Over the past few years there has been an explosion of appetite for entrepreneurship, more particularly from women. Given the numerous barriers faced especially by women entrepreneurs today, there is a pressing need to initiate empowerment programmes to enable them to succeed in their endeavours. There is a need to empower women economically and to create employment opportunities and income generating activities to enable them to survive, prosper and provide support for their families. For the development of women–to–women business potential, women entrepreneurs require support in the form of training in strategic business development, access to credit funds, assistance with marketing skills and product design and development. Starting a firm of one's own may be one way for women to avoid the 'glass ceiling' that has sometimes been argued to exist in established organisations, providing one attractive way for entrepreneurial women to realise their full potential. Small business owners have more freedom to plan their personal schedules and to jungle them to suit their work and family demands which is often an important consideration for women. Entrepreneurs must be flexible and creative to meet the challenges which come along with running their businesses. The importance of a strong, entrepreneurial vision that can lead towards a successful enterprise is often underestimated. Women are disadvantaged by their lower levels of financial literacy and awareness. Access barriers are significant. Opportunities for financial services companies who can provide affordable, appropriate and accessible products to meet the needs of self–employed women are thus limited. Women entrepreneurs are still to overcome key challenges like access to training in international trade issues, operations management and marketing, as well as access to good mentors and mentorship programs. The study concludes that women confront barriers because of their gender and the author or investigator cites previous research that argues that these barriers are a result of socialisation practices, educational experiences, family roles, and networking. Government and all other relevant stakeholders should promote public awareness and ensure that resources for programs to foster entrepreneurship are decentralised. Women entrepreneurs should examine the role that the education system could play in developing entrepreneurial skills and attitudes. In Ekurhuleni region there is an increasing number of women who are required to steer their own businesses, and many are struggling to achieve success. This paper explores women entrepreneurship in the construction and engineering sectors. According to the responses obtained from the study, there are specific skills that entrepreneurs must posses in order to operate and succeed in construction and engineering industries within the Ekurhuleni region and these are communication skills, administration skills, financial skills and interpersonal skills. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-01T19:18:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 114590.pdf: 4049717 bytes, checksum: 40f52de3d80827347dd6002b351ea75c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-07-09 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O empreendedorismo é um fator de influência para o crescimento regional, responsável pela criação de emprego e renda, e, por isso, tem recebido muita atenção de estudiosos da área. O processo empreendedor realizado pelas mulheres, além dos traços característicos ao tema, aborda, ainda, questões específicas do gênero feminino. Este trabalho buscou o aprofundamento sobre o tema, tendo como objeto de análise as mulheres empreendedoras de Santa Catarina, seus empreendimentos e os principais fatores relacionados com o processo empreendedor. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi compreender como se caracteriza o empreendedorismo feminino em Santa Catarina, segundo histórias de vida das mulheres participantes do Prêmio SEBRAE Mulher de Negócios. Para tanto, analisou-se as histórias empreendedoras das 86 participantes do Prêmio edição de 2010. Esses relatos foram analisados de forma interpretativa. No delineamento do perfil das mulheres catarinenses, verificou-se que estas são jovens, casadas, possuem filhos e já possuíam experiência profissional prévia, muitas vezes na área que empreendem. Quanto aos empreendimentos criados, destacam-se os voltados a atividade de comércio e serviços. No processo empreendedor o planejamento inicial da futura empresa foi, na maior parte dos casos, suprimido. Quanto aos recursos utilizados para constituírem essas empresas, observou-se que são originados de economias pessoais e familiares. Como dificuldades são apontados aspectos pessoais da vida das empreendedoras e a gerência do negócio, sendo as questões financeiras e de mercado as mais graves. Outro problema enfrentado pelas empreendedoras é a falta de confiança depositada nelas, assim como o conflito pessoal, familiar e empresarial, sendo dimensões conflitantes na vida dessas mulheres, pois concorrem por sua atenção. Por fim, a influência das redes no processo empreendedor feminino recebe destaque, visto que fornece suporte ao longo de toda a vida da empresa constituída.

