Honors Theses
Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Department
Business Administration
First Advisor
Lawrence Goehrig
Second Advisor
Troy Felver
Third Advisor
Clay Dibrell
Relational Format
Dissertation/Thesis
Abstract
Barriers and Opportunities in Women-Led Dental Entrepreneurship
This research examines the barriers that women encounter when attempting to open their own business. Specifically, this research will concentrate in the dental field and health care industry. Attaining the education, skills, knowledge and criteria to become a licensed dentist is extremely difficult. Adding the licensed dentist opening their own practice adds another layer of difficulty. These challenges are further compounded when the practitioner is a woman.
This research interviewed women dentists in the business as well as entrepreneurs that opened their own health practice. These interviews showed the process and requirements needed to open a practice. There is an abundance of literature that has shown the difficulty women encounter while trying to be entrepreneurial and open their own business.
This research looks at the complex relationship between women's empowerment and entrepreneurship, this examination reveals the barriers to achieving resilient and sustainable progress. It emphasizes the importance of understanding notions like autonomy and empowerment for genuine advancement and the discriminatory conventions that affect women globally. The study investigates the complex idea of women's empowerment, emphasizing the pursuit of equal opportunities, rights, and access to resources (Dhan and Shanthakumari, 2025).
Women entrepreneurship is viewed by many scholars as an emerging phenomenon of the 21st century, as women not only work vigorously in order to have a wellbeing, but to also maintain their families (Ahmetaj, Kruja and Hysa, 2023). However, “every region has its own social and cultural challenges affecting differently to women entrepreneurs” (Ahmetaj, Kruja and Hysa, 2023). This research will show what entrepreneurial women faced in opening their dental practice. Even in dermatology, there was additional difficulty for a licensed woman to open their own practice. Through the literature and research of women in business, the difficulty for these women was increased. Findings indicate that women still encounter additional roadblocks and difficulty in several areas of opening their own practice and being entrepreneurial.
Digital advancements, policy reforms, and stronger support networks are creating new opportunities for women to thrive in business (Sangeetha, et al., 2025). Emerging enablers—technology, mentorship programs, and shifting investor mindsets—that are helping women overcome these barriers and turning challenges into successes through resilience and strategic adaptation (Sangeetha, et al., 2025). However, realizing this potential requires concerted efforts from policymakers, financial institutions, and the broader business community. By dismantling structural inequities and fostering supportive ecosystems, societies can unlock the full economic and social benefits of women-led ventures (Sangeetha, et al., 2025).
Recommended Citation
Ulmer, Eliza Grace, "Barriers and Opportunities in Women-Led Dental Entrepreneurship" (2026). Honors Theses. 3475.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/hon_thesis/3475
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