(In)visibility in the margins: COVID-19, women entrepreneurs and the need for inclusive recovery

2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (7/8) ◽  
pp. 667-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gina Grandy ◽  
Wendy Cukier ◽  
Suzanne Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Evidence Base ◽  
Structural Inequality ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Important Addition ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
Recovery Approach ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This paper aims to extend Lewis and Simpson’s (2010) work on the complexity of (in)visibility and explores what it means to women’s entrepreneurship in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach This piece contributes to the special issue on COVID-19 and the impact on women entrepreneurs. Specifically, it applies an (in)visibility lens to argue that responses to COVID-19 in Canada negatively affect women entrepreneurs disproportionately and that while initiatives such as the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) are threatened, they can also serve as an agitator during this time to advocate for an inclusive recovery approach. Findings Despite progress through such government funded initiatives as the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), which is targeting more than $2bn (Cdn) in investments towards women entrepreneurs, structural inequality and the (in)visibility of women’s entrepreneurship has been amplified during COVID-19. Through a particular understanding of the (in)visibility vortex notion (Lewis and Simpson, 2010), it is concluded the (in)visibility of women entrepreneurs as deeply embedded and that there is a continued need to advocate for a gender and diversity lens, to ensure inclusive recovery that benefits women and diverse entrepreneurs. Originality/value An (in)visibility lens brings an important addition to the literature on women’s entrepreneurship, as well as illuminates the important differences within this broad category, deepening the understanding of these trends and their impact during COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights how the complexities of intersectionality are critical to understand, and their recognition can help to drive a clear evidence base, as well as advocacy. The piece call researchers and practitioners alike to consider the question under COVID-19, will these conditions create a new vortex in this domain, or can the work of organizations and researchers position gender and intersectionality in women entrepreneurship as a disrupter for the future?

scholarly journals Neo-liberalism translated into preconditions for women entrepreneurs – two contrasting cases

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Tillmar ◽  
Helene Ahl ◽  
Karin Berglund ◽  
Katarina Pettersson
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Institutional Context ◽  
Welfare States ◽  
Institutional Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Reform Agenda ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Contrasting two countries with different gender regimes and welfare states, Sweden and Tanzania, this paper aims to analyse how the institutional context affects the ways in which a neo-liberal reform agenda is translated into institutional changes and propose how such changes impact the preconditions for women’s entrepreneurship. Design/methodology/approach This study uses document analysis and previous studies to describe and analyse the institutions and the institutional changes. This paper uses Scandinavian institutional theory as the interpretative framework. Findings This study proposes that: in well-developed welfare states with a high level of gender equality, consequences of neo-liberal agenda for the preconditions for women entrepreneurs are more likely to be negative than positive. In less developed states with a low level of gender equality, the gendered consequences of neo-liberal reforms may be mixed and the preconditions for women’s entrepreneurship more positive than negative. How neo-liberalism impacts preconditions for women entrepreneurs depend on the institutional framework in terms of a trustworthy women-friendly state and level of gender equality. Research limitations/implications The study calls for bringing the effects on the gender of the neo-liberal primacy of market solutions out of the black box. Studying how women entrepreneurs perceive these effects necessitates qualitative ethnographic data. Originality/value This paper demonstrates why any discussion of the impact of political or economic reforms on women’s entrepreneurship must take a country’s specific institutional context into account. Further, previous studies on neo-liberalism have rarely taken an interest in Africa.