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this specific study is to discover how mothers in the Middle East perceive their entrepreneurial identity based on the results and our interpretation of the mothers' narratives, to fill the gap that was discovered in mompreneurship identity research area in the Middle East. Design/methodology/approach – A Qualitative Research Design using the ‘Abductive reasoning’ method was implemented. And the philosophical approach of this study is the ‘Interpretive Epistemology’ based on the interpretation of narratives and life experience of seven interviewed samples of mothers who own businesses ‘mompreneurs’ from the Middle East. Semi-structured interviews in the form of internet-based interviewing were used. And in order to analyze the result a narrative analysis approaches, William Labov Approach and the Dialogic performance analysis approach were utilized. Findings – the findings in this study showed that the results of the majority of samples identified themselves as being totally Momprenures and they appreciate their role as a mother and a business owner. And that they have several motivations such as (Forced, Intrinsic, classic and work-family) which classified them under certain typologies of the entrepreneurial identity (Solution -seeker, Self-actualized, Informed, Bonafide and Missionary identity). However, no certain motivation was considered to be the dominant. And the results indicate that, three samples that were motivated by (Forced Factors) falls under the same typology of solution seeker Identity. And the other three samples that were motivated by (Intrinsic and Classic motivations) falls under the typology of Informed Entrepreneur, restricted to the understanding of the samples taken from the Middle East. In Addition, the results also indicated that the momprenure identity was not directly affected by gender, as reflected by theories where masculinity is related to entrepreneurship. Research limitations/contribution – This study was limited by several factors unexpected situation of the spreading of (CORONAVIRUS) which limited samples size, and canceled the in-person meetings for interviews. Therefore, the results were only Restricted to our samples and might not be taken as general outcomes. The contribution of our findings will be opening the door for further studies on a broader scale to cover a wider range of motivations, and a wider range of identity theories that would reflect the identities of mothers in the context of the Middle East.

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.

How might ownership of intellectual property rights (IPRs) bring about sustainable socioeconomic development for women entrepreneurs in the emerging cosmetics sector of Nigeria? This research question is motivated by the observation that despite the very significant economic role women entrepreneurs in Third World countries play, their economic status remains low. This low status is a result of various factors including limited access to formal finance mechanisms, high cost of finance and other infrastructural deficiencies, as well gender discrimination. Since the protection of intellectual property (IP) is claimed to be an effective strategy to sustain the growth and development of entrepreneurship, in this thesis I examine whether the IP regime engenders the development of women entrepreneurs in Third World countries. Using trademarks as an exemplar of IPRs and a case study of women entrepreneurs producing cosmetics in Nigeria, I carry out a nuanced analysis that questions assumptions about the role of the IP regime in the improvement of women's businesses in Third World countries. Through an intersectional lens, I explore whether and/or how to localize IP's impact in the context of complex global issues regarding IP protection. Deploying feminist methodology guided by theoretical frameworks of feminist theory and Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL), this thesis draws attention to the politics of gender and racism in the IP system and how this is exacerbated for women entrepreneurs in Third World countries. The thesis while acknowledging the importance of IP protection, finds that the current IP regime does not accommodate the innovations of women entrepreneurs in Third World countries like Nigeria, that semi and informal IP appropriation like secrecy, are more utilized by women entrepreneurs, and that gender plays a significant role in their acquisition and exploitation of formal IPRs. The thesis concludes that the IP regime as currently framed plays no role in the development of women entrepreneurs in Third World countries, and recommends amongst others, that a gender based legislative impact assessment of IP laws be carried out in Nigeria to ensure gender transformative reforms, and that the content of IP education be revolutionized to reflect the realities of women entrepreneurship in Third World countries.

