THE STUDY OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Abstract

The study of entrepreneurs has offered intrigue to researchers from various academic and practitioner orientations. It has generated classical works on the effects of entrepreneurship on economic development and the factors, economic and noneconomic, which might explain “entrepreneurial” behaviours. Most of these studies have been male- focused. A review of the entrepreneurial literature reveals an almost total exclusion of women. The study of which this paper is a part examines the phenomenon of the emergence of female entrepreneurs. It considers the effects which economic, social, cultural and political conditions characterizing our society has had on women in terms of their becoming entrepreneurs or business owners. Psychological factors have not been particularly effective in explaining differences between entrepreneurs and non-entrepreneurs, whether male or female. Environmental factors appear to be much more explanatory. Concepts such as legitimacy of entrepreneurship in the culture, social mobility, social marginality and social integration do, however, provide a framework for understanding how women have been excluded. This paper presents definitions of an “entrepreneur”, discusses entrepreneurial roles and considers the environment in which they must operate. Women face particularly difficult barriers in owning a business because of the expectations of others in the external environment about the appropriate roles for women in our society. While female entrepreneurs have attracted research interest only within the past 10 years, women are starting businesses at a rapid rate—in 1984 at least 50% of new businesses were started by women. It is thus important to examine the female phenomenon to understand small business behaviour in the future.

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