Certainly! Here’s a refined version of your methodology, emphasizing robustness, innovation, and coherence, tailored for an academic audience:
Methodological Framework for the Study of Entrepreneurial Trajectories of Migrant Women in Spain
This study employs a rigorous quantitative, cross-sectional design, utilizing a structured online survey to gather primary data on the entrepreneurial trajectories of migrant women in Spain. The survey is underpinned by an intersectional and spatial framework, recognizing that gender, race, class, and migratory status intersect and are influenced by specific territorial and institutional contexts. Drawing on Doreen Massey’s relational theory of space and Henri Lefebvre’s concept of socially produced space, this research investigates how migrant women navigate and actively reshape unequal entrepreneurial ecosystems through their economic and social practices.
Research Objectives and Context
Set against the backdrop of contemporary Spanish society, this research aims to identify and quantify the impact of structural barriers, institutional dynamics, and socio-spatial inequalities on entrepreneurial outcomes and well-being. Additionally, it seeks to capture resilience strategies and the role of community-based support systems. By focusing on migrant women, a significant yet often marginalized demographic, the study contributes valuable insights into broader issues of integration, economic autonomy, and institutional inclusion.
Survey Structure and Variable Framework
The survey is meticulously designed, comprising six core sections:
- Demographic and Socioeconomic Profile
- Entrepreneurial Activity and Business Characteristics
- Structural Barriers and Intersectionality
- Resilience Strategies and Support Networks
- Psychosocial Impact and Quality of Life
- Institutional and Policy Engagement
The variable framework is organized around seven key dimensions:
- Individual Factors: Demographic characteristics, migration pathways, self-perceptions, and entrepreneurial motivations, with a focus on distinguishing necessity-driven from opportunity-driven entrepreneurship.
- Perceptions and Attitudes toward Entrepreneurship: Societal perceptions, viability as a career path, public recognition, and media representations.
- Entrepreneurial Activity: Stages of business development (nascent, new, established, discontinued) and performance indicators (income growth, innovation, internationalization, client base, job creation).
- Structural Factors: Access to financing, bureaucratic barriers, legal burdens, discrimination, and business informality.
- Intersectionality Factors: Ethnic background, legal status, gender-based discrimination, care responsibilities, language proficiency, social and business networks, and recognition of qualifications.
- Spatial Factors: Business location, economic segregation, geographic isolation, mobility, digital inclusion, and access to entrepreneurial infrastructure.
- Institutional Factors: Participation in support programs, engagement with public policies, awareness of resources, and perceived institutional inclusion or exclusion.
Target Population and Sampling Strategy
The target population encompasses migrant women residing in Spain who are engaged in entrepreneurial activities, irrespective of legal status, origin, or business sector. A stratified sampling strategy will ensure diversity across geographic distribution (urban/rural, autonomous communities), regional economic sectors (hospitality, care, services, retail), and migrant profiles (Latin American, African, Asian, Eastern European). The survey will be disseminated through entrepreneurship networks, NGOs, social media, and community organizations, aiming for a minimum of 400 responses, which will be weighted to adjust for underrepresented subgroups. Participation will be anonymous and voluntary, with informed consent and adherence to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Ethical approval will be secured prior to data collection to safeguard participant rights and ensure responsible data use.
Measurement and Analytical Techniques
To ensure robust and multidimensional measurement, the study will integrate validated indices adapted to the Spanish and European contexts, including the Total Entrepreneurial Activity Index (TEA), Life Cycle Stages (LCS), Entrepreneurial Activity Index (EAI), Labor Well-being Index, Work-Life Balance Index, Job Autonomy and Control Index, Gender Equality Index, Migrant Integration Policy Index, Social Capital Index, and Economic Opportunity Index. These indicators will facilitate intersectional analysis and allow for disaggregation of results by gender, ethnicity, legal status, and regional context.
Descriptive statistics (frequencies, means, standard deviations) will be employed to profile the sample and explore key dimensions of entrepreneurial activity and well-being. A Linear Mixed Model (LMM) will be utilized to assess the influence of both individual-level and territorial-level variables on entrepreneurial success. The multilevel structure will include two levels: Level 1 for individual characteristics and experiences, and Level 2 for structural and spatial contexts. To enhance model precision and minimize information loss, both dependent and independent variables will be operationalized as numeric scales where methodologically appropriate, allowing for nuanced statistical interpretation.
Assumptions of linearity, independence, normality, and homoscedasticity will be rigorously tested using residual diagnostics, the Shapiro-Wilk test, and the Breusch-Pagan test. Factor analysis will identify latent patterns among barriers and support mechanisms. Additionally, geospatial analysis (GIS mapping) will visualize territorial disparities, comparing business density between migrant and non-migrant entrepreneurs, infrastructure access, economic segregation, and urban-rural contrasts. GIS outputs will inform evidence-based, spatially sensitive policy recommendations.
To ensure reliability and robustness, composite indices will undergo internal consistency testing (Cronbach’s Alpha), confirmatory factor analysis, and diagnostic testing for normality and heteroscedasticity.
Project Timeline
The project will be executed over a 12-month period, structured into distinct phases:
- Months 1–2: Literature review, theoretical framework development, and adaptation of measurement tools.
- Months 2–3: Survey design, pilot testing, and submission for ethical approval and GDPR compliance.
- Months 3–4: Finalization of sampling strategy and outreach plan.
- Months 4–6: Data collection.
- Months 6–7: Data cleaning and preprocessing.
- Months 7–10: Statistical and spatial analysis (LMM, factor analysis, GIS).
- Months 10–12: Interpretation of results, drafting of the final report, development of policy recommendations, and dissemination activities.
This timeline ensures the coherent integration of intersectional theory, spatial analysis, and methodological rigor, yielding original, actionable, and context-specific knowledge to support inclusive entrepreneurship policies for migrant women in Spain.
This revised methodology emphasizes clarity, coherence, and methodological rigor, making it suitable for an academic audience and competitive for the Flash Caixa call.