Josy Scholtz, Yvonne du Plessis
Abstract
Women business owners in the construction industry are seldom able to develop from emerging status to sustainable entrepreneurs who can compete with established construction companies. This paper surfaces the enablers women business owners in low-cost housing projects utilised to build and grow sustainable construction companies. An interpretivist-constructivist philosophy was applied during this study seeking solutions from the real world where knowledge is influenced by people within a specified context. This philosophical stance is subjective in nature.
The primary data were collected from 10 voluntary and purposively selected participants (successful women business owners) who provided their work-life experiences and reflected on the deeper meaning of enablers of women business owners in the real world of the construction industry in a developing country context. The same data were inductively organised into themes. Comparative and iterative analysis by means of open, axial and selective coding resulted in twelve (12) enabling themes, which provided the thematic base comprising foundational, operational and external factors for the development of an enabling framework as was the main objective of this study. This study adds value in the general domain of gender equity in business and construction project management. The thematic framework emphasises the barriers and the enablers relating to success as experienced by women entrepreneurs in construction.