A gender‐aware framework for women's entrepreneurship

2009 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Candida G. Brush ◽  
Anne de Bruin ◽  
Friederike Welter
Keyword(s):  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Cultural Norms ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Societal Factors ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Holistic Understanding ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
And Gender

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a new gender‐aware framework to provide a springboard for furthering a holistic understanding of women's entrepreneurship.Design/methodology/approachThe paper builds on an existing framework articulating the “3Ms” (markets, money and management) required for entrepreneurs to launch and grow ventures. Drawing on institutional theory, it is argued that this “3M” framework needs further development and “motherhood” and “meso/macro environment” are added to extend and mediate the “3Ms” and construct a “5M” framework to enable the study of women's entrepreneurship in its own right.FindingsIt was found that “Motherhood” is a metaphor representing the household and family context of female entrepreneurs, which might have a larger impact on women than men. The meso/macro environment captures considerations beyond the market, such as expectations of society and cultural norms (macro), and intermediate structures and institutions (meso).Practical implicationsFor the women entrepreneur, this analysis has implications for understanding the sources of the challenges they face by providing insights on the importance of the interplay of both individual and societal factors that impact on their enterprise. For policy makers, it turns the spotlight on the need for an integrated approach for fostering female entrepreneurs that is not blind to overarching institutionalised social structures and gender asymmetries.Originality/valueThe framework helps lay a foundation for coherent research on women's entrepreneurship. It is unique in making explicit the social embeddedness of women entrepreneurs and considers the multiple levels of influence on their entrepreneurial actions.

scholarly journals Women’s entrepreneurship policy: a 13 nation cross-country comparison

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 206-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colette Henry ◽  
Barbara Orser ◽  
Susan Coleman ◽  
Lene Foss
Keyword(s):  
Policy Development ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Entrepreneurship Policy ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
The Status ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

Purpose Government attention to women’s entrepreneurship has increased in the past two decades; however, there are few cross-cultural studies to inform policy development. This paper aims to draw on gender and institutional theory to report on the status of female-focused small and medium-sized enterprises/entrepreneurship policies and to ask how – and to what extent – do women’s entrepreneurship policies differ among countries? Design/methodology/approach A common methodological approach is used to identify gaps in the policy-practice nexus. Findings The study highlights countries where policy is weak but practice is strong, and vice versa. Research limitations/implications The study’s data were restricted to policy documents and observations of practices and initiatives on the ground. Practical implications The findings have implications for policy makers in respect of support for women’s entrepreneurship. Recommendations for future research are advanced. Originality/value The paper contributes to extant knowledge and understanding about entrepreneurship policy, specifically in relation to women’s entrepreneurship. It is also one of the few studies to use a common methodological approach to explore and compare women’s entrepreneurship policies in 13 countries.

How female entrepreneurs build strong business relationships: the power of gender stereotypes

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Constantinidis
Keyword(s):  
Gender Stereotypes ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Research Field ◽  
Business Relationships ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Feminism ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

PurposeAdopting a feminist constructionist perspective, this article proposes an analysis of the micro-level processes and dynamics of interpersonal, gendered, business relationships between female entrepreneurs, therefore constituting an extension to network theory in the women's entrepreneurship research field.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative research builds on a single, longitudinal case study of a successful, 15-years long collaboration between two female entrepreneurs. Qualitative data were collected over two years, through formal and informal interviews with the entrepreneurs, observations and complementary documentation. The data analysis is based on a grounded theory and narrative approach.FindingsThe article proposes a thick narrative of the evolution of the dyadic business relationship, and reveals the power of gender role stereotypes in its progressive formation and development.Research limitations/implicationsThe article produces situated knowledge about female entrepreneurs and strong interpersonal business ties. The limitations relate to the specificity of the case analysed, representing the viewpoint of privileged, white, Western, educated and wealthy female entrepreneurs. It therefore does not account for the diversity of women's entrepreneurship.Originality/valueThe article enriches and extends social network theory in the women's entrepreneurship field through analysing how gender is done in discursive and social practices at the interpersonal level. The case also constitutes an illustration of social feminism in women's entrepreneurial practice, challenging dominant gender stereotypes.

scholarly journals Contexts and gender – looking back and thinking forward

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-38 ◽  
Author(s):  
Friederike Welter
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Looking Back ◽  
Over Time

