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The study's main objective is to explore the association of the internal barriers female entrepreneurs may experience when pursuing funding opportunities and the consequences of these barriers in the Swedish market. Statistics indicate that women create more profitable businesses, yet only 1% of all venture capital is distributed to female-only founding teams. Additionally, women continuously encounter challenges in pursuing external funding, which arise from internal barriers and societal and external perceptions. The research is grounded on a thorough literature review, the empirical findings derived from a qualitative data analysis through semi-structured interviews with eight female entrepreneurs and one “industry professional”. The frame of reference assisted in analyzing the empirical findings by drawing parallels between gender role theory and self-efficacy theory. The findings unveiled three prominent internal barriers to apprehension when seeking external funding: Civil status, Fear of failure, and Gender bias. The study uncovers that internal barriers substantially impede female entrepreneurs’ access to funding, causing apprehension to seek external funding and a tendency to utilize slow-paced organic growth strategies. Therefore, scalability is hampered, and gender disparities remain in the Swedish funding landscape. The researchers suggest governmental implementations of networks aimed at supporting and educating female entrepreneurs, as well as standardizing measures of financial institutions to improve the funding landscape.

Bakgrund: Den stora bristen på investerat kapital som går till kvinnliga entreprenörer är ett hett debatterat ämne idag. I takt med att både riskkapitalbranschen växer sig större samt att allt fler institutionella krav ställs på jämställdhet i samhället så är detta något som riskkapitalbolagen behöver ta hänsyn till. Däremot finns det en stor utmaning i hur könsgapet ska stängas i branschen, varav tidigare studier ger förslag på hur den kvinnliga entreprenören själv ska agera för att öka sina chanser till att resa kapital. Ej lika utforskat inom ämnet är däremot investerarnas perspektiv och hur de bör agera för att bjuda in fler kvinnor till branschen och på så sätt öka sin andel jämställda investeringar. Det är därmed intressant att analysera vilka barriärer och framgångsfaktorer som investerare upplever för att kunna minska könsgapet. Studien ämnar således skapa värdefulla insikter till branschens framtida jämställdhetsarbete inom det investerade kapitalet. Syfte: Att analysera faktorerna bakom den ojämställda fördelningen av det investerade kapitalet samt kartlägga investerares syn på vad som krävs och vilka utmaningar som finns för att överkomma könsgapet i branschen. Metod: Studien har genomförts genom kvalitativa, semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio investerare i riskkapitalbranschen. Frågor har ställts där respondenterna fått beskriva sina egna investeringsbeslut samt sina tankar och sina åsikter och vad de anser krävs för att det ska ske en förändring inom det investerade kapitalet. På så sätt har en helhetsbild av investerares förhållningssätt till jämställda investeringar skapats. Vidare har studien använt en deduktiv ansats samt en tematisk analys för att nå en slutsats. Slutsats: Både kvinnliga investerare och entreprenörer är starkt eftertraktade i riskkapitalbranschen, en trend som korrelerar med den ökande betydelsen av jämställdhetsfrågor inom samhället. Trots, Problem discussion: The great lack of invested capital going to female entrepreneurs is a hotly debated topic today. As both the Venture Capital industry grows larger and as more institutional demands are put on gender equality in society, this is something that Venture Capital companies need to take into account. On the other hand, there is a big challenge in how to close the gender gap in the industry, of which previous studies give suggestions on how the female entrepreneur herself should act to increase her chances of raising capital. Unexplored within the subject is the investors' perspective and how they should act to invite more women to the industry and thus increase their proportion of equal investments. It is therefore interesting to analyze which barriers and success factors investors experience in order to be able to reduce the gender gap. The study intends to create valuable insights for the industry's future gender equality work within the invested capital. Purpose: To analyze the factors behind the unequal distribution of the invested capital and to map investors' view of what is required and what challenges exist to overcome the gender gap in the industry. Methodology: The study has been conducted through qualitative, semi-structured interviews with ten investors within the Venture Capital industry. By posing questions where the respondents have described their own investment decisions, thoughts and opinions as well as what they believe is required for a change within the invested capital, an overall understanding of their approach to gender equality has been established. The study also has a deductive approach along with a thematic analysis to reach a conclusion. Conclusion: Both female investors and entrepreneurs are highly requested in the Venture Capital industry, a trend that correlates with the increasing importance of gender equality issues within society. Despite this, there are challenges when it comes to making more gender-equal investme

The study's main objective is to explore the association of the internal barriers female entrepreneurs may experience when pursuing funding opportunities and the consequences of these barriers in the Swedish market. Statistics indicate that women create more profitable businesses, yet only 1% of all venture capital is distributed to female-only founding teams. Additionally, women continuously encounter challenges in pursuing external funding, which arise from internal barriers and societal and external perceptions. The research is grounded on a thorough literature review, the empirical findings derived from a qualitative data analysis through semi-structured interviews with eight female entrepreneurs and one “industry professional”. The frame of reference assisted in analyzing the empirical findings by drawing parallels between gender role theory and self-efficacy theory. The findings unveiled three prominent internal barriers to apprehension when seeking external funding: Civil status, Fear of failure, and Gender bias. The study uncovers that internal barriers substantially impede female entrepreneurs’ access to funding, causing apprehension to seek external funding and a tendency to utilize slow-paced organic growth strategies. Therefore, scalability is hampered, and gender disparities remain in the Swedish funding landscape. The researchers suggest governmental implementations of networks aimed at supporting and educating female entrepreneurs, as well as standardizing measures of financial institutions to improve the funding landscape.

Introduction: This study examined the lived experiences of Female Entrepreneurs in Lagos State, Nigeria, who transitioned from traditional corporate employment settings to venture into uncharted entrepreneurial territory. In their transition from employee to entrepreneur, this study identified the existence of glass ceiling in both phases. Considering the perception of a woman’s identity in the Nigerian patriarchal system, practical attention and analysis have not been given to their experiences as employees and entrepreneurs. Seven (7) Nigerian Female Entrepreneurs with established businesses in Lagos, Nigeria, participated in this study. Method: A qualitative research method that builds upon the philosophy of social constructivism was used to decipher the transition. Storytelling theory assisted the interviewees in expressing themselves freely and facilitated this research. Also, Schlossberg's Transition Theory was the foundational theoretical framework for this study. Result: The result of the study identified the inherent glass ceiling in their transition. Some peculiarities of the glass ceiling within Nigerian context include financing barriers, gender discrimination, a good support system, and limited female mentors. This was framed as the “second glass ceiling”. They discussed their coping mechanisms to overcome challenges and build successful businesses during transition. Conclusion: The conclusion demonstrates helpful modifications that can aid groups, organizations, academic institutions, and policymakers understand Nigerian women’s situation in corporate and business domains. Such understanding could promote equality of opportunity within society and organizations, eliminate entrepreneurship barriers, and aid their long-term retention of corporate or entrepreneurial engagement. In the long run, this will benefit the Nigerian economy, corporate organizations, female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, and their communities.

