Author Identifier

Hina Fatima: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4795-9625  

Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis - ECU Access Only

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated)

School

School of Business and Law

First Supervisor

Uma Jogulu

Second Supervisor

Jalleh Sharafizad

Third Supervisor

Tom Barratt

Abstract

This thesis examines how women entrepreneurs, who often face social capital deficiencies, use social media as a source of online social capital to support their early stage businesses. Recognising that women entrepreneurs are not a homogenous group and that migrant women face additional barriers, particularly in accessing social capital, this study conducts a comparative analysis of 3 distinct groups: non-migrant, long-term migrant, and recent migrant women entrepreneurs. Drawing on qualitative data from 35 semi-structured interviews, the study investigates participants’ social media usage behaviours, particularly relationship building (with customers, suppliers, and other business owners), resource acquisition, and marketing, across all three groups. The findings show that women leverage social media as a source of online social capital to foster strong business relationships, access multiple resources, and generate sufficient sales during early business stages. Importantly, the cross-cohort comparison highlights differences in the way these groups used social media and the varying impact it had on their business activities.

Grounded in the social capital theory, this research makes three contributions. First, through a comparative analysis of three cohorts, the study underscores “duration of stay in the host country” as a key differentiating factor for social capital configurations among women entrepreneurs. These variations in offline social capital shaped how each group engaged with social media to cultivate online social capital, which then influenced their business outcomes. Second, it demonstrates that online social capital development is a time and effort intensive process, which involves several stages and the interplay between online and offline settings. This finding extends social capital theory by emphasising the processual and demanding nature of online social capital accumulation and helps explain why its impact on entrepreneurial outcomes may not be optimal. Third, the research shows that social media positively impacts women’s business activities during the crucial early stages but does not lead to significant performance gains. This suggests that while online social capital can mitigate women’s social capital deficiencies, its influence is satisficing rather than performance-maximising. This insight offers a nuanced understanding of the extent to which digital networks can support early-stage women’s entrepreneurship. These findings demonstrate a core tenet of social capital theory that ties formed through social media, both weak and strong, can enhance business activities in the start-up phases, though their impact remains modest.

Access Note

Access to this thesis is embargoed until 12th February 2031 

DOI

10.25958/grk8-h382

Download

Available for download on Wednesday, February 12, 2031

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