Driving women entrepreneurial empowerment through training – a configurational analysis

Purpose This study reconceptualizes women’s entrepreneurial empowerment as a configurational capability system. It challenges the assumption of linear, additive effects of empowerment. This study aims to demonstrate how distinct combinations of empowerment dimensions drive entrepreneurial growth in contexts of institutional voids. Design/methodology/approach Drawing on the capability approach and configurational theorizing, the study employs fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA). The study examines primary data from 120 rural women entrepreneurs trained through India’s Rural Self Employment Training Institutes (RSETIs). Six empowerment domains (economic, personal agency, business, digital, social and legal) are analysed for their influence on business growth. Findings Results identify Legal and institutional empowerment as a necessary condition for growth. The study also revealed two sufficient configurations of success: first, a holistic empowerment profile across all six domains, and second, a capability-driven pathway where strong business, digital and Legal and institutional empowerment compensate for weaker economic, personal and social resources. Research limitations/implications The study is context-specific to rural India and RSETI-trained women entrepreneurs, which may limit generalizability. Future research could extend the configurational lens to other regions and entrepreneurial ecosystems. Practical implications The findings provide actionable insights for policymakers and training institutions. Study highlights the need for differentiated empowerment strategies that adapt to varying resource profiles in institutional voids. Social implications The identified pathways inform the design of entrepreneurship development programmes that strengthen women’s economic participation, support inclusive rural development and advance gender-responsive policy objectives in emerging economies. They also highlight the potential of entrepreneurial empowerment to enhance women’s agency, household decision-making and community participation, contributing to broader social inclusion, improved household and community well-being and gradual shifts in gendered power relations. Originality/value This research advances entrepreneurship theory by framing empowerment as a context-contingent, configurational phenomenon rather than a universal, linear process. It provides fresh theoretical and practical contributions for designing entrepreneurship development programs in institutional voids.