Purpose This paper aims to illustrate the main contributions of the context-gender discussion in entrepreneurship research and its main developments over time to identify promising future research avenues. Design/methodology/approach This paper builds on the author’s extensive knowledge of the context-gender debate and on several recent overviews and reviews of the debate. It is written as essay, introducing its main themes through a personal reflection and complemented by a selective review of research on gendered contexts and women’s entrepreneurship. Findings The context-gender discussion has moved forward. The first wave of context-gender studies contextualized gender, considering the impact of contexts on women’s entrepreneurship. Nowadays, studies are conducted on how contexts are gendered and how they are constructed in gendered ways through, for example, words, images, cognitions, as well as how women entrepreneurs can impact on and enact their contexts. Originality/value This paper contributes novel insights into contextualizing gender and gendering contexts. It is unique in suggesting that a perspective on gendering contexts will allow to explore the diversity of entrepreneurship and further develop theories related to contexts and gender.

Competitiveness of Female Entrepreneurs in Bulgaria

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silviya Georgieva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Current Paper ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Key Issues ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
Intensive Development

The intensive development of women’s entrepreneurship in Bulgaria arouses great interest among researchers, policy makers, institutions, and media. Therefore, the current paper aims to address some of the key issues related to this phenomenon. In particular, it attempts to reveal the prerequisites that encourage women to found and run their own business, the role of training in this process, and the important knowledge that enables women to take entrepreneurial initiatives. The study is based on data from a survey through a standardized questionnaire among 176 female entrepreneurs in the country.

Mindfulness and gender differences in ethical beliefs

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-286 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tavleen Kaur Dhandra ◽  
Hyun Jung Park
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Consumer Ethics ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Five Dimensions ◽  
Ethical Beliefs ◽  
Unethical Practices ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Consumer Ethics Scale ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose This paper aims to examine the ethical beliefs of consumers with regards to their levels of mindfulness. Furthermore, it aims to investigate if mindfulness is related to gender differences among respondents in their ethical beliefs about consumer unethical practices. Design/methodology/approach University students in India were surveyed with self-administered questionnaires comprising the consumer ethics scale and mindfulness attention awareness scale. Mediation analysis was conducted to test whether gender differences in ethical judgements are due to the different levels of mindfulness. Findings The results indicate that mindfulness is not only a predictor of ethical beliefs but also a mediator of the relationship between gender and ethical beliefs. Individuals with greater mindfulness reported greater acceptance towards the five dimensions of consumer ethics scale. Indian male participants were found to be more mindful and lenient in ethical judgements than female participants. Originality/value The present work is a novel attempt in examining the effect of mindfulness on the relationship between gender and ethical beliefs of consumers. The results of this study can have positive implications for organizations, managers, public policy makers and consumers.

Women’s entrepreneurship and internationalization: patterns and trends

2018 ◽  
Vol 38 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 780-793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Ratten ◽  
Kayhan Tajeddini
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Female Gender ◽  
Future Trends ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
New Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on women’s entrepreneurship and internationalization in order to build an understanding about future trends. There is increasing interest in the role of women in entrepreneurship yet little research has been conducted about the link to internationalization patterns. Design/methodology/approach The literature is reviewed based on a systematic analysis of the words women, female, gender and internationalization. Findings Three main schools of thought around women’s entrepreneurship and internationalization (philosophy, management and motivations) are then discussed. The analysis of literature and classification into main theories enables the building of new research around women’s entrepreneurship and internationalization. Originality/value There is a pipeline of women intending to become entrepreneurs so this paper helps to understand how women entrepreneurs influence internationalization patterns and how to help support women in their business endeavors.

Lifelong activism and women’s entrepreneurship: how a social movement organization improves conditions for self-employed women in India

2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (5) ◽  
pp. 937-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Colovic ◽  
Sonia Mehrotra
Keyword(s):  
Social Movement ◽  
Trade Union ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Main Role ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Movement Organization ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a local trade union improves living conditions for women entrepreneurs in India and how its activities have evolved over time. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted a longitudinal case study of the self-employed women’s association (SEWA) in India. Founded in 1972, this organization fosters and supports women’s entrepreneurship. The approach of this study combines qualitative face-to-face interviews and secondary data analysis. Findings The findings highlight the fact that SEWA, which combines the features of a trade union and a social movement, improves women’s conditions in several different ways. The study shows that the organization’s main role has evolved from creating a community to expanding it and finally to becoming an agent of societal change. Originality/value The study contributes to the literature by analyzing how locally grown organizations fight social exclusion and improve the conditions of deprived groups in emerging economies.

