Abstract
Women entrepreneurship is increasingly relevant to economic development, employment creation, innovation and inclusive growth. Research on women entrepreneurs has focused largely on access to finance, institutions, socio-cultural constraints, entrepreneurial orientation and external ecosystem factors, whereas less attention has been paid to the behavioural processes that link entrepreneurial characteristics with business performance. This study addresses this gap by developing a conceptual framework that proposes Organisational Citizenship Behaviour (OCB) as the behavioural mechanism mediating the relationship between women entrepreneurial characteristics and business performance, set within the broader context of Atmanirbhar Bharat. An integrative literature review of secondary sources on women entrepreneurship, organisational behaviour, OCB, entrepreneurial characteristics and business performance was conducted. Drawing on Social Exchange Theory, the framework suggests that employees may reciprocate supportive, ethical and empowering treatment through discretionary behaviours beyond formal job requirements. Innovativeness, proactiveness, resilience, ethical leadership, opportunity recognition and employee empowerment orientation are considered as entrepreneurial characteristics that may foster OCB in the form of altruism, conscientiousness, courtesy, sportsmanship and civic virtue. OCB, in turn, may improve business performance through enhanced cooperation, knowledge sharing, innovation, employee commitment, customer service and efficiency. Three propositions linking entrepreneurial characteristics, OCB and business performance are developed. The framework integrates previously separate strands of the entrepreneurship and organisational behaviour literature and offers implications for women entrepreneurs, human resource managers, entrepreneurship development institutions and policymakers. The proposed relationships require empirical verification in women-led enterprises that employ workers.
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