International Journal of Business Management & Research - Volumes & Issues - Volume 16: June 2026, Issue 1

Towards an Integrated Energy–Resilience Mediation Model (Ermm): Conceptualizing Alternative Energy Adoption and Business Resilience Among Women-Owned Micro Enterprises

Authors

Shukurat Moronke Bello, Muazu Hassan Muazu and Maryam Isyaku

DOI Number

–

Keywords

Alternative Energy, Business Resilience, Dynamic Capabilities, Micro Enterprises, UTAUT, Women.

Abstract

Women-owned micro enterprises in developing economies operate at the nexus of three compounding vulnerabilities: chronic energy insecurity, systemic financial exclusion, and heightened exposure to economic and environmental disruptions. Despite growing policy attention to productive energy use and gender-equitable energy transitions, the mechanisms through which alternative energy adoption translates into business resilience for women entrepreneurs remain theoretically underexplored. This conceptual paper addresses this gap by synthesizing recent literature to propose an integrated model termed “Energy-Resilience Mediation Model (ERMM).” Drawing on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT), the Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities theory, and the Capability Approach, the paper identifies four interconnected dimensions: (i) gendered barriers to energy adoption, encompassing financial, institutional, technological, and time-capital constraints; (ii) the antecedents of alternative energy adoption, comprising performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, and facilitating conditions; (iii) enabling mechanisms spanning gender-responsive financing, structured capacity-building, and institutional and policy support; and (iv) multi-dimensional business resilience outcomes operationalized through operational stability, recovery capacity, adaptability, and long-term sustainability. The model posits that the relationship between energy adoption and resilience is mediated by enterprise absorptive capacity, technology–enterprise alignment, and the gendered institutional environment. A structured research agenda and policy implications are provided to guide future empirical studies.

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How to cite

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Journal

International Journal of Business Management & Research

ISSN

2249-2143

Periodicity

Bi-Annually