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1 – 10 of over 11000
Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Jodyanne Jane Kirkwood

Women and men business owners are often thought to have different success criteria for their businesses, but there is little empirical research to support this. The purpose of…

2141

Abstract

Purpose

Women and men business owners are often thought to have different success criteria for their businesses, but there is little empirical research to support this. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the nature of self-defined success factors, and to compare women and men’s success criteria.

Design/methodology/approach

This study surveyed 216 New Zealand business owners’ (78 women, 138 men) self-perceived success criteria for their businesses. Results are based primarily on an open-ended question on their interpretation of what success means to them. In total, 30 main categories of success factors were identified, and the four main factors analyzed in depth.

Findings

The four most frequently occurring success factors were financial success, personal satisfaction, work-life/work-family balance, and satisfied stakeholders. Women and men business owners described very similar success criteria, which were balanced across financial success and personal and relationship factors. No statistically significant gender differences were found in the incidence of these success factors, suggesting a movement of male business owners to a more holistic view of business success that incorporates financial success, alongside personal and relationship aspects.

Research limitations/implications

Offers implications for researchers, policy makers, and practitioners. Highlights the need to be careful when designing research studies in multi-faceted areas such as business success, and also in gender comparative studies.

Originality/value

Uses self-perceived success criteria to assess gender differences.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 April 2004

Karyn Loscocco and Andrea Smith‐Hunter

Recent research on women business owners de‐emphasizes home‐based business ownership, despite the fact that home‐based ownership is on the rise. This study uses data from the…

2538

Abstract

Recent research on women business owners de‐emphasizes home‐based business ownership, despite the fact that home‐based ownership is on the rise. This study uses data from the Upstate New York Small Business Project to compare women engaged in home‐based businesses to their counterparts, who locate their businesses outside the home. The results indicate that the women engaged in home‐based business ownership experience less work to family conflict than their counterparts. Yet their businesses enjoy less economic success than those run by their non‐home‐based counterparts. This suggests that home‐based ownership may be a good option only for women who do not have strong financial needs.

Details

Women in Management Review, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0964-9425

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2010

Marilyn J. Davidson, Sandra L. Fielden and Azura Omar

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the positive and negative effects of gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social…

4727

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the positive and negative effects of gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social support (including emotional and instrumental support).

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data were collected through in‐depth interviews with 40 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) female small business owners based in north west England. The main aims and objectives of the study were to: investigate the discriminatory experiences of BAME female small business owners related to their gender and ethnicity; and to identify the forms (formal and informal) and types (emotional/instrumental) of social support available in relation to their entrepreneurial activities that enabled them to cope with and overcome, the discrimination they may encounter.

Findings

Over half of the respondents in the study had experienced discriminations because of their gender, ethnic background or both. This was attributed to a number of factors, including stereotypical images of specific ethnic cultures, religions and practices. Many respondents reported difficulties in accessing different types of formal social support, e.g. formal business and financial support. Informal support by respondents' families was reported as a key source of both emotional and instrumental.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is just a starting point for this area of research and, because the sample covers women from a variety of BAME backgrounds, it is not possible to generalize the findings to the wider population of BAME women. However, it does give an indication of what issues need to be considered in the provision of instrumental support for BAME women small business owners.

Practical implications

The paper shows that a key element in the development of a strategy for addressing the needs of the BAME female small business owners is the necessity to appropriately re‐design mainstream business support systems and financial services, in order to provide these women effective access to formal social support.

Originality/value

The experiences of BAME small business owners have received little attention and this paper offers a unique insight into the relationship between social support, gender, ethnicity and business ownership.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 November 2012

Sandra Fielden and Marilyn J. Davidson

The aim of this paper is to explore the intersection between gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social support (including…

2664

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to explore the intersection between gender and ethnicity in relation to discrimination and the problems encountered in accessing social support (including emotional and instrumental support) experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) women business owners.

Design/methodology/approach

Qualitative data were collected through in‐depth interviews with 40 BAME women small business owners based in North West England. The main aims and objectives of the study were to: investigate the discriminatory experiences of BAME women small business owners related to the intersection between their gender and ethnicity, and to identify the forms (formal and informal) and types (emotional/instrumental) of social support available in relation to their entrepreneurial activities that enabled them to cope with and overcome, the discrimination they may encounter.

Findings

The degree of discrimination experienced was reported as a result of gender, ethnic background or an intersection between both. This was attributed to a number of factors, including stereotypical difficulties in accessing different types of formal social support, e.g. formal business and financial support. Informal support by respondents' families was reported as a key source of both emotional and instrumental support.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is just a starting point for this area of research and, because the sample covers women from a variety of BAME backgrounds, it is not possible to generalise the findings to the wider population of BAME women. However, it does give an indication of what issues need to be considered in the provision of instrumental support for BAME women small business owners.

Practical implications

The paper shows that a key element in the development of a strategy for addressing the needs of the BAME women small business owners is the necessity to appropriately re‐design mainstream business support systems and financial services, in order to provide these women effective access to formal social support.