That women experience different and even more challenges within the corporate environment than men do is no news. For female entrepreneurs, the challenges they experience entering the entrepreneurial setting have been and are still being researched. Studies show that specifically female entrepreneurs face challenges such as balancing work and family, lack of networks, and creating credibility and legitimacy. However, how these challenges differ for women who innovate within companies in an intrapreneurial setting is a subject that needs more research. To explore and further understand these challenges a qualitative study has been executed with semi-structured interviews of female intrapreneurs. The findings of this study reveal that there seems to be a similarity between the challenges that female entrepreneurs and female intrapreneurs experience. These challenges were balancing work and family/social life, the glass ceiling phenomenon, creating internal credibility and legitimacy, and networking. However, it also shows that there are some perceived differences and challenges, namely, external credibility and legitimacy, raising funding, and policies applied differently to female intrapreneurs. Lastly, two unique challenges were found for females in intrapreneurship, namely, the company culture and the lack of role models. Moreover, a pattern that repeatedly came up was empowerment among women, which might not necessarily be viewed as a challenge. These findings give a reasonable indication of the challenges for women in intrapreneurship and help give direction for future research within this field.

Objective: To understand the entrepreneurial identity, through the lived experience of female entrepreneurs who are familiar with the phenomenon. This objective was premised on understanding that entrepreneurial identity is a product of context which shapes the social-cultural norms and environment within which individuals, operate and construct their identity. This is captured in entrepreneurship scholarship where the discipline is still struggling to build a reliable definition of female entrepreneurship applicable to both developed and developing countries and its effect on their respective economies. Research Design & Methods: This study used a qualitative research design that followed a phenomenological approach with thirty five female entrepreneurs, utilising semi structured in depth individual meetings. Findings: Female entrepreneurs build, balance, and manage a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures of varying sizes across sectors while maintain both role and social identities. Female entrepreneurs also express strong views on earning returns and income to not only grow their business but support their employees, communities, themselves, and their families. Implications & Recommendations: This study generated five themes that should be researched quantitatively to determine further understanding of entrepreneurship and developing other entrepreneurs in developing countries. Contribution & Value Added: The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial identity, by exploring the female entrepreneur as both a role and identity. It examines this through the perspective of role identity and learn how female entrepreneurs consider their role as an entrepreneur.

Purpose: The main aim of this research is to investigate and analyze, the impact of motivational factors on female entrepreneurship. This research intends to explore in-depth the motivating factors of female entrepreneurs, with a focus on Albania. Theoretical framework: The literature on entrepreneurship, global trends in women’s entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship in Albania, and female motivation factors is studied, and it is the focus and is used to better understand the push and pull motivation factors of female entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used in this study consists of quantitative methods. Based on the literature review in our understanding, a questionnaire was set up and was carried out to collect the data. It included several from the five-point Likert scale. The population of the study consisted of a final sample of 494 female entrepreneurs, from different Albanian cities. The hypothesis was developed in response to the research question. Regression analysis is used to empirically evaluate the hypothesis using SPSS, version 23. Findings: The results of the study, show that being independent, working on scarce jobs, and working from home are the main motivational factors that positively correlate with women entrepreneurs' performance. At the country level, we find evidence that motivational factors encourage females to run their businesses, promoting development opportunities for female entrepreneurs. The conclusions are well supported by the data. Females are more inclined to start and go on their businesses. It is the best way to be independent, to have a job on a scarce time, and to work from home. Research, Practical & Social Implications - The paper gives some novel insights into the motivation factors and helps to fill the gap in the literature on this topic. It will serve as a model for female entrepreneurs in developing and less developed countries. It will be full of interest and useful to females, bus

Objective: To understand the entrepreneurial identity, through the lived experience of female entrepreneurs who are familiar with the phenomenon. This objective was premised on understanding that entrepreneurial identity is a product of context which shapes the social-cultural norms and environment within which individuals, operate and construct their identity. This is captured in entrepreneurship scholarship where the discipline is still struggling to build a reliable definition of female entrepreneurship applicable to both developed and developing countries and its effect on their respective economies. Research Design & Methods: This study used a qualitative research design that followed a phenomenological approach with thirty five female entrepreneurs, utilising semi structured in depth individual meetings. Findings: Female entrepreneurs build, balance, and manage a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures of varying sizes across sectors while maintain both role and social identities. Female entrepreneurs also express strong views on earning returns and income to not only grow their business but support their employees, communities, themselves, and their families. Implications & Recommendations: This study generated five themes that should be researched quantitatively to determine further understanding of entrepreneurship and developing other entrepreneurs in developing countries. Contribution & Value Added: The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial identity, by exploring the female entrepreneur as both a role and identity. It examines this through the perspective of role identity and learn how female entrepreneurs consider their role as an entrepreneur.

Purpose:   The main aim of this research is to investigate and analyze, the impact of motivational factors on female entrepreneurship. This research intends to explore in-depth the motivating factors of female entrepreneurs, with a focus on Albania.   Theoretical framework: The literature on entrepreneurship, global trends in women’s entrepreneurship, female entrepreneurship in Albania, and female motivation factors is studied, and it is the focus and is used to better understand the push and pull motivation factors of female entrepreneurs.   Design/methodology/approach: The methodology used in this study consists of quantitative methods. Based on the literature review in our understanding, a questionnaire was set up and was carried out to collect the data. It included several from the five-point Likert scale. The population of the study consisted of a final sample of 494 female entrepreneurs, from different Albanian cities. The hypothesis was developed in response to the research question. Regression analysis is used to empirically evaluate the hypothesis using SPSS, version 23.   Findings: The results of the study, show that being independent, working on scarce jobs, and working from home are the main motivational factors that positively correlate with women entrepreneurs' performance. At the country level, we find evidence that motivational factors encourage females to run their businesses, promoting development opportunities for female entrepreneurs. The conclusions are well supported by the data. Females are more inclined to start and go on their businesses. It is the best way to be independent, to have a job on a scarce time, and to work from home.   Research, Practical & Social Implications - The paper gives some novel insights into the motivation factors and helps to fill the gap in the literature on this topic. It will serve as a model for female entrepreneurs in developing and less developed countries. It will be full of i

Introduction: This study examined the lived experiences of Female Entrepreneurs in Lagos State, Nigeria, who transitioned from traditional corporate employment settings to venture into uncharted entrepreneurial territory. In their transition from employee to entrepreneur, this study identified the existence of glass ceiling in both phases. Considering the perception of a woman’s identity in the Nigerian patriarchal system, practical attention and analysis have not been given to their experiences as employees and entrepreneurs. Seven (7) Nigerian Female Entrepreneurs with established businesses in Lagos, Nigeria, participated in this study. Method: A qualitative research method that builds upon the philosophy of social constructivism was used to decipher the transition. Storytelling theory assisted the interviewees in expressing themselves freely and facilitated this research. Also, Schlossberg's Transition Theory was the foundational theoretical framework for this study. Result: The result of the study identified the inherent glass ceiling in their transition. Some peculiarities of the glass ceiling within Nigerian context include financing barriers, gender discrimination, a good support system, and limited female mentors. This was framed as the “second glass ceiling”. They discussed their coping mechanisms to overcome challenges and build successful businesses during transition. Conclusion: The conclusion demonstrates helpful modifications that can aid groups, organizations, academic institutions, and policymakers understand Nigerian women’s situation in corporate and business domains. Such understanding could promote equality of opportunity within society and organizations, eliminate entrepreneurship barriers, and aid their long-term retention of corporate or entrepreneurial engagement. In the long run, this will benefit the Nigerian economy, corporate organizations, female entrepreneurs in Nigeria, and their communities.

