Psychological capital and sustainable performance among women entrepreneurs: Evidence from successful single-mother entrepreneurs in Kelantan, Malaysia
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Women entrepreneurs, and single mothers in particular, often build businesses under financial strain, heavy family responsibility and social stigma, yet the psychological resources that help some of them sustain their ventures remain under-theorised. This paper examines how psychological capital (PsyCap), comprising hope, self-efficacy, resilience and optimism, relates to the sustainable performance of women-owned micro and small enterprises. This conceptual study grounded in qualitative evidence of 12 successful Kelantanese single-mother entrepreneurs through semi-structured interviews and thematic analysis. All four PsyCap components were identifiable from informants' inputs, in culturally specific forms which are written goals and alternative-pathway thinking (hope), confidence built on prior experience and communication (self-efficacy), recovery from bereavement, divorce, equipment failure and the COVID-19 pandemic (resilience), and the reframing of problems as opportunities alongside faith-based trust in God (optimism). These resources appeared to translate into economic sustainability (planning, cash buffers, product diversification) and social sustainability (jobs for low-income women, family and community support) through self-organising management and operational practices, and were reinforced by family, network, mentoring and government support. Five propositions and a conceptual framework are offered. The paper extends PsyCap theory to a faith-embedded, resource-constrained setting and offers a testable agenda for researchers and practical guidance for programme designers and policymakers.
Language: English
Subfield: Management of Technology and Innovation
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7225446382