, access to capital and resources for them, and suggests the need for financial literacy programs and policy initiatives on sustainability practices. These provide the way forward for the above-addressed challenges in creating an enabling environment for sustainable solopreneurship.