The thesis deals with a group of modern Canadian women performing the visible social and economic role of entrepreneur. In general, males are dominant as entrepreneurs. However, the centre of this research is a case study of a female entrepreneur. It is augmented by interviews with other female entrepreneurs and the limited published research available about female entrepreneurs. It addresses the question: in what ways do self-images influence the behaviour of entrepreneurial women? Self-image is conceptualized as an essential component of ourselves, influenced by such themes as our culture, our sex-role socialization, and our environment. Self-image helps to shape our ability to act in society. Self-image can be manipulated and used as a strategy for the entrepreneurial role which is valued in our society. Entrepreneurial experts affirm that a positive self-image is important to entrepreneurial behaviour. Researchers have identified women as a group with a poor self-image, yet women are now becoming entrepreneurs at three times the rate of men. My thesis suggests that a number of factors related to self-image influence the behaviour of entrepreneurial women: 1) through the lack of relevant beliefs, values or images to incorporate into their self-images; 2) through the lack of appropriate beliefs, values or images to incorporate into their self-images; 3) through the presentation of conflicting beliefs, values or images; 4) and through the reinforcement of beliefs, values and images in particular social situations or contexts. The factors related to the self-images of those women who perform the entrepreneurial role suggest important cultural and social changes in the status of women generally. Following the conclusion, a discussion on the illusions that can be a part of women's self-images is included. I look at the illusion associated with images of women and the illusion of choice. I suggest that both these illusions can impact significantly on self-image and often with detrimental effects for women. My point is to make sure we are aware that the self-images do not always reflect objective reality. / Arts, Faculty of / Anthropology, Department of / Graduate

21世紀以來，越來越多的中國女性加入到企業管理的團隊中來，與此同時 ，她們也不能不面對世俗社會投來的疑慮和不信任的目光。在中國世俗的眼中 女性和企業家是兩種相距甚遠的角色：一個主內，一個主外；一個以陰柔見長 ，一個以陽剛取勝。對於女性的這一刻板看法在中國根深蒂固，這就為中國的 女企業家設置了一道修辭難題：她們在公眾心目中的形象將決定於她們如何有 效地協調這兩種角色或身份的衝突。本研究認為"柔性管理修辭"是認識當代中國女企業家的公共形象策略的 關鍵。這種修辭構建出的柔性管理者形象既符合了社會對女性"陰柔"的要求 ，又能適應中國文化下企業的管理需求。為了深入分析女企業家的"柔性管理 修辭"，研究選擇了20段由公眾媒體播出的女企業家訪談錄影，以此作為分析 女企業家塑造公共形象的代表性文本。本研究以肯尼斯伯克的戲劇五元理論為 基礎，圍繞企業發展、員工管理與角色定位三個敘事主題展開細緻的修辭分析 ，展現了女企業家通過修辭構建柔性管理者形象的過程。 研究提出，中國女企業家的柔性管理修辭體系包含三類修辭構建技巧：第 一類是女企業家直接表明自己女性和企業家的雙重身份；第二類是女企業家做 出符合"柔性管理"哲學規範的話語行為；第三類是女企業家用柔性化的方式 來表達管理話語。除此之外，本研究在戲劇五元理論"對子"結構的基礎上提 出了"雙對子"和"對立"兩種新結構，探討了敘事主題與特定對子的搭配可 能產生的更廣泛的修辭意義，豐富了應用戲劇五元理論分析中文修辭時的方法 和角度。With more and more women step into companies' management level, they have to face the question and doubt from society. From a mundane viewpoint in Chinese society, "females" and "entrepreneurs" are two different and even conflict roles: females are supposed to be in charge of domestic chores, and should be gentle; while entrepreneurs are working in society, and should be decisive. Such stereotype results in a tough problem for female entrepreneurs from the rhetorical perspective: their public images depend on how they can efficiently coordinate the conflicts in the mentioned two roles. This study proposes that "rhetoric of soft management" can be a key concept to learn the strategy that female entrepreneurs apply in managing their public images, which not only meet the traditional expectations on women, but also fit in the Chinese business culture. To analyze the "rhetoric of soft management", this study selects 20 talk shows, in which Chinese female entrepreneurs are interviewed on famous public media, and they are representatives in establishing the Chinese female entrepreneurs' public images. Kenneth Burke's "dramatistic pentad" is adopted as the theoretical framework in analyzing the three narrative themes: "enterprise development", "employee management" and "role orientation". This study presents three kinds of rhetorical construction technics that Chinese female entrepreneurs adopted: firstly, directly show their identities as both female and entrepreneurs; secondly, their discourse behavior conforms the rule of "soft management"; lastly, use flexible tones to express their management discourse. In addition, the study also makes theoretical contributions to the "dramatistic pantad" when using it in analyzing Chinese rhetoric. The study proposes two new relationships between the five rhetorical elements in dramatistic pantad: "double- ratio" and "reverse-ratio". The study also discusses the wider rhetoric significance of the association of narrative themes and specific ratios.