Exploring the normative context for women’s entrepreneurship in Pakistan: a critical analysis

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Azam Roomi ◽  
Sumaira Rehman ◽  
Colette Henry
Keyword(s):  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Career Choices ◽  
Cultural Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Influences ◽  
Institutional Factors ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The role of women in Pakistani society – largely embedded in its patriarchal socio–cultural environment – has important implications for women’s entrepreneurial activity in the country. This study aims to investigate and analyse the influence of informal institutional factors on women’s entry into entrepreneurship in Pakistan, and determine how women exercise agency to cope with the constraints posed by such factors. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach is used to explore the normative context and lived experiences of women entrepreneurs in relation to the influence of socio–cultural beliefs and attitudes on their entrepreneurial career choices. Findings The findings suggest that women’s entrepreneurial career choices both revolve around and are shaped by a complex interplay of socio–cultural influences. Pakistani women entrepreneurs exercise their agency as a means of negotiating gender roles within both household and society, using religious descriptions as a means to justify their entrepreneurial activity. Research limitations/implications While every effort has been made to ensure that the data were objectively interpreted, and the derived findings were robustly analysed, the research team acknowledges the many difficulties associated with adopting a social constructionist approach. As articulated by Fletcher (2011), the key issues of contextual objectivity (i.e. where the researcher judges what is important), reflexive turn (the need for the researcher to constantly reconnect with the subject) and potential multiplicity of contexts (the various contextual and potentially conflicting influences on the researcher) presents ongoing challenges for researchers in this field. Originality/value This study offers valuable insights into the impact of the informal (socio–cultural) institutional factors on women’s entrepreneurial activity, opening up new avenues for further research. The study also contributes to the women’s entrepreneurship literature from the perspective of an Islamic developing country.

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.

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.

Socio-cultural environments and emerging economy entrepreneurship

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grisna Anggadwita ◽  
Bachruddin Saleh Luturlean ◽  
Veland Ramadani ◽  
Vanessa Ratten
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activity ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Cultural Environment ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
The Impact

Purpose Women entrepreneurship has been growing and contributing significantly to economic activities, and it may also reduce unemployment, especially in developing countries. Many women entrepreneurs have begun to experience problems, including within their socio-cultural environment, in the beginning of or when they run their businesses. Among those developing countries, Indonesia has been recognized as having diverse ethnic groups, traditions, religions and languages. The purpose of this paper is to analyse how the socio-cultural environment affects women entrepreneurs in Indonesia. Design/methodology/approach This study aims at exploring the impact of the socio-cultural environment on entrepreneurial behavior, including the involvement of women in entrepreneurial activities in Indonesia as a multicultural country. A theoretical framework is empirically tested to identify the impact of the socio-culture environment on behavior and on women entrepreneurial activity through an integrated analysis. Findings A quantitative method with a causal descriptive approach is used in this study. The data are analyzed by using a descriptive statistics with the structural equation modeling technique. This study is intended to focus on women entrepreneurs in micro, small and medium enterprises in Bandung, Indonesia. A total of 210 women entrepreneurs have participated in this study. Practical implications include useful information for women entrepreneurs to overcome the impact of the socio-cultural environment in their entrepreneurial activities, and suggest insights for future research. Originality/value The development of women entrepreneurship in emerging economies may continuously face challenges, particularly in countries with multicultural attributes.

scholarly journals THE IMPACT OF THE CRISIS CAUSED BY COVID-19 ON WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN TOURISM IN SERBIA

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nebojša Pavlović ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Domestic Tourism ◽  
The Future ◽  
Analysis And Synthesis ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
The One ◽  
The Impact

The aim of this paper is to consider the impact of the crisis caused by Covid-19 on tourism and on women's entrepreneurship in tourism in Serbia. The paper will use the methods of analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction, abstraction, specification and generalization, observation, testing, content analysis, and case study. Based on the available data, it can be concluded that the crisis caused by Covid-19 on the one hand led to (1) the closure of a large number of entrepreneurial companies in the field of tourism, as a result of which a large number of women entrepreneurs lost their jobs; (2) the increased importance of domestic tourism due to the increase in the participation of domestic tourists in total tourist trends. In the future, more attention should be paid to the possibility of training women entrepreneurs in the field of tourism.

