Why husbands matter: Review of spousal influence on women entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This article seeks to advance our understanding of successful women entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa by examining how husbands contribute to women's entrepreneurial activity and performance. Little is known about husbands’ influence in this region, although sub-Saharan women entrepreneurs are deeply embedded in their families and are important drivers of social and economic development. Based on a systematic literature review identifying six recurring types of supportive and constraining spousal influence, we explore the implications for women entrepreneurship in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that sub-Saharan Africa differs substantially from the context of previous research and derive propositions of how spousal influence is affected by resource-scarce entrepreneurial ecosystems, patriarchal societies and work-family integration. Our propositions illustrate the importance of contextualizing spousal influence and highlight that husbands are critical stakeholders for women entrepreneurs in sub-Saharan Africa.