Gender perspectives on university education and entrepreneurship

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 254-271 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silke Tegtmeier ◽  
Jay Mitra
Keyword(s):  
University Education ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
Female Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Engagement ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Introductory Article ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
New Research

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to direct attention to recent research on women’s entrepreneurship with a focus on university education. A literature review and a summary of authors’ selected papers provide both a context for and an introduction to the articles in this special issue. Design/methodology/approach – This introduction provides an overview of the literature on female entrepreneurship with specific reference to the context of university education. Searches on Web of Science and in this journal were conducted to provide a systematic overview of the area of research. This introductory article ends with a set of propositions for future research engagement. Findings – This paper finds that the quantum of past research endeavours remains limited despite the growing significance of the subject. This paper also finds that developing a focused approach that is based on a female ontology of entrepreneurship, and one that identifies specific contexts, and appropriate methodological considerations that enable enquiry at different levels, are of value to future research. This paper offers four different propositions that address key areas or fields of entrepreneurship research. Research limitations/implications – This paper provides a unique set of propositions together with a framework which helps to both explore new knowledge creation and locate new research within the main fields of entrepreneurship while providing room for extending those fields. Practical implications – This overview provides a framework for universities and policymakers to enable them to take into consideration the critical issues of entrepreneurship in general, and female entrepreneurship in particular, when developing programmes and tools for university education. Originality/value – This paper provides a summary of the trends in research on women’s entrepreneurship with reference to university education. This leads to the development of a set of propositions and a framework for identifying and exploring new research questions that need to be addressed to close important research gaps in the field of entrepreneurship.

Women’s entrepreneurship in Russia: impacts from the Soviet system

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Mari Sätre
Keyword(s):  
Empirical Data ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Small Towns ◽  
Field Trips ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Legal Rules ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Soviet Time ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

Purpose – This paper aims to analyze how surviving norms from the Soviet time continue to shape women’s entrepreneurship in contemporary Russia. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data are based on observations and qualitative interviews in two Russian regions in 2002-2014 and also to a part on a survey from one of the regions. The analytical framework is based on Douglass North’s (1990) categorization of four main kinds of institutions which influence the way a society develops: legal rules, organization forms, enforcement and behavioural norms. Findings – The analysis shows that it is important to incorporate norms connected to women’s societal roles to the institutional theory. The survival of norms might in fact imply that women’s entrepreneurship tends to conserve the ways the system works, rather than to contributing to changing it. Although the survival of such norms tends to prevent changes, the possibility to start private businesses, on the other hand, opened up new ways for women to fulfill their different societal responsibilities. Originality/value – The paper is based on unique empirical data including some 200 interviews and observations from regular field trips to villages and small towns in Russia since the early 2000s.

Patterns of female entrepreneurial activities in Turkey

2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ipek Kalemci Tuzun ◽  
Bahar Araz Takay
Keyword(s):  
Rural Areas ◽  
Female Entrepreneurs ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
Future Needs ◽  
Qualitative Data Analysis Software ◽  
Urban And Rural Areas ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

Purpose This study aims to identify and understand the challenges, motivational factors and future needs of female entrepreneurs in Ankara, Turkey. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the qualitative analysis methodology and uses the qualitative data analysis software, MAXQDA 11. A total of 41 randomly selected female entrepreneurs from the city of Ankara and rural areas of the Ankara region participated in semi-structured in-depth interviews. A total of 284 codes were defined. Findings Results indicate that female entrepreneurs are mostly intrinsically motivated and are driven by the desire to achieve and to become independent. The socially constructed role of women in Turkey is the primary challenge faced by female entrepreneurs in both urban and rural areas. Moreover, the major future needs identified for female entrepreneurs are support from public institutions and access to managerial consultants. Originality/value There are limited number of studies that closely examine the characteristics of female entrepreneurship activity and their challenges/motivations in Turkey. This research contributes to the existing literature through its qualitative nature and by highlighting differences in urban and rural female entrepreneurs. Moreover, the results of this study are useful for policy makers to evaluate the future needs of female entrepreneurs and the programs that will be needed to overcome the challenges facing female entrepreneurs in the entrepreneurial process.

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