That women experience different and even more challenges within the corporate environment than men do is no news. For female entrepreneurs, the challenges they experience entering the entrepreneurial setting have been and are still being researched. Studies show that specifically female entrepreneurs face challenges such as balancing work and family, lack of networks, and creating credibility and legitimacy. However, how these challenges differ for women who innovate within companies in an intrapreneurial setting is a subject that needs more research. To explore and further understand these challenges a qualitative study has been executed with semi-structured interviews of female intrapreneurs. The findings of this study reveal that there seems to be a similarity between the challenges that female entrepreneurs and female intrapreneurs experience. These challenges were balancing work and family/social life, the glass ceiling phenomenon, creating internal credibility and legitimacy, and networking. However, it also shows that there are some perceived differences and challenges, namely, external credibility and legitimacy, raising funding, and policies applied differently to female intrapreneurs. Lastly, two unique challenges were found for females in intrapreneurship, namely, the company culture and the lack of role models. Moreover, a pattern that repeatedly came up was empowerment among women, which might not necessarily be viewed as a challenge. These findings give a reasonable indication of the challenges for women in intrapreneurship and help give direction for future research within this field.

Objective: To understand the entrepreneurial identity, through the lived experience of female entrepreneurs who are familiar with the phenomenon. This objective was premised on understanding that entrepreneurial identity is a product of context which shapes the social-cultural norms and environment within which individuals, operate and construct their identity. This is captured in entrepreneurship scholarship where the discipline is still struggling to build a reliable definition of female entrepreneurship applicable to both developed and developing countries and its effect on their respective economies. Research Design & Methods: This study used a qualitative research design that followed a phenomenological approach with thirty five female entrepreneurs, utilising semi structured in depth individual meetings. Findings: Female entrepreneurs build, balance, and manage a wide range of entrepreneurial ventures of varying sizes across sectors while maintain both role and social identities. Female entrepreneurs also express strong views on earning returns and income to not only grow their business but support their employees, communities, themselves, and their families. Implications & Recommendations: This study generated five themes that should be researched quantitatively to determine further understanding of entrepreneurship and developing other entrepreneurs in developing countries. Contribution & Value Added: The study contributes to the existing body of knowledge on entrepreneurship in entrepreneurial identity, by exploring the female entrepreneur as both a role and identity. It examines this through the perspective of role identity and learn how female entrepreneurs consider their role as an entrepreneur.

When it comes to obtaining funding for their venture, female entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage. Whilst obtaining funding for a venture is already a difficult task for male founders (Steigertahl & Mauer, 2018) only 2.3% of funding in venture capital goes toward female entrepreneurs (Bittner and Lau, 2021). This funding gap between male and female entrepreneurs is noticeable in different aspects of funding. This study focuses on how female entrepreneurs, in the tech industry in Skåne in Sweden, approach the funding process, and how they cope if they get the results of their efforts. Using semi-structured interviews this research also assessed if they change their approach based on the result and what the influence of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, prior experience and gender bias on their approach and coping strategy are. Role models and prior experience have a direct impact on the coping strategies used by female entrepreneurs when they are pursuing funding. By joining an incubator female entrepreneurs received both information and access to role models. Role models such as business advisors or fellow entrepreneurs provide guidance and help entrepreneurs with their challenges. Role models also gave advice on coping strategies. Prior experience came into play regarding formulating the coping strategy which they tested to measure the results. One thing female entrepreneurs did not share with their role models was experiencing gender bias if they experienced it when pursuing funding. This led to some of them struggling to use coping strategies. However, it should be noted that this research has its limitations. The sample size is one as well as the location. Skåne, Sweden is known for its excellent entrepreneurial ecosystem (Greenspan, 2016) and Sweden, is known to be quite progressive regarding gender. Thus future research could focus on female entrepreneurs in different countries and mapping out their situations and tactics. Another point of focus would be the influ

Background: Sustainability has become one of the main factors driving business innovation and resulted in a green transition, which has slowed down in recent years, and to accelerate the green transition again, major barriers need to be removed. The gender imbalance in sustainable entrepreneurship could be a barrier to the acceleration of the green transition since women entrepreneurs showcase what the green transition represents, yet there are fewer women in entrepreneurship compared to men. Despite there being fewer women in entrepreneurship, several studies have found that women are more inclined toward sustainability, compared to men, when it comes to the practices of sustainable entrepreneurship. However, no studies state how or why this is. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is therefore to bridge that knowledge gap by investigating the potential ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind women's entrepreneurial sustainability. Moreover, the purpose of the findings is to create a new theory that offers new insights and a unique understanding regarding women's entrepreneurial sustainability implementation and motivation. Research Question: How do women entrepreneurs incorporate sustainable business practices and why are they motivated to do so? Method: A inductive qualitative single case study on eleven women entrepreneurs. The data collection was through semi-structured interviews. Followed by a Gioia’s grounded theory analysis to create a theoretical model to answer the research question. Conclusion: Women entrepreneurs are motivated through various intrinsic and extrinsic motivations where they use their decision authority as the approach to implementing their sustainable business practices.

Female entrepreneurship plays a significant role in economic growth and innovation within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, Female entrepreneurs face challenges that are different from male entrepreneurs. Regarding market access, capacity-building training, and investment, many female entrepreneurs within the Global South face additional challenges of patriarchy, gender stereotyping, and lack of access to opportunities or support from society, friends, and family. In this thesis, a qualitative approach was undertaken to assess the influence of family moral support for female entrepreneurs in creating their businesses by identifying and analyzing their personal experiences and challenges during their business development and growth phase in Indonesia and Pakistan. As a result, female entrepreneurs in these countries need access to business opportunities with family moral support, which helps them break the stigmas and get out of an unsupported environment. With family moral support, female entrepreneurs have proven to excel in developing their entrepreneurial set of skills, especially in the creation phase and maintaining the growth of their Small-Medium Enterprises. However, every privilege of female entrepreneurs still needs to consider that their personal and family backgrounds are different and intersect with other aspects that could lead to success or barriers to creating Small-Medium Enterprises.

