Cultivating tomorrow’s women sports entrepreneurs: A cross-cultural exploration of women sports sciences students entrepreneurial intentions

Abstract

Women’s sport entrepreneurship remains under-researched, with women still notably underrepresented as entrepreneurs in the sports sector. Although some countries provide more supportive conditions for women’s entrepreneurship, cross-cultural studies on the entrepreneurial intentions of women Sports Science students are almost nonexistent. This study examines and compares the factors predicting entrepreneurial intentions among final-year women Sports Science students in Spain and Lithuania. Using fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), a method combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, the study identified six configurations explaining 87% of cases of women Sports Science students with high entrepreneurial intention. A positive attitude toward women’s entrepreneurship (a necessary condition) and work experience were key factors, though multiple conditions interacted to determine intention levels. National culture regarding women’s entrepreneurship also influenced outcomes. These findings highlight the importance of designing tailored entrepreneurship education programs to strengthen women’s entrepreneurial activity in the sports sector across both countries.