RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS AND GROWTH EXPECTATIONS OF FEMALE UNIVERSITY EMPLOYEES RUNNING HOME-BASED FOOD BUSINESSES IN MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2026.9.2.968Abstract
Abstract: Home-based food businesses provide women with a way to enter entrepreneurship, yet their resources remain limited in the home environment. This study examined the constraints faced by women operating home-based food businesses and the resources they expected to access in order to grow their businesses. Using an exploratory qualitative study, three focus group discussions were held with ten non-academic women who worked at a public Malaysian university. The focus group data were analysed thematically, guided by the Resource-Based View. The data revealed three types of resource constraints these women experienced in their business: physical constraints related to their space and equipment, financial constraints related to ingredient costs and food prices, and organisational constraints related to the labour required for food production and delivery. The women expected to gain resources such as additional equipment and a larger workspace. These constraints were interconnected: financial constraints limited the purchase of additional equipment, which in turn restricted their ability to produce more food, while the lack of space further limited food production and storage. These constraints suggest that women require the resources needed to grow their food businesses. Other resources that could provide adequate support include establishing shared production facilities, access to appropriate equipment, collective purchasing of packaging supplies, and assistance with costing and workflow. Entrepreneurship agencies should provide employed women with accessible equipment, shared facilities, purchasing schemes, and guidance outside working hours to strengthen their ventures and generate additional household income.
Keywords: Female Entrepreneurs; Home-Based Food Business; Resource Based View; Resource Constraints; Malaysia
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