21世紀以來，越來越多的中國女性加入到企業管理的團隊中來，與此同時 ，她們也不能不面對世俗社會投來的疑慮和不信任的目光。在中國世俗的眼中 女性和企業家是兩種相距甚遠的角色：一個主內，一個主外；一個以陰柔見長 ，一個以陽剛取勝。對於女性的這一刻板看法在中國根深蒂固，這就為中國的 女企業家設置了一道修辭難題：她們在公眾心目中的形象將決定於她們如何有 效地協調這兩種角色或身份的衝突。本研究認為"柔性管理修辭"是認識當代中國女企業家的公共形象策略的 關鍵。這種修辭構建出的柔性管理者形象既符合了社會對女性"陰柔"的要求 ，又能適應中國文化下企業的管理需求。為了深入分析女企業家的"柔性管理 修辭"，研究選擇了20段由公眾媒體播出的女企業家訪談錄影，以此作為分析 女企業家塑造公共形象的代表性文本。本研究以肯尼斯伯克的戲劇五元理論為 基礎，圍繞企業發展、員工管理與角色定位三個敘事主題展開細緻的修辭分析 ，展現了女企業家通過修辭構建柔性管理者形象的過程。 研究提出，中國女企業家的柔性管理修辭體系包含三類修辭構建技巧：第 一類是女企業家直接表明自己女性和企業家的雙重身份；第二類是女企業家做 出符合"柔性管理"哲學規範的話語行為；第三類是女企業家用柔性化的方式 來表達管理話語。除此之外，本研究在戲劇五元理論"對子"結構的基礎上提 出了"雙對子"和"對立"兩種新結構，探討了敘事主題與特定對子的搭配可 能產生的更廣泛的修辭意義，豐富了應用戲劇五元理論分析中文修辭時的方法 和角度。With more and more women step into companies' management level, they have to face the question and doubt from society. From a mundane viewpoint in Chinese society, "females" and "entrepreneurs" are two different and even conflict roles: females are supposed to be in charge of domestic chores, and should be gentle; while entrepreneurs are working in society, and should be decisive. Such stereotype results in a tough problem for female entrepreneurs from the rhetorical perspective: their public images depend on how they can efficiently coordinate the conflicts in the mentioned two roles. This study proposes that "rhetoric of soft management" can be a key concept to learn the strategy that female entrepreneurs apply in managing their public images, which not only meet the traditional expectations on women, but also fit in the Chinese business culture. To analyze the "rhetoric of soft management", this study selects 20 talk shows, in which Chinese female entrepreneurs are interviewed on famous public media, and they are representatives in establishing the Chinese female entrepreneurs' public images. Kenneth Burke's "dramatistic pentad" is adopted as the theoretical framework in analyzing the three narrative themes: "enterprise development", "employee management" and "role orientation". This study presents three kinds of rhetorical construction technics that Chinese female entrepreneurs adopted: firstly, directly show their identities as both female and entrepreneurs; secondly, their discourse behavior conforms the rule of "soft management"; lastly, use flexible tones to express their management discourse. In addition, the study also makes theoretical contributions to the "dramatistic pantad" when using it in analyzing Chinese rhetoric. The study proposes two new relationships between the five rhetorical elements in dramatistic pantad: "double- ratio" and "reverse-ratio". The study also discusses the wider rhetoric significance of the association of narrative themes and specific ratios.

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Thesis (Ph.D. (Entrepreneurship))-University of Pretoria, 2005. / Summaries in English and Afrikaans. Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, October 2006. / Major professor: Laura Holyoke. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 203-214). Also available online in PDF format.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 162-164) Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Sc.)--Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1999. / Bibliography: leaves 56-63.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-69)

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2005. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 66-69)