KIRGIZİSTAN’DA GENÇ KADIN GİRİŞİMCİLİĞİNİN MEVCUT DURUMU

2020 ◽  
pp. 59-63
Author(s):  
А.У. Аскарбекова
Keyword(s):  
New Deal ◽  
Young Women ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
General Situation ◽  
Pull Factors ◽  
Employment Opportunities ◽  
Push Factors ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

Özet. Kadın girişimciliği giderek hızlı gelişmektedir ve bu konuya ilgiyi arttırmaktadır. Kadın girişimciliği ekonomik büyümeyi sağlamada ve istihdam olanaklarını arttırmada önemli rol oynamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı Kırgızistan’daki genç kadın girişimciliğin genel durumu, Kırgız kadınları girişimciliğe motive eden faktörler, karşılaştığı sorunlar ve çözüm önerilerini ortaya koymaktır. Genç kadın girişimcilerin temel sorunları kaynak bulmada ortaya çıktığı ve son zamanlarda iticiden daha çok çekici faktörlerden güdülenerek yeni işe başladıkları sonucuna gidilmiştir. Аннотация. Аялдар ишкердүүлүгү тездик менен өнүгүп жатат жана бул маселеге болгон кызыгууну арттырууда. Аялдардын ишкердүүлүгү экономикалык өсүүнү камсыз кылуу жана жумушка орношуу мүмкүнчүлүктөрүн жогорулатууда маанилүү ролду ойнойт. Бул изилдөөнүн максаты - Кыргызстандагы жаш аял ишкердүүлүгүнүн жалпы абалын, кыргыз аялдарын ишкердүүлүккө түрткөн факторлорду, көйгөйлөрдү жана аларды чечүү жолдорун табуу болуп саналат. Жаш аял ишкерлердин негизги көйгөйлөрү ресурстарды издеп табууга байланыштуу жана акыркы кездерде жагымсыз терс факторлорго караганда жагымдуу факторлордон мотивациялануу менен жаңы бизнес баштап жатышкандыгы аныкталды. Abstract. Women entrepreneurship is growing rapidly and this causes lots of interest. Women’s entrepreneurship plays an important role in promoting economiс growth and increasing employment opportunities. The purpose of this study is to reveal the general situation of young women entrepreneurship in Kyrgyzstan, the factors motivating Kyrgyz women to entrepreneurship, the problems they are facing, and the suggestions for solutions. The main. problems of young women entrepreneurs are finding the resourses and in recent times pull factors motivate much more to start new deal than push factors.

Women entrepreneurship and sustainable development: select case studies from the sustainable energy sector

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ritika Mahajan ◽  
Kaushik Ranjan Bandyopadhyay
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Energy Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Women Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it discusses the role of entrepreneurship, in general, and women entrepreneurship, in particular, in advancing the cause of sustainable development. Future research directions that emerge from the body of knowledge that the paper relied upon have been identified. Second, it presents unique cases of eight women-led enterprises in energy sector spread across three continents, namely, Asia, Africa and the USA; identifies the constraints and opportunities, analyses the business models and their impact on the quality of life pointers to demonstrate the role of women-led enterprises in sustainable development. Design/methodology/approach The paper combines a schematic review of literature at the interface of entrepreneurship and sustainable development coupled with select relevant case studies addressing the interface. The real-life case studies, which are consciously chosen and compiled from secondary data sources, complement and testify the insights drawn from the schematic literature review. The framework for analyzing the case studies is designed around multidimensional drivers and factors that steer the women-led enterprises. Findings The paper identified the need to look at entrepreneurship through the gendered lens not only for studying entrepreneurship as a discipline, in general, but also to gauge whether the inclusion of women as entrepreneurs is actually advancing the cause of sustainable development. Besides analyzing real-life case studies of accomplished women entrepreneurs to gauge their motivations and mindsets, the process of identification of pain points, identifying differentiating and innovative features, or studying the impact on society, economy and environment, the paper eventually created a schematic framework of key enablers, constraints and strategic response of women entrepreneurs. Originality/value Given the dearth of adequate theoretical and empirical contributions on the study of effectuation, mindsets and drivers of how women entrepreneurship steers the process of sustainable development, the paper is an endeavour in that direction.