Female entrepreneurship plays a significant role in economic growth and innovation within the entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, Female entrepreneurs face challenges that are different from male entrepreneurs. Regarding market access, capacity-building training, and investment, many female entrepreneurs within the Global South face additional challenges of patriarchy, gender stereotyping, and lack of access to opportunities or support from society, friends, and family. In this thesis, a qualitative approach was undertaken to assess the influence of family moral support for female entrepreneurs in creating their businesses by identifying and analyzing their personal experiences and challenges during their business development and growth phase in Indonesia and Pakistan. As a result, female entrepreneurs in these countries need access to business opportunities with family moral support, which helps them break the stigmas and get out of an unsupported environment. With family moral support, female entrepreneurs have proven to excel in developing their entrepreneurial set of skills, especially in the creation phase and maintaining the growth of their Small-Medium Enterprises. However, every privilege of female entrepreneurs still needs to consider that their personal and family backgrounds are different and intersect with other aspects that could lead to success or barriers to creating Small-Medium Enterprises.

Background: Sustainability has become one of the main factors driving business innovation and resulted in a green transition, which has slowed down in recent years, and to accelerate the green transition again, major barriers need to be removed. The gender imbalance in sustainable entrepreneurship could be a barrier to the acceleration of the green transition since women entrepreneurs showcase what the green transition represents, yet there are fewer women in entrepreneurship compared to men. Despite there being fewer women in entrepreneurship, several studies have found that women are more inclined toward sustainability, compared to men, when it comes to the practices of sustainable entrepreneurship. However, no studies state how or why this is. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is therefore to bridge that knowledge gap by investigating the potential ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind women's entrepreneurial sustainability. Moreover, the purpose of the findings is to create a new theory that offers new insights and a unique understanding regarding women's entrepreneurial sustainability implementation and motivation. Research Question: How do women entrepreneurs incorporate sustainable business practices and why are they motivated to do so? Method: A inductive qualitative single case study on eleven women entrepreneurs. The data collection was through semi-structured interviews. Followed by a Gioia’s grounded theory analysis to create a theoretical model to answer the research question. Conclusion: Women entrepreneurs are motivated through various intrinsic and extrinsic motivations where they use their decision authority as the approach to implementing their sustainable business practices.

When it comes to obtaining funding for their venture, female entrepreneurs are at a disadvantage. Whilst obtaining funding for a venture is already a difficult task for male founders (Steigertahl & Mauer, 2018) only 2.3% of funding in venture capital goes toward female entrepreneurs (Bittner and Lau, 2021). This funding gap between male and female entrepreneurs is noticeable in different aspects of funding. This study focuses on how female entrepreneurs, in the tech industry in Skåne in Sweden, approach the funding process, and how they cope if they get the results of their efforts. Using semi-structured interviews this research also assessed if they change their approach based on the result and what the influence of the entrepreneurial ecosystem, prior experience and gender bias on their approach and coping strategy are. Role models and prior experience have a direct impact on the coping strategies used by female entrepreneurs when they are pursuing funding. By joining an incubator female entrepreneurs received both information and access to role models. Role models such as business advisors or fellow entrepreneurs provide guidance and help entrepreneurs with their challenges. Role models also gave advice on coping strategies. Prior experience came into play regarding formulating the coping strategy which they tested to measure the results. One thing female entrepreneurs did not share with their role models was experiencing gender bias if they experienced it when pursuing funding. This led to some of them struggling to use coping strategies. However, it should be noted that this research has its limitations. The sample size is one as well as the location. Skåne, Sweden is known for its excellent entrepreneurial ecosystem (Greenspan, 2016) and Sweden, is known to be quite progressive regarding gender. Thus future research could focus on female entrepreneurs in different countries and mapping out their situations and tactics. Another point of focus would be the influ

Women have become a major and rising financial force and their presence in the angel sector is growing. However, little research has been done on the status of women as angel investors. This master thesis aims to give insights into the influencing factors in the investment decision of female business angels and their perception of female entrepreneurs. A qualitative study was conducted with nine women angel investors that followed a semi-structured interview. The findings show that female business angels are influenced by their investment motivation, the deal sources and their personal investment criteria. In addition, the study gives first indication of how female business angels perceive female entrepreneurs and comes to the conclusion that women show weaknesses in presenting themselves and their businesses. The study proposes future research in the field of women angel investing and practical implications.

In the intersecting space between contemporary economic models, social media, and fashion and the body, it has been suggested that women are performing emotional and esthetic labor with increasing scrutiny, intensity and impact. This article considers interactions between and within two Instagram accounts from the perspective of these intersecting issues, using the labor they perform within the context of online consumption as a case study. The purpose is first to understand how these interactions occur in online contexts; and secondly, to examine what insight these interactions can offer into gendered labor and entrepreneurialism in fashion. Data was collected over a 12-month period in which the Instagram accounts of the fashion label Elizabeth Suzann and an Instagram community dedicated to her clothing were observed. Findings highlight the centrality of the body in their interactions and it is proposed that the accounts studied reflect a type of gendered entrepreneurialism in which esthetic and emotional labor is performed in order to create a welcoming, safe and useful space - especially for women whose bodies do not conform to social and industry norms.

Women have become a major and rising financial force and their presence in the angel sector is growing. However, little research has been done on the status of women as angel investors. This master thesis aims to give insights into the influencing factors in the investment decision of female business angels and their perception of female entrepreneurs. A qualitative study was conducted with nine women angel investors that followed a semi-structured interview. The findings show that female business angels are influenced by their investment motivation, the deal sources and their personal investment criteria. In addition, the study gives first indication of how female business angels perceive female entrepreneurs and comes to the conclusion that women show weaknesses in presenting themselves and their businesses. The study proposes future research in the field of women angel investing and practical implications.

The Swedish entrepreneurial environment is a heavily male-dominated field characterized by unequal conditions, a significant gender gap, and discriminatory practices. Research is filled with contradictory arguments discussing how gender is not an issue in the world of entrepreneurship, when in fact this conceals gender equality issues that are still prevalent today. This study aimed to describe and explain, from an incubator perspective, the challenges and opportunities that arise from working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The purpose was also to study the effects these efforts have on the ventures partaking in the incubator’s program, as well as their perceptions of it. Based on a literature review of gender equality in entrepreneurship, a qualitative approach deemed necessary to explain the complexity of this issue. This research performed a case study on one Swedish incubator consisting of two samples. Data was collected through in-depth interviews held with the incubator team and online questionnaires were distributed to some ventures currently partaking in the incubator program, as well as to some alumni. The results indicated that there were more challenges than opportunities involved in working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The most frequently addressed challenges for female entrepreneurs related to contexts of receiving financial aid from investors, the unequal opportunities given by supporting actors such as advisors, banks, lawyers etc., and the effect of gender stereotypes. In the analysis it was identified that women’s unequal opportunities consisted of, among others, women receiving different questions than men, having to defend their ideas to a larger extent, and consistently being viewed in a traditional manner concerning family-care constraints. However, many of the identified challenges for female entrepreneurs could be used in favor of the incubator. Meaning that the incubator could turn the challenges into opportunities for

The SDGs provide a global policy framework for regulatory actions at national, regional and international levels. However, when it comes to how to locally implement these goals it is important to understand the context of the local reality. This paper has two objectives. It seeks to critically analyse how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals are framed by civil society organizations (CSO) in Indonesia in relation to their work. It also seeks to unravel the framing of challenges these civil society organizations identify when working with gender equality and female empowerment in the context of female entrepreneurs. To get an understanding of how local CSO’s interpret and integrate SDGs into their practical work and what challenges they identify, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people working at seven civil society organizations. Interpretative policy analysis and framing were used to uncover what frames were present in the interviews. The findings in this research indicated that the SDGs are framed differently by different actors where some applied them more practically than others. The framing of the challenges was often similar but depending on what the area the organizations focused on, different frames were highlighted.