Originality/value

The experiences of BAME women small business owners have received little attention and this paper offers a unique insight into the relationship between how the intersection between gender and ethnicity impact on experiences of discrimination and social support. Whilst it highlights many intra group differences, it has also demonstrated the lack of homogeneity between and within women from different ethnic backgrounds.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2019

Wenxuan Li and Maria I. Marshall

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the factors associated with role satisfaction in farm and non-farm family businesses differ by gender of the business owner.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the factors associated with role satisfaction in farm and non-farm family businesses differ by gender of the business owner.

Design/methodology/approach

The data used are from a 30-minute telephone survey of owners of farm and non-farm family businesses in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio. The sample consists of 627 small- and medium-size family businesses. Three ordered probit regressions are used to analyze role satisfaction.

Findings

Women’s participation in management and the number of family members in management are positively associated with women’s role satisfaction, while tension from resource competition is negatively associated with role satisfaction. In contrast, men’s role satisfaction is increased through high family business functioning and profit.

Practical implications

There is no difference in the level of role satisfaction between men and women when one controls for the owner, family and business characteristics. However, there is a difference in the factors that drive role satisfaction between men and women. This may be driven, in part, by what their roles are vis-à-vis the financial aspects of the business. Male and female business owners seem to focus on different aspects of their family business to achieve role satisfaction.

Originality/value

This paper determines the impact of gender on the role satisfaction of business owners of farm and non-farm family businesses in four Midwestern states. It identifies the different factors associated with role satisfaction for female and male family business owners based on their actual roles.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 November 2017

Jalleh Sharafizad

The purpose of this paper is to investigate women small business owners’ informal learning behaviour. There is limited qualitative research that examines women small business…

1580

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate women small business owners’ informal learning behaviour. There is limited qualitative research that examines women small business owners’ learning process and this study aims to address this gap. The study was driven by the following research questions: “Do women small business owners prefer informal learning to formal training?” and if so, “Why do women small business owners prefer informal learning to formal training?” and “If informal learning is preferred, what role do networking and mentoring play in this learning process?”

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 Western Australian women small business owners who were recruited through purposive sampling methods.

Findings

The small business owners had a strong preference for informal learning. Participants used their own work experience and knowledge to start-up their businesses. A low uptake of formal training was found due to time and resource constraints and personal preferences. Participants relied on contacts within their networks to acquire knowledge or they hired others who possessed the requisite knowledge or skill. Only a small portion of participants had mentors or acted as a mentor.

Research limitations/implications

This study has limitations that tend to be commonly found in exploratory studies, such as a small sample size.

Practical implications

The research has implications for recognised training institutions that are engaged in entrepreneurship education. By gaining greater understanding of the nature of learning in small business, they may be able to offer more affordable and flexible informal courses that specifically target women small business owners, incorporate mentorship programs within their business courses by engaging with industry partners, or appoint instructors with industry contacts and experience, to provide mentoring support for these business owners.

Originality/value

This research responds to calls for studies aimed at developing a more nuanced understanding of the learning behaviour of women small business owners.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 60 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Cynthia Mignonne Sims, Tao Gong and Claretha Hughes

Women are starting businesses at unprecedented rates, yet little is known about the leadership of small business owners. Establishing new ventures may allow women to use their…

1713

Abstract

Purpose

Women are starting businesses at unprecedented rates, yet little is known about the leadership of small business owners. Establishing new ventures may allow women to use their full abilities and benefit from a more level playing field. Business owners have the unique opportunity to lead and define their businesses based on their authentic selves, values and goals; therefore, they are more likely to be authentic leaders. Women in nontraditional industries may be challenged because the owner’s characteristics do not match those of the industry. When the enactment of one identity interferes with another identity, identity interference (II) occurs. Relational authenticity and role incongruity suggests that women founders must uniquely resolve II and find synergy among their gender and leader identities if they are to extend the boundaries of what it means to be a woman and an industry’s business leader. This research aims to determine whether gender and leader II was an antecedent or link to authentic leadership (AL).

Design/methodology/approach

Study participants were from 63 businesses in the USA states of California, Ohio and Maryland. Three leader models were established to determine whether owner gender functioned as a moderator: all genders (n = 155), women only (n = 75) and men only (n = 65). The individual owners and their employees were the units of analysis and structural equation modeling was used.

Findings

The findings revealed that II was an antecedent to AL, owners were AL and owner gender moderated AL and II.