Challenging gender norms and practices through women’s entrepreneurship

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 338-358 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Emilia Bianco ◽  
Margaret Lombe ◽  
Mara Bolis
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Structural Barriers ◽  
Gender Ideologies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Gender Scripts ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship ◽  
Social Interactionism

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore the potential of women’s entrepreneurship to bring about greater gender equality. Understanding women’s entrepreneurship as a gendered process (Bird and Brush, 2002), the study presents the challenges encountered by women entrepreneurs as a result of gender ideologies. It documents structural barriers, discriminatory interactions and oppressive gender scripts and their effects on the women and their businesses. Acknowledging women’s possibilities for agency and resistance, the study analyzes how women entrepreneurs conform, contest or negotiate gender scripts and constraints, and looks at the consequences of these actions. Design/methodology/approach Drawing from elements of social interactionism and the doing and undoing gender theories, the authors use a feminist theoretic framework to guide analysis of qualitative data from two focus groups conducted with 19 women entrepreneurs in Colombia. Findings Gender ideologies were manifested in the forms of interrelated structural barriers that restricted women entrepreneurs’ access to resources. Social interactions represented spaces in which gender ideologies were reinforced, but also spaces women used to produce changes through resistance and accommodation strategies. Entrepreneurship was associated with positive changes toward greater gender equality, although negative consequences were reported. Research limitations/implications Due to the limited sample, more studies across countries may be needed for the consolidation of a generalizable theoretical framework. Originality/value This study presents a feminist theoretic framework in dialogue with the lived experiences of women entrepreneurs. It observes the processes of change toward gender equality embedded in business development.

Gendering of commercial justice – experience of self-employed women in urban Tanzania

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 101-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Tillmar
Keyword(s):  
Gender Equality ◽  
East Africa ◽  
Women Entrepreneurs ◽  
Informal Institutions ◽  
Interview Study ◽  
Legal Rights ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Knowledge ◽  
Women’S Entrepreneurship ◽  
Women's Entrepreneurship

Purpose – Women’s entrepreneurship is often seen as the solution of both economic growth and gender equality. This is despite academic knowledge of the gendered preconditions for entrepreneurship in many contexts. This paper aims to focus on the gendering of commercial justice, a precondition for entrepreneurship. Informed by gender perspectives on women’s entrepreneurship and previous studies on commercial justice in East Africa, this paper sets out to explore the experiences of urban women entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on an interview study with women entrepreneurs and representatives of support organizations in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania. The interviews were conducted in Kiswahili, and access was enabled through dialogues with local partner organizations such as the Tanzanian Chamber of Commerce. Findings – Findings are that with formal legal rights, the informal institutions imply that the marital status of the women, and the attitude of their husbands, is the overarching determinants for the commercial justice perceived as available to them. This has implication for many policy areas, such as entrepreneurship support, women’s empowerment and labour market policy. Theoretically, the findings highlight the importance of studying the informal institutions affecting women’s entrepreneurship around the globe. Concerning commercial justice in particular, three dimensions of gendering are identified. Research limitations/implications – The paper is based on a qualitative interview study. Further studies with varying methods are needed to further explore the gendering of commercial justice in Tanzania, East Africa and beyond. Practical implications – A major practical implication of the study is the insight that business for development, will not automatically lead to business for equality, on a general level. The gender bias is also reproduced in everyday business life, for example, thorough access to commercial justice. Special measures to target the gender equality issue are, therefore, necessary. Another implication of the findings regard the importance of Alternative Dispute Resolution initiatives, affordable to women small and medium enterprise-owners. Originality/value – While other obstacles to women’s entrepreneurship in the developing contexts have been well explored, the gendering of perceived commercial justice has not received sufficient attention in previous studies. Studies applying a gender theoretical perspective on entrepreneurship in the explored context are still needed.

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