Over the years, many Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs have adopted social networking technologies, also called social networking sites, to overcome certain cultural challenges and to manage their home-based online businesses. The effectiveness of adopting social networking technologies to produce business benefits is an area that has received significant attention. However, most of the previous studies focus on ‘what social networking technologies do’ rather than ‘what impact social networking technologies have’. The purpose of this study is to better understand how Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs -- a group about which little is known -- use social networking technologies to derive benefits from their utilisation and to enhance their home-based online businesses. It employs a qualitative approach to explore the opportunities and challenges that they experience when they use these technologies to run their businesses. The research questions centre around the business benefits derived from the use of social networking technologies in a home-based context, the motivations that drove the adaptation of these platforms, and the most critical issues women face when using these platforms for business activities. Interviewees in this study describe how they negotiate between entrepreneurship and technology values, in light of their cultural roles. They discuss how the available technology enables their personal growth and allows them to create jobs for themselves and to enter the labour market without physically leaving their homes. The study reveals that the use of social networking technologies by Saudi female entrepreneurs achieves multiple objectives, including building their business brand, organising networks, and extending their customer base beyond family circles. The motivations of these female entrepreneurs are largely driven by personal desire, a need for professional growth and personal development, and a desire to serve their communities. The use of these

The present study aims to identify the association between gender and three different aspects: performance, pull-push factors, and nonprofit-for-profit sectors. In order to respond to the research questions, a quantitative approach was applied. Secondary data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2016 was collected as it includes self-reported information of established business owners from the UK. The results provided by the cross tabulation analysis executed by the SPSS, show a deeper and quantitative understanding regarding the associations between gender and the three aspects. Findings demonstrated that gender only had a significant association with the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. The other aspects clearly showed that they did not have any association with gender. Also, this study discusses the unequal number of female and male entrepreneurs shown in each of the aspects in order to provide acknowledge about the current situation in the UK. It is recommended that future research collects a higher number of variables or responses, preferably primary data that includes more information about the aspirations and preferences of the individuals and combines quantitative with qualitative methods. In conclusion, the gender of entrepreneurs should not be considered to be a break-dealer factor.

Purpose: By drawing on various theoretical approaches and a gender perspective, this paper aims to examine business model (BM) experimentation as a step towards BM experimentation capabilities as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, using a unique data set of 444 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the authors draw on various theoretical perspectives to devise a structural equation model that examines BM experimentation as a step towards business model innovation (BMI) as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Potential differences are examined between female-owned and non-female-owned businesses with regard to hypothesized relations. Findings: Multi-group analysis results reveal that drivers of BM experimentation and the paths linking BM experimentation to overall firm performance are different for female owners in comparison to male owners. Research limitations/implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Practical implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Originality/value: Despite the increasing number of papers focussing on the relationship between BM and firm performance, the focus on female entrepreneurship, gender differences and BMI, more specifically the process of BMI as BM experimentation, is relatively rare., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public, Information and Communication Technology

Over the years, many Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs have adopted social networking technologies, also called social networking sites, to overcome certain cultural challenges and to manage their home-based online businesses. The effectiveness of adopting social networking technologies to produce business benefits is an area that has received significant attention. However, most of the previous studies focus on ‘what social networking technologies do’ rather than ‘what impact social networking technologies have’. The purpose of this study is to better understand how Saudi Arabian female entrepreneurs -- a group about which little is known -- use social networking technologies to derive benefits from their utilisation and to enhance their home-based online businesses. It employs a qualitative approach to explore the opportunities and challenges that they experience when they use these technologies to run their businesses. The research questions centre around the business benefits derived from the use of social networking technologies in a home-based context, the motivations that drove the adaptation of these platforms, and the most critical issues women face when using these platforms for business activities. Interviewees in this study describe how they negotiate between entrepreneurship and technology values, in light of their cultural roles. They discuss how the available technology enables their personal growth and allows them to create jobs for themselves and to enter the labour market without physically leaving their homes. The study reveals that the use of social networking technologies by Saudi female entrepreneurs achieves multiple objectives, including building their business brand, organising networks, and extending their customer base beyond family circles. The motivations of these female entrepreneurs are largely driven by personal desire, a need for professional growth and personal development, and a desire to serve their communities. The use of these

The SDGs provide a global policy framework for regulatory actions at national, regional and international levels. However, when it comes to how to locally implement these goals it is important to understand the context of the local reality. This paper has two objectives. It seeks to critically analyse how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) goals are framed by civil society organizations (CSO) in Indonesia in relation to their work. It also seeks to unravel the framing of challenges these civil society organizations identify when working with gender equality and female empowerment in the context of female entrepreneurs. To get an understanding of how local CSO’s interpret and integrate SDGs into their practical work and what challenges they identify, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight people working at seven civil society organizations. Interpretative policy analysis and framing were used to uncover what frames were present in the interviews. The findings in this research indicated that the SDGs are framed differently by different actors where some applied them more practically than others. The framing of the challenges was often similar but depending on what the area the organizations focused on, different frames were highlighted.

Purpose: By drawing on various theoretical approaches and a gender perspective, this paper aims to examine business model (BM) experimentation as a step towards BM experimentation capabilities as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Design/methodology/approach: In this paper, using a unique data set of 444 European small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the authors draw on various theoretical perspectives to devise a structural equation model that examines BM experimentation as a step towards business model innovation (BMI) as an outcome and, as such, a key antecedent to firm performance. Potential differences are examined between female-owned and non-female-owned businesses with regard to hypothesized relations. Findings: Multi-group analysis results reveal that drivers of BM experimentation and the paths linking BM experimentation to overall firm performance are different for female owners in comparison to male owners. Research limitations/implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Practical implications: Theoretical and practical implications are various. For SME entrepreneurs, experimenting with their BMs does lead to improved performance. Originality/value: Despite the increasing number of papers focussing on the relationship between BM and firm performance, the focus on female entrepreneurship, gender differences and BMI, more specifically the process of BMI as BM experimentation, is relatively rare., Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public, Information and Communication Technology

The present study aims to identify the association between gender and three different aspects: performance, pull-push factors, and nonprofit-for-profit sectors. In order to respond to the research questions, a quantitative approach was applied. Secondary data from the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor 2016 was collected as it includes self-reported information of established business owners from the UK. The results provided by the cross tabulation analysis executed by the SPSS, show a deeper and quantitative understanding regarding the associations between gender and the three aspects. Findings demonstrated that gender only had a significant association with the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. The other aspects clearly showed that they did not have any association with gender. Also, this study discusses the unequal number of female and male entrepreneurs shown in each of the aspects in order to provide acknowledge about the current situation in the UK. It is recommended that future research collects a higher number of variables or responses, preferably primary data that includes more information about the aspirations and preferences of the individuals and combines quantitative with qualitative methods. In conclusion, the gender of entrepreneurs should not be considered to be a break-dealer factor.

