yousafzais@cf.ac.uk
Research
My research explores the complex interplay between entrepreneurship, institutional environments, gender, and emerging markets. I aim to produce actionable insights that contribute to inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystems.
Publications
Fieldwork in Kyrgyzstan
Community-based tourism and women’s empowerment
Decolonizing through entrepreneurship
Solidarity economy and the circle of sisterhood
Forced migration and women’s entrepreneurship
Disability and entrepreneurship
Research Focus Areas
Gender and inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems
Identity, culture, and business development
Entrepreneurship in emerging markets
Institutional theory and entrepreneurship
Publications

  1. Alibayeva, I., Aljanova, N., and Yousafzai, S. (2024). Strength in Constraints. Narratives of women entrepreneurs in the male-dominated sectors of Kazakhstan. Publication supported by the Collaborative Research Grant awarded by Nazarbayev University. Grant No: 11022021CRP1510. ISBN:
  2. Aljanova, N., Nurbayeva, A., and Yousafzai, S. (2024). “Tamyr Reflections: 33 Narratives of Heritage and Entrepreneurship in Qazaqstan.” Publication supported by the Collaborative Research Grant awarded by Nazarbayev University. Grant No: 11022021CRP1510. ISBN:
  3. Yousafzai, S., Zhaksybayeva, N., Abdullah, M., and Kulzhanova, Z. (2024). “Green Innovators of the Steppe: Shaping a Sustainable Future for Kazakhstan 51 Narratives of Leading Sustainable Pioneers.” Publication supported by the Collaborative Research Grant awarded by Nazarbayev University. Grant No: 11022021CRP1510. ISBN:
  4. Alibayeva, I., Aljanova, N., and Yousafzai, S. (2024). “Roots of Heritage: Honouring Hunarmandchilik Tradition in Uzbekistan: 17 Narratives of Craft Entrepreneurs on Preserving the Nation’s Culture and Tradition.” Publication supported by the Collaborative Research Grant awarded by Nazarbayev University. Grant No: 11022021CRP1510. ISBN:
  5. Yousafzai, S. Aljanova, N. and Kulbatrov, N. (2023). “Trailblazers of the Steppes. 50 inspiring narratives of women entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan.” Publication supported by the Collaborative Research Grant awarded by Nazarbayev University. Grant No: 11022021CRP1510. ISBN 978-601-08-3520-7 (The book is also printed in Kazakh and Russian languages).
  6. Yousafzai, S; Parkyn-Smith, A; Sailaukhanova, D; Chaia, A; Omran, W; Lennartz, E; Amirbekova, J; (2023). “Together we have it all: Women Entrepreneurs In Kyrgyzstan's Community-Based Tourism Sector.” Publication supported by Faculty Development Grant from Nazarbayev University Grant No. 11022021FD2913. ISBN: 9781739313401
  7. Swartz, E., Scheepers, C., Yousafzai, S., and Lindgreen, A. (2023). “Technological Leapfrogging and Innovation in Africa: Digital Transformation and Opportunity for the Next Growth Continent”, Eds. Edward Elgar Publishing.
  8. Henry, C., Ballantine, J., Yousafzai, S., and Narendren, R. (2024). “Women’s Entrepreneurship in. Turbulent Era.” Eds. Edward Elgar Publishing.
  9. Yousafzai, S., Sheikh, S., Coogan, T., Ng, W. (2022). “Research Handbook on Disability and Entrepreneurship”, Eds. Edward Elgar Publishing.
