Effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy on entrepreneurial success among females in Australia: the role of institutional support and resilience

Women persistently encounter substantial social and economic disparities that hinder entrepreneurial performance. This study examines the impact of female entrepreneurial action on entrepreneurial self-efficacy, considering the moderating role of institutional support. Additionally, it explores how resilience influences the relationship between self-efficacy and entrepreneurial success. These relationships are contextualised within the discourse on sustainable development, with particular reference to UN SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth). Data were obtained from female entrepreneurs in Australia through an online survey. To evaluate the hypotheses, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed. Common method bias was examined using Harman’s single-factor test and full collinearity variance inflation factor (VIF) values. Discriminant validity was confirmed through the use of heterotrait-monotrait (HTMT) ratios. The sample encompassed ventures in retail, professional services, food and hospitality, technology, and creative industries. Entrepreneurial action positively impacts entrepreneurial self-efficacy, which subsequently enhances entrepreneurial success. The mediating function of self-efficacy was substantiated. Based on New Institutional Economics (NIE), this study reveals that in highly individualistic societies, such as Australia, institutional support weakens the pathway from action to self-efficacy. Conversely, Australia’s cultural orientation towards high indulgence strengthens the positive moderating effect of resilience on the relationship between self-efficacy and career success. Unlike previous studies focused on developing-country constrained contexts, this study examines Australia as a developed-country constrained context using established rather than nascent ventures. It extends NIE theory to a high-income constrained context and connects the findings to SDG 5 and SDG 8, positioning female entrepreneurial empowerment as both an economic and a global sustainability priority.