The Swedish entrepreneurial environment is a heavily male-dominated field characterized by unequal conditions, a significant gender gap, and discriminatory practices. Research is filled with contradictory arguments discussing how gender is not an issue in the world of entrepreneurship, when in fact this conceals gender equality issues that are still prevalent today. This study aimed to describe and explain, from an incubator perspective, the challenges and opportunities that arise from working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The purpose was also to study the effects these efforts have on the ventures partaking in the incubator’s program, as well as their perceptions of it. Based on a literature review of gender equality in entrepreneurship, a qualitative approach deemed necessary to explain the complexity of this issue. This research performed a case study on one Swedish incubator consisting of two samples. Data was collected through in-depth interviews held with the incubator team and online questionnaires were distributed to some ventures currently partaking in the incubator program, as well as to some alumni. The results indicated that there were more challenges than opportunities involved in working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The most frequently addressed challenges for female entrepreneurs related to contexts of receiving financial aid from investors, the unequal opportunities given by supporting actors such as advisors, banks, lawyers etc., and the effect of gender stereotypes. In the analysis it was identified that women’s unequal opportunities consisted of, among others, women receiving different questions than men, having to defend their ideas to a larger extent, and consistently being viewed in a traditional manner concerning family-care constraints. However, many of the identified challenges for female entrepreneurs could be used in favor of the incubator. Meaning that the incubator could turn the challenges into opportunities for

Poverty is a major problem that reaches millions of people around the world. Although many organizations and individuals work daily to combat this, much of the work done to reduce poverty lacks sustainability and serves only to remedy to the effects of poverty, rather than create a solution to the causes of poverty. Microfinance can be very basically defined as the provision of banking to the impoverished who would not otherwise have access to these services. This purpose of this thesis is to show that microfinance is the ideal solution to the poverty problem by using research and evidence from case studies. This thesis also contains analyses of these studies with the purpose of discovering best practices in microfinance.

Poverty is a major problem that reaches millions of people around the world. Although many organizations and individuals work daily to combat this, much of the work done to reduce poverty lacks sustainability and serves only to remedy to the effects of poverty, rather than create a solution to the causes of poverty. Microfinance can be very basically defined as the provision of banking to the impoverished who would not otherwise have access to these services. This purpose of this thesis is to show that microfinance is the ideal solution to the poverty problem by using research and evidence from case studies. This thesis also contains analyses of these studies with the purpose of discovering best practices in microfinance.

[EN] A teaching innovation methodology characterized for being a link between the students´ learning process and the University Social Responsibility is the "Service-Learning" (SL). Recently, it is been emphasized that teachers in the field of Business Management should use teaching methods that promote civic values and social commitment. In this line, the SL complements the economic-financial education that students receive, allowing them to develop important professional and personal skills as well as to receive training according to socially responsible principles, since they learn by working in community service initiatives. Our SL experience consisted in combining the teaching innovation in five subjects taught at the University of León (Spain) –where one of them is from the field of Operations Management– with the provision of a free support service for rural women's entrepreneurship. In the current unemployment situation, a possible alternative is the creation of an own company. However, female entrepreneurs have to develop their business idea and to demonstrate its viability, which poses them serious difficulties due to lack of training, experience or even advice on the matter. After detecting this social need, our experience consisted in organizing multidisciplinary groups of students to guide female entrepreneurs in rural areas during the whole entrepreneurship process. After developing this activity of teaching innovation, we can conclude that the SL is a good methodology to improve the academic, personal and social development of students, suggesting that it is possible to join their academic success with the social commitment of the University.

[EN] A teaching innovation methodology characterized for being a link between the students´ learning process and the University Social Responsibility is the "Service-Learning" (SL). Recently, it is been emphasized that teachers in the field of Business Management should use teaching methods that promote civic values and social commitment. In this line, the SL complements the economic-financial education that students receive, allowing them to develop important professional and personal skills as well as to receive training according to socially responsible principles, since they learn by working in community service initiatives. Our SL experience consisted in combining the teaching innovation in five subjects taught at the University of León (Spain) –where one of them is from the field of Operations Management– with the provision of a free support service for rural women's entrepreneurship. In the current unemployment situation, a possible alternative is the creation of an own company. However, female entrepreneurs have to develop their business idea and to demonstrate its viability, which poses them serious difficulties due to lack of training, experience or even advice on the matter. After detecting this social need, our experience consisted in organizing multidisciplinary groups of students to guide female entrepreneurs in rural areas during the whole entrepreneurship process. After developing this activity of teaching innovation, we can conclude that the SL is a good methodology to improve the academic, personal and social development of students, suggesting that it is possible to join their academic success with the social commitment of the University.

[EN] A teaching innovation methodology characterized for being a link between the students´ learning process and the University Social Responsibility is the "Service-Learning" (SL). Recently, it is been emphasized that teachers in the field of Business Management should use teaching methods that promote civic values and social commitment. In this line, the SL complements the economic-financial education that students receive, allowing them to develop important professional and personal skills as well as to receive training according to socially responsible principles, since they learn by working in community service initiatives. Our SL experience consisted in combining the teaching innovation in five subjects taught at the University of León (Spain) –where one of them is from the field of Operations Management– with the provision of a free support service for rural women's entrepreneurship. In the current unemployment situation, a possible alternative is the creation of an own company. However, female entrepreneurs have to develop their business idea and to demonstrate its viability, which poses them serious difficulties due to lack of training, experience or even advice on the matter. After detecting this social need, our experience consisted in organizing multidisciplinary groups of students to guide female entrepreneurs in rural areas during the whole entrepreneurship process. After developing this activity of teaching innovation, we can conclude that the SL is a good methodology to improve the academic, personal and social development of students, suggesting that it is possible to join their academic success with the social commitment of the University.

