Improving the Entrepreneurial Intentions of Women in Malaysia: A Conceptual Framework

Women's entrepreneurship has gained recognition as a crucial catalyst for economic development, social advancement, and job creation, particularly in emerging economies such as Malaysia. Despite concerted efforts by Malaysia to promote gender parity, significant disparities remain in female entrepreneurial participation. This shift also aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 5, which advocates for women's economic empowerment and involvement in leadership positions. This paper presents a conceptual framework that investigates the theoretical analysis of the elements that impact women's intention to start their businesses, particularly in Malaysia. This conceptual framework integrates the Push-Pull-Mooring (PPM) Migration Model with the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to provide a comprehensive understanding of their intention and address the existing literature gap. Although the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) has been extensively utilised to predict entrepreneurial intentions through attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control, it has been limited in capturing contextual and structural barriers faced by women in the literature. Nevertheless, it does not adequately explore its impact on push and pull variables, particularly the mediating role of mooring factors on women's entrepreneurial intentions. To bridge this gap, the PPM model introduces socio-cultural (push) and opportunity-driven (pull) factors influencing women’s decisions to pursue entrepreneurship. The proposed framework fills a critical gap in the existing literature by offering a multidimensional understanding of the drivers of female entrepreneurial intention, addressing internal motivations and external influences on women’s entrepreneurial behaviour. It also offers practical insights for policymakers to develop targeted strategies that remove barriers and enhance support entrepreneurial ecosystems benefiting aspiring women in Malaysia. Ultimately, the paper aims to contribute to Malaysia’s progress toward SDG 5 by promoting inclusive economic participation and creating a supportive environment for women’s entrepreneurial growth.