Empowering women entrepreneurs: Harnessing social networks and resource gap with the role of institutional support to achieve sustainable development goals in Pakistan

Women entrepreneurship in Pakistan is vital for economic growth yet remains less profitable than men's businesses, challenging goals for gender equality (SDG 5) and decent work (SDG 8). Grounded on resource-based theory (RBT), this study investigates how social networking, resource shortage, and institutional support determine the performance of women-owned businesses (WOBs). Further, this research also explores the moderating role of available institutional support within the model. Data were collected via structured questionnaires from women entrepreneurs listed on the targeted women chamber of commerce registered with the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Authority (SMEDA). Analysis using Smart PLS-4 firstly revealed that social networking has a strong positive effect on the performance (β = 0.378, p < 0.010) of WOB, contributing to SDG 8 by fostering economic growth and job creation. Secondly, resource shortage severely diminishes WOB's performance (β = -0.471, p < 0.000). Thirdly, while institutional support directly negatively impacts (β = -0.274, p < 0.000) the performance, it positively moderates the social networking-performance relationship, strengthening it by 24 %. Conversely, it exacerbates the negative impact of resource shortage on the performance of WOB by 14 %. These results highlight a significant deficiency in existing entrepreneurship ecosystems. This study recommends that policymakers discontinue conventional institutional support and instead develop focused efforts that directly facilitate social networking and resource sharing through mentorship incubators, thereby endorsing gender equality (SDG 5) and reducing inequities (SDG 10). This customized strategy is essential for empowering women-owned businesses to achieve the Decent Work and Economic Growth, (SDG 8) and fostering innovation (SDG 9).