[EN] A teaching innovation methodology characterized for being a link between the students´ learning process and the University Social Responsibility is the "Service-Learning" (SL). Recently, it is been emphasized that teachers in the field of Business Management should use teaching methods that promote civic values and social commitment. In this line, the SL complements the economic-financial education that students receive, allowing them to develop important professional and personal skills as well as to receive training according to socially responsible principles, since they learn by working in community service initiatives. Our SL experience consisted in combining the teaching innovation in five subjects taught at the University of León (Spain) –where one of them is from the field of Operations Management– with the provision of a free support service for rural women's entrepreneurship. In the current unemployment situation, a possible alternative is the creation of an own company. However, female entrepreneurs have to develop their business idea and to demonstrate its viability, which poses them serious difficulties due to lack of training, experience or even advice on the matter. After detecting this social need, our experience consisted in organizing multidisciplinary groups of students to guide female entrepreneurs in rural areas during the whole entrepreneurship process. After developing this activity of teaching innovation, we can conclude that the SL is a good methodology to improve the academic, personal and social development of students, suggesting that it is possible to join their academic success with the social commitment of the University.

[EN] A teaching innovation methodology characterized for being a link between the students´ learning process and the University Social Responsibility is the "Service-Learning" (SL). Recently, it is been emphasized that teachers in the field of Business Management should use teaching methods that promote civic values and social commitment. In this line, the SL complements the economic-financial education that students receive, allowing them to develop important professional and personal skills as well as to receive training according to socially responsible principles, since they learn by working in community service initiatives. Our SL experience consisted in combining the teaching innovation in five subjects taught at the University of León (Spain) –where one of them is from the field of Operations Management– with the provision of a free support service for rural women's entrepreneurship. In the current unemployment situation, a possible alternative is the creation of an own company. However, female entrepreneurs have to develop their business idea and to demonstrate its viability, which poses them serious difficulties due to lack of training, experience or even advice on the matter. After detecting this social need, our experience consisted in organizing multidisciplinary groups of students to guide female entrepreneurs in rural areas during the whole entrepreneurship process. After developing this activity of teaching innovation, we can conclude that the SL is a good methodology to improve the academic, personal and social development of students, suggesting that it is possible to join their academic success with the social commitment of the University.

The study investigates female empowerment through online entrepreneurship on Taobao in Chinese society, from female entrepreneurs’ individual perspectives. Thus, the study is positioned in the dynamic e-commerce landscape of China. This small-scale case study has been conducted, which involves 14 female online storeowners on Taobao. Online female entrepreneurs constitute the base of this study, and share their accounts of the dramatic changes in their lives after they initiated their online businesses. The entire study departs from their actual experiences and opinions, which provide multiple perspectives, so as to garner further insights into the dominant research of female empowerment within the context of e-commerce. Their actual experiences and accounts are interpreted and examined, based primarily on Sen’s capability approach, while their actual capabilities and functionings are evaluated, based on the selected aspects of their situations. This study claims that even though the female online storeowners believe they have a higher autonomy in managing their time and household duties, and an ability to act according to their will to achieve what they desire, the female online storeowners still do not regard themselves as entrepreneurs. The enhancements in the capabilities of the female online storeowners and their achieved functionings do not necessarily go beyond the online environment. This study aims to provide a solid departure for any further investigations into women’s empowerment through e-commerce on a societal level.

This article shows the economic participation of women in rural areas and confirms that women are mainly involved in entrepreneurial activity, carrying out activities on their own; most of them started entering the market in irregular and instability Entrepreneurial activity of women is diverse and covers almost all sectors of economic activity. This research was based on fieldwork in 2014 in the town of Coatepec Harinas, Estado de Mexico and based on INEGI census., Neste artigo, a participação econômica das mulheres é mostrado em áreas rurais e confirmou que principalmente envolver em gestão empresarial, a realização de actividades por conta própria, a maioria deles começar a sua entrada no mercado em condições de irregularidade e instabilidade. A actividade empresarial das mulheres é diversificada e abrange quase todos os setores da economia. Esta pesquisa foi realizada com base no trabalho de campo realizado em 2014 no município de Coatepec Harinas, Estado do México e com base no censo INEGI., En este artículo se muestra la participación económica de las mujeres en el espacio rural y se confirma que se involucran principalmente en la gestión emprendedora, realizando actividades por cuenta propia, la mayoría de ellas inicia su entrada en el mercado en condiciones de irregularidad e inestabilidad. La actividad emprendedora de las mujeres es diversa y abarca casi todos los sectores económicos. Esta investigación se realizó con base en un trabajo de campo llevado a cabo en 2014 en el municipio de Coatepec Harinas, Estado de México y con base en los censos del INEGI.

L’objectif de cette communication est d’explorer un sujet émergent dans la littérature en entrepreneuriat, l’entrepreneuriat collaboratif, en adoptant la perspective des femmes entrepreneures au Luxembourg. Il s’agit de partager les premiers enseignements issus d’une étude exploratoire sur ce thème relativement inexploré, en particulier dans les travaux en entrepreneuriat féminin. L’analyse d’une étude de cas approfondie auprès de deux femmes entrepreneures ayant créé et développé une collaboration d’affaires, complétée par des interviews qualitatives avec d’autres femmes entrepreneures travaillant en collaboration, nous permettent de dégager les premiers éléments de compréhension de ce phénomène et d’établir les bases d’un modèle théorique., The aim of this communication is to explore an emergent topic in the entrepreneurship literature, collaborative entrepreneurship, with the perspective of female entrepreneurs in Luxembourg. We share the first insights from an exploratory study on this relatively unexplored topic, in particular in the women's entrepreneurship field. The in-depth case study analysis of two female entrepreneurs who created and developed a business collaboration, complemented by qualitative interviews with female entrepreneurs working in collaboration, enable to propose first elements of understanding of this phenomenon and to establish the bases of a theoretical model.

L’objectif de cette communication est d’explorer un sujet émergent dans la littérature en entrepreneuriat, l’entrepreneuriat collaboratif, en adoptant la perspective des femmes entrepreneures au Luxembourg. Il s’agit de partager les premiers enseignements issus d’une étude exploratoire sur ce thème relativement inexploré, en particulier dans les travaux en entrepreneuriat féminin. L’analyse d’une étude de cas approfondie auprès de deux femmes entrepreneures ayant créé et développé une collaboration d’affaires, complétée par des interviews qualitatives avec d’autres femmes entrepreneures travaillant en collaboration, nous permettent de dégager les premiers éléments de compréhension de ce phénomène et d’établir les bases d’un modèle théorique., The aim of this communication is to explore an emergent topic in the entrepreneurship literature, collaborative entrepreneurship, with the perspective of female entrepreneurs in Luxembourg. We share the first insights from an exploratory study on this relatively unexplored topic, in particular in the women's entrepreneurship field. The in-depth case study analysis of two female entrepreneurs who created and developed a business collaboration, complemented by qualitative interviews with female entrepreneurs working in collaboration, enable to propose first elements of understanding of this phenomenon and to establish the bases of a theoretical model.

