Navigating Emotional Turmoil: Experiences of Female Micro-Entrepreneurs After Business Failure During COVID-19

Abstract

Entrepreneurial failure is a critical concern in the field of small business management, especially among female micro-entrepreneurs in developing economies. Although numerous studies have examined the economic and strategic dimensions of business failure, the emotional and identity-related aspects of this experience remain underexplored. What is still unknown is how women personally experience and make sense of entrepreneurial failure, particularly in crisis contexts such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

This study applies interpretative phenomenological analysis to explore the lived emotional experiences of female micro-entrepreneurs who experienced business failure during the pandemic. Using in-depth semi-structured interviews with eight participants, this research uncovered four core themes: identity disruption, psychological breakdown, the role of social support, and entrepreneurial rebirth. The analysis revealed that participants interpreted their failure as a deeply personal and socially embedded experience, navigating emotional trauma and reconstructing meaning through social and narrative processes. These findings were derived through thematic coding and interpretative analysis, grounded in rich, first-person narratives.

The results contribute a more humanized understanding of failure by highlighting emotional resilience and identity reconstruction as central elements in the entrepreneurial journey. These insights challenge traditional, outcome-based models of entrepreneurship and advocate for more empathetic support structures. The study’s findings have practical implications for designing gender-sensitive and psychologically informed entrepreneurship programs and offer a foundation for future research on emotional adaptation and recovery after failure.