  10. Yousafzai, S., Henry, C., Boddington, M., and Sheikh, S. (2022). “Research Handbook of Women’s Entrepreneurship and Value Creation”, Eds. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-789901368
  11. Yousafzai, S., Fayolle, A., Saeed, S., Henry, S., Lindgreen, A. (Eds.) (2021). “Understanding Women’s Entrepreneurship in a Gendered Context: Influence and Restraints”, Routledge. ISBN: 978 -0-367-688790
  12. Yousafzai, S., Fayolle, A., Saeed, S., Henry, C., and Lindgreen, A.  (2019). Special Issue on “The contextual embeddedness of women’s entrepreneurship: towards a more informed research agenda”. Entrepreneurship and Regional Development. Journal doi.org/10.1080/08985626.2018.1551786
  13. Yousafzai, S., Fayolle, A., Lindgreen, A., Henry, C, Saeed, S., and Sheikh, S. (Eds.) (2018). “Women Entrepreneurship and the Myth of Underperformance: A New Look at Women’s Entrepreneurship Research”, Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN: 978-1-786434494
  14. Yousafzai, S., Lindgreen, A., Saeed, S., Henry, C., and Fayolle, A. (Eds.) (2018). “Women's Entrepreneurship: Going beyond the Gender-Neutral Approach”, Routledge. ISBN: 978-1-4724-8356-0
  15. Lindgreen, A., Vallaster, C., Moan, F., Yousafzai, S., and Florencio, B. P. (Eds.) (2018).  Sustainable Entrepreneurship: Discovering, Creating and Seizing Opportunities for Blended Value Generation, Routledge. ISBN: 978-1472483591
  16. Lindgreen, A., Vallaster, C., Yousafzai, S. and Hirsch, B. (Eds.) (2018). Measuring and Controlling Sustainability: Spanning Theory and Practice, Routledge. ISBN: 9781138224636
Journal Papers

  1. Borerro, J.D., and Yousafzai, S. (Forthcoming). Spinning the Circle: Unravelling the ‘Why?’ Behind Social Motivations in Circular Economy Entrepreneurship. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy. (SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  2. Zhaksybayeva, N., Serikkyzy, A Baktymbet, A., and Yousafzai, S. (2024).  Circular shifts: insights into Kazakhstan’s circular business ecosystem. Cogent Business & Management, Taylor & Francis Journal.
  3. Yousafzai, S. and Aljanova, N. (2025). Empowerment and Collective Action: Feminist Solidarity through Women’s Entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan’s Community-Based Tourism. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. (SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  4. Saeed, S., Alasadi, M., Yousafzai, S. Y., & Zahra, S. A. (2024). Top Management Team Attributes and Corporate Entrepreneurship: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Product Innovation Management. (ABS4*: SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  5. Yousafzai, S., Aljanova, N., and Omran, W. (2024). Masquerade of Power: Women entrepreneurs reshaping gender norms in Kazakhstan’s male-dominated sectors. International Journal of Gender and Entrepreneurship. (SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  6. Borerro, JD and Yousafzai, S. (2024).  Quintuple helix model (5HM) to develop circular entrepreneurial ecosystems. Management Decision. (SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  7. Omran, W. and Yousafzai, S. (2024). Epistemic injustice and epistemic resistance: An intersectional study of women’s entrepreneurship under occupation and patriarchy. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice. (ABS4*: FT50)
  8. Omran, W. and Yousafzai, S. (2024). Navigating the twisted path of gaslighting: A manifestation of epistemic injustice for Palestinian women entrepreneurs. Human Relations. (ABS4*: FT50)
  9. Raza, A., Saeed, S., and Yousafzai, S. (2024). Gender Equality, Entrepreneurship Policies, and Women's Entry into Entrepreneurship: A Multi-level Analysis from 66 Countries. International Journal of Entrepreneurship Behaviour Research (SCOPUS Q1: top 10%)
  10. Raza, A., Saeed, S., Yousafzai, S., Shahid, M., and Muffatto, M. (2020). Institutional adversity, external knowledge sources, and new ventures' innovation: An institutional polycentrism theory perspective, Industrial Marketing Management. ABS 3*.
  11. Yousafzai, S., Fayolle, A., Saeed, S., Henry, C., and Lindgreen, A. (2019). The Contextual embededdness of women’s entrepreneurship: towards a more informed research agenda.  Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Journal. ABS 3*, 31 (3-4), p. 166-177.
  12. Mohd Dali, N., Yousafzai, S. and Abdul Hamid, H. (2019). Religiosity Scale Development. Journal of Islamic Marketing, 10(1), 227-248.
  13. Alhidari, I., Veludo-de-Oliveira, T., Yousafzai, S., and Yani-de-Soriano, M. (2018). Modeling the Effect of Multidimensional Trust on Individual Monetary Donations to Charitable Organizations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, January. (ABS 3*; Impact Factor = 1.852)
  14. Veludo de Oliveira, T., Ibrahim Alhaidari, and Yani-de-Soriano, M., Yousafzai, S. (2017). Comparing the Explanatory and Predictive Power of Intention-Based Theories of Personal Monetary Donation to Charitable Organizations. Voluntas: The International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations (Impact Factor = 1.238)
  15. Sánchez, R., Martínez López, F. J., García Ordaz, M., Sánchez-Franco, M. J. & Yousafzai, S. Y. (2017).Adoption of Online Social Networks to Communicate with Financial Institutions, Journal of Promotion Management (23:2).