This article shows the economic participation of women in rural areas and confirms that women are mainly involved in entrepreneurial activity, carrying out activities on their own; most of them started entering the market in irregular and instability Entrepreneurial activity of women is diverse and covers almost all sectors of economic activity. This research was based on fieldwork in 2014 in the town of Coatepec Harinas, Estado de Mexico and based on INEGI census., Neste artigo, a participação econômica das mulheres é mostrado em áreas rurais e confirmou que principalmente envolver em gestão empresarial, a realização de actividades por conta própria, a maioria deles começar a sua entrada no mercado em condições de irregularidade e instabilidade. A actividade empresarial das mulheres é diversificada e abrange quase todos os setores da economia. Esta pesquisa foi realizada com base no trabalho de campo realizado em 2014 no município de Coatepec Harinas, Estado do México e com base no censo INEGI., En este artículo se muestra la participación económica de las mujeres en el espacio rural y se confirma que se involucran principalmente en la gestión emprendedora, realizando actividades por cuenta propia, la mayoría de ellas inicia su entrada en el mercado en condiciones de irregularidad e inestabilidad. La actividad emprendedora de las mujeres es diversa y abarca casi todos los sectores económicos. Esta investigación se realizó con base en un trabajo de campo llevado a cabo en 2014 en el municipio de Coatepec Harinas, Estado de México y con base en los censos del INEGI.

The study investigates female empowerment through online entrepreneurship on Taobao in Chinese society, from female entrepreneurs’ individual perspectives. Thus, the study is positioned in the dynamic e-commerce landscape of China. This small-scale case study has been conducted, which involves 14 female online storeowners on Taobao. Online female entrepreneurs constitute the base of this study, and share their accounts of the dramatic changes in their lives after they initiated their online businesses. The entire study departs from their actual experiences and opinions, which provide multiple perspectives, so as to garner further insights into the dominant research of female empowerment within the context of e-commerce. Their actual experiences and accounts are interpreted and examined, based primarily on Sen’s capability approach, while their actual capabilities and functionings are evaluated, based on the selected aspects of their situations. This study claims that even though the female online storeowners believe they have a higher autonomy in managing their time and household duties, and an ability to act according to their will to achieve what they desire, the female online storeowners still do not regard themselves as entrepreneurs. The enhancements in the capabilities of the female online storeowners and their achieved functionings do not necessarily go beyond the online environment. This study aims to provide a solid departure for any further investigations into women’s empowerment through e-commerce on a societal level.

Small firms in general have limited access to funding, which is a major problem for entrepreneurs. In particular, this problem is evident for women and ethnic minority groups. The purpose of the study is to examine empirically the impact of gender, ethnicity and other relevant variables on the access to external financing of new small firms. A sample of 2,764 female– and male–owned small businesses, based on a unique and large database gathered through interviews, was investigated employing binary logistic regression models. The results suggest that both gender and ethnicity are significant explanatory variables influencing the access to external capital at the start–up stage. Entrepreneurs' age, experience of starting businesses and education, as well as additional jobs beside their own business, are other variables that influence the way in which entrepreneurs finance their business. Moreover, firm characteristics in terms of personal start–up capital, firm size and legal form have an impact on financing behaviour at start–up. Since the knowledge about this issue is limited, the results of this study add to our understanding of the variables affecting the behaviour of small business endeavours in seeking funding at start–up

El Observatorio de Mipymes realizó el Segundo estudio nacional de micros, pequeñas y medianas empresas (mipymes) costarricenses durante el 2011, por medio de una encuesta aplicada a 1167 mipymes. En este trabajo se obtienen resultados desglosados por género para algunas variables principales indagadas en dicho estudio, las cuales permiten identificar características de las personas propietarias de estas empresas y las condiciones en que emprendieron sus negocios. Con el propósito de comprobar si las diferencias observadas son significativas, se aplicaron las pruebas correspondientes. Los resultados muestran que la participación femenina en el parque empresarial mipymes costarricense es muy baja y está limitada principalmente a las microempresas. Además, se verifican diferencias por género estadísticamente significativas que develan mayores dificultades para las mujeres en aspectos tales como: falta de experiencia en el sector empresarial, menor conocimiento del negocio, falta de recursos para emprender en forma individual y mayor dependencia respecto a los ingresos de la empresa.ABSTRACTThe SME Observatory developed the Second National Survey of micro, small and medium sized Costa Rican companies (SMEs) during 2011 using survey answers from 1167 SMEs. This work generated gender classified data for a few of the variables examined that led to the identification of characteristics for female business owners, and the limitations in which they developed their businesses. Tests for the validation of significant differences observed were applied. Results show that female participation in the Costa Rican SME population is very low and limited to micro enterprises only. Besides, statistically different gender differences revealed greater difficulties for women in areas like the lack of entrepreneurial experience, lesser knowledge of the business, lack of resources for individual entrepreneurship and a great dependency from the company’s revenue.

The author analyzes the differences between Chinese female entrepreneurs and their male counterparts and also looks at how these differences affect company performance. The author’s study shows that Chinese female entrepreneurs are more risk averse, have less horizontal social capital, are less innovative and make more major decisions by themselves, compared to their male counterparts. There is no gender difference in economic resources, human resources or vertical social capital, except that there are more women involved in party membership. However, only the female’s management style is found to be significantly negatively correlated with performance. Further study on performance should focus on gender-similar traits of Chinese entrepreneurs rather than gender-difference. And female entrepreneurship should be promoted in China for inclusive social development.

Sur base de l’analyse d’entrevues individuelles avec des femmes entrepreneures, nous montrons la diversité des réalités rencontrées par les femmes entrepreneures et de leurs stratégies. Adoptant une perspective socioconstructiviste, nous soulignons d’une part, l’influence des dynamiques de genre présentes dans leurs environnements familiaux, organisationnels et sociétaux diversifiés ; d’autre part, les façons différenciées dont les femmes entrepreneures mobilisent le genre dans leur positionnement, leurs interactions et actions dans leurs environnements respectifs.

The author analyzes the differences between Chinese female entrepreneurs and their male counterparts and also looks at how these differences affect company performance. The author’s study shows that Chinese female entrepreneurs are more risk averse, have less horizontal social capital, are less innovative and make more major decisions by themselves, compared to their male counterparts. There is no gender difference in economic resources, human resources or vertical social capital, except that there are more women involved in party membership. However, only the female’s management style is found to be significantly negatively correlated with performance. Further study on performance should focus on gender-similar traits of Chinese entrepreneurs rather than gender-difference. And female entrepreneurship should be promoted in China for inclusive social development.

Using a longitudinal data set covering the period 1987–2000, the authors explore the impact of female employers and gender segregation on wages in Portugal. In the context of Becker’s (1957) taste for discrimination theory, they investigate whether the gender of a firm manager affects gender wage differences. They find that females benefit from higher wages in female-led firms than in male-led firms. Further, when females lead, the wage gap between female and male workers is reduced by 1.5%, regardless of the gender composition of the workforce. At the same time, the higher the share of females in a firm, the lower the wages overall for both female and male workers. The authors’ results are compatible with the notion that job promotion is an important factor in wage increases. The more females are mentored and promoted, the less men will be. However, as more females in the firm compete for promotion, opportunities for both females and males to be promoted diminish.