Does Motivation Matter? Women's Entrepreneurship and Economic Success.

Among the many topics addressed within the rich scholarship on gender and work, a growing area of interest concerns differences in the entrepreneurial activity of women and men, as well as differences amongst women entrepreneurs themselves. Studies from a variety of countries note both a dramatic influx of women into the small business sector over the past two decades, as well as significant gender differences in the types of businesses and organizations women and men create, their motivations and business approach, and their economic success. However, while patterns of inter- and intra-gender difference in entrepreneurship are well documented in many countries, the reasons underlying them are less well understood. In an effort to contribute to our understanding of this issue, this paper explores the links between women's motivation and entrepreneurial success, using Canada as a case study. The analysis draws on The Survey of Self-Employment, a national survey of 3,840 Canadians that was conducted in 2000 by Statistics Canada and Human Resources Development Canada. Using three broad categories of motivation based on existing research -- classic, work-family, and forced- the paper examines how prevalent these motivations are amongst Canadian women, and how motivations are linked to the types of businesses women build and the economic rewards they receive. The findings suggest considerable diversity in the motivations and success of women entrepreneurs. ..PAT.-Unpublished Manuscript [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]