Research limitations/implications

This study supports (Kernis, 2003; Gardner et al., 2005) the proposition that identity congruence is necessary for AL; the less interference found between gender and leader identities, the more authentic the leader. II functioned as an antecedent to AL. Moreover when the AL self’s subscales were examined relative to II, the components that were active varied dramatically based on leader gender. This suggests that addressing II and resolving the incongruence between what it mean to be a woman (or a man) and a leader contributes to the development of AL. Additionally, the AL boundary condition of relational authenticity was supported by this study; leader gender was related to the different amounts of AL (Eagly, 2005; Kernis, 2003). Support was found that AL was a dynamic process between leaders and employees. When authentic leadership questionnaire (ALQ) self (leader) and rater (employee) were compared, there was a significant amount of consistency between these ratings. For the all genders leader model, when ALQ self’s subscale was analyzed relative to the employees’ ratings, the leaders’ relational transparency was found to be active. The women only leader model revealed that AL was activated through internalized moral perspective suggesting they were able to tap into the hearts and minds of their employees. For the men only leaders, no relationship was revealed between ALQ self’s subcomponents and employee AL ratings. Relational authenticity suggests that this may be due to employees rating men owners more based on the experience and perceptions of men leaders in general and not these business owners in particular.

Practical implications

Leadership development professionals should address how II may help women examine who they are, how they work with others, and their values; decrease leader II by providing insight on how to manage potentially conflicting roles through examples of synergistic behaviors and benefits; and, build upon women owners’ ability to connect with their followers by sharing their goals and aspirations. Men owners may benefit by ensuring their employees know their business’ unique value proposition.

Originality/value

This research sought to link the identities of leader and gender to AL in the context of small businesses. It builds upon the AL theory of Avolio et al., (2004) and Jensen and Luthans (2006) who advocated using AL to study small businesses. This study determined whether business owners experienced interference between their gender and leader identities; II hindered the formation of AL and was an antecedent to AL; and the owner’s gender led to more or less AL and thus determined if leader gender moderated AL. The support for studying leader gender comes from role incongruity (Eagly and Diekman, 2005) and relational authenticity (Eagly, 2005; Kernis, 2003) which suggests that differences in how employees perceive AL may be a function of the owner’s gender. Added support comes from Jensen and Luthans (2006); they asked future studies to examine AL to determine the mechanisms behind gender differences in small businesses. Such research provides insight on the development of AL in theory and practice.

Details

Gender in Management: An International Journal, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2413

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2005

Helle Neergaard, Eleanor Shaw and Sara Carter

To advance knowledge about the relationship between small firm networks and social capital by considering the network experiences of women business owners. To engage in such…

5630

Abstract

Purpose

To advance knowledge about the relationship between small firm networks and social capital by considering the network experiences of women business owners. To engage in such research, the paper proposes a conceptual model of business owner networking which is informed by social support theory.

Design/methodology/approach

To develop a conceptual model of business owner networking the paper reviews extant small business network research and argues that, while network theory can provide an understanding of the impact which social capital may have on the entrepreneurial process, a concentration on quantitative methodologies has restricted understanding of this. To address the gender bias in small firm network research the paper integrates social support theory into a conceptual model of business owner networks.

Findings

The conceptual model proposed recognises the interplay between network structures, interactions and contents and argues that consideration of these three network dimensions may provide insights into the impact of gender on business owner networks, social capital and experiences of business ownership. The paper also discusses the methodological implications of this model and proposes a research agenda for future business owner network research.

Originality/value

The paper addresses a recognised gap in extant small business network research and proposes a conceptual model of business owner networking which may be better suited to and more reflective of women business owners' networking experiences.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 11 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2003

Sandra L. Fielden, Marilyn J. Davidson, Adel J. Dawe and Peter J. Makin

While the general trend in the UK is towards an increase in female owned small businesses, during the last few years the number of North West of England businesses owned by women…

2992

Abstract

While the general trend in the UK is towards an increase in female owned small businesses, during the last few years the number of North West of England businesses owned by women has fallen by 12.5 per cent. Aims to investigate the barriers preventing women from entering into growth businesses in the North West. The research included discussions with 12 service providers as well as in‐depth interviews and focus groups with 99 potential and established female business owners. The main barriers blocking women’s ownership of small businesses involved the widely held stereotype of business owners as “white, middle class, males”, cultural differences, a shortage of premises for new businesses and the lack of appropriate childcare.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 10 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 March 2016

Michela Mari, Sara Poggesi and Luisa De Vita

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the family context may affect female firms’ performance by contextualising the study within Italy and empirically analysing 307…

2409

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the family context may affect female firms’ performance by contextualising the study within Italy and empirically analysing 307 Italian women-owned firms.

Design/methodology/approach

By using ordinal regressions, this paper empirically investigates the influence of three dimensions of the family context on female firms’ performance, namely: the motivations to start a business; the support from the family once the business is established; and the mechanisms to achieve a suitable balance between work and family life.

Findings

Overall, the results offer substantial support for the assumption that female business owners benefit from being pulled into the endeavour, from specific linkages with family and also from selected mechanisms to balance work and family life, thus contributing to show how strong the relationship between a firm’s performance and the family context is for women.

Originality/value

Today female entrepreneurship represents an important economic driver worldwide, leading scholars to strongly advocate the need to shift the female entrepreneurship research focus from the analysis of women business owners’ characteristics to the investigation of those specific factors able to directly affect female firms’ activities. In this vein, this paper aims at pushing further into the still less studied domain of work/family intertwinement as, surprisingly, the impact that family-related factors exert on women-owned businesses’ performance is still under-researched.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 54 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 11000