  16. Yousafzai, S., Saeed, S., and Mufatto, M. (2015). Institutional theory and contextual embeddedness of women’s entrepreneurial leadership: evidence from 92 Countries. Journal of Small Business Management, 53(3). (ABS 3*)
  17. Saeed, S., Yousafzai, S., De Luca, L., and Paladino, A. (2015). Inside-out and outside-in orientations: A meta-analysis of orientation's effects on innovation and firm performance. Industrial Marketing Management, 47(May), 121-133. (ABS 3*)
  18. Saeed, S., Yousafzai, S. and Egelen, A. (2014). On cultural and macroeconomic contingencies of the entrepreneurial orientation-performance relationship: A meta-analysis. Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, 38(2), 255-290. DOI: 10.1111/etap.12097 (ABS 4*)
  19. Borrero, J. D., Yousafzai, S., Javed, M., and Page, K. (2015). Expressive Participation in Internet Social Movements: Testing the Moderating Effect of Technology Readiness and Sex on Student SNS Use. Computers in Human Behavior, 30(1), 39-49. (ABS 3*)
  20. Saeed, S. Yousafzai, S., Yani-de-Soriano, M., and Mufatto, M. (2015). The Role of Perceived University Support in the Formation of Entrepreneurial Intention. J of Small Business Management. (ABS 3*)
  21. Borrero, J. D., Yousafzai, S., Javed, M., and Page, K. (2014). Perceived value of social networking sites (SNS) in student’s expressive participation in social movements. J of Research in Interactive Marketing, 8(1), 56-78.
  22. Saaed, S., Muffatto, M. and Yousafzai, S. (2014). Exploring inter-generational influence on entrepreneurial intention: the mediating role of desirability and feasibility. Int’l J of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management, 18(2/3), 134-153
  23. Saaed, S., Muffatto, M. and Yousafzai, S. (2014). A multi-level study on entrepreneurship education among university students. Entrepreneurship Research J. 4(3), 297-321.
  24. Mohd Dali, N., Yousafzai, S. and Abdul Hamid, H. (2015). Credit cards preferences of Islamic and conventional credit card. J of Islamic Marketing, 6(1), 72-94.
  25. Yousafzai, S., Hussain, Z., and Griffiths, M. (2013). Social responsibility in online videogaming: What should the videogame industry do? Addiction Research & Theory.  (ABS 3*)
  26. Yani-de-Soriano, M., Javed, U. and Yousafzai, S. (2012).  Can an industry be socially responsible if its products harm consumers? The case of online gambling, Journal of Business Ethics. 110(4), 481-497. (ABS 3*)
  27. Yousafzai, S. (2012). Literature Review of Theoretical Models of Internet Banking Adoption at Individual Level, Journal of Financial Services Marketing, 17(3), 215-226.
  28. Yousafzai, S. and Yani-de-Soriano, M. (2012). Understanding the main customer-specific factors underpinning Internet banking adoption, Int’l J of Bank Marketing 30(1), 60 – 81.
  29. Moqbel, A., Yani-de-Soriano, M. and Yousafzai, S. (2010). Mobile Commerce use among UK Mobile Users: An Experimental Approach based on Proposed Mobile network Utilization Framework, International Journal of Technology Diffusion 1(2) April-June, 1-30.
  30. Yousafzai, S., Foxall, G., and Pallister, J. (2010). Explaining internet banking behaviour: TRA, TPB, or TAM? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 40(5).
  31. Yousafzai, S., Pallister, J. and Foxall, G. (2009). Multi-Dimensional Role of Trust in Internet Banking Adoption, Service Industries Journal, 29(5). (ABS 3*)
  32. Yousafzai, S., Foxall, G., and Pallister, J. (2007). Technology Acceptance: A Meta-Analysis of the TAM- Part 1, Journal of Modelling in Management, 2(3), Issue 3, 251-280.
  33. Yousafzai, S., Foxall, G., and Pallister, J. (2007). Technology Acceptance: A Meta-Analysis of the TAM- Part 2, Journal of Modelling in Management, 2(3), 281-304.
  34. Yousafzai, S., Pallister, J. and Foxall, G. (2005). E-Banking-A Matter of Trust: Trust-Building Strategies for Electronic Banking, Psychology & Marketing, 22(2), 181-201. (ABS 3*)
  35. Yousafzai, S., Pallister, J. and Foxall, G. (2003). A Proposed Model of e- Trust for Electronic Banking, Technovation, 23(11), 847-860. (ABS 3*)