Nairobi, one of Africa's fastest developing urban centers, is home to many business organizations contributing to Kenya's economic and social development. A country is rapidly experiencing an economic shift; Kenya heavily relies on the informal economic sector, with small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) being the most significant sector contributing to economic development. Like in many African nations, it has been shown that women are the most significant players in the urban informal sector, where they trade in different goods and services either as owners, managers, or employees. As such, they are the largest workforce that contributes to the country's economic growth. Facilitating women’s entrepreneurship means improving the sector, enhancing growth, and reducing poverty. This research aimed to determine the roles informal urban market structures play in facilitating women's entrepreneurship in Nairobi. Using a case study of the city and a systematic review of literature, the research finds that informal market structures play multiple roles that encourage and facilitate women to be involved in the informal market and contribute to the fight against poverty in the country.

Avhandlingen tar sin empiriska utgångspunkt i konkurrensutsättningen av den offentliga sektorns verksamheter. Förväntningarna har varit stora från politiker, tjänstemän och vissa forskare att denna omvandling skulle leda till ökat företagande, framförallt bland kvinnor. Syftet med avhandlingen är att förstå och förklara hur och varför kvinnors företagande förändras i spåren av den offentliga sektorns omvandling – vad begränsar och möjliggör. Avhandlingen innehåller fyra sammanhängande artiklar och en kappa. Studierna genomfördes med kvantitativa longitudinella data över åren 1993–2010. I artiklarna eftersöks vad som begränsar och möjliggör en förändring av kvinnors företagande. Det sker via studier i näringsgrenar och regioner där kvinnor dominerar småföretagandet som mest. Det visar sig att på aggregerad nivå har kvinnors företagande ökat i antal. En analys på detaljerad näringsgrensnivå synliggör dock att kvinnors andel bland företagarna endast ökat i 6 av 16 näringsgrenar och att kvinnors underrepresentation ökat signifikant i 10. Analysen påvisar kontextens och strukturella villkors betydelse för kvinnors företagande. Småföretagares relativa position förändras gynnsamt där det redan finns små privata företag och på de nya offentliga marknaderna reproduceras en stordriftsnorm. Studien stärker teorin om ett genussystem och synliggör dess inbäddning i företagandet. Det övergripande resultatet är att trots förändrade formella strukturer återskapas kvinnors underrepresentation i företagandet, vilket förstås med utgångspunkt i genusteoretiska resonemang. / The dissertation takes its empirical backdrop in the competition of the Public Sector activities. There have been great expectations on the part of politicians and some researchers that this restructuring would enhance small-business ownership, and, specifically, women’s small-business ownership. The aim of the quantitative longitudinal study is to understand and explain how and why women’s smallbusiness ownership has changed in the wake of the Public Sector’s transformation, and what constrains and enables this. The dissertation comprises an introductory summary chapter based on four independent papers. The articles search for what constrains and enables the change in women’s smallbusiness ownership through studies in industries, regions and where women dominate small-businesses the most. The study shows that the underrepresentation of women as small-business owners has decreased in 10 out of 16 industries. The analysis shows the importance of taking contextual and structural conditions into account when studying women’s small-business ownership. The small-business owners’ relative position changes positively where a private smallbusiness market already exists. The results indicate a norm of scale production in the new Public markets. The studies reinforce the theory that a gender system is reproduced in the small-business context.

Women entrepreneurs are emerging in the national economy as important players, yet gender bias and stereotypes still exist in organizations that prevent firms from taking advantage of women'€™s potential as leaders in entrepreneurial ventures. At the same time, traditional leadership models are lacking in diversity and unanswered questions remain regarding the role of gender in entrepreneurial leadership and enterprise sustainability. The purpose of this qualitative study, which used an exploratory, multiple-case research design, was to gain insight into the leadership practices of women entrepreneurial leaders and the implications of these practices for enterprise longevity 5 years after their business'€™s start-up phase. This study is framed by, first, the concept of the entrepreneurial leader and, second the intersectionality of gender and entrepreneurial leadership. Semistructured interviews with 9 participants, observational field notes, and archival data provided data regarding the leadership experiences of women entrepreneurs and enterprise longevity of women-led firms. Identifiable themes emerged through thematic analysis of the textual data and cross-case synthesis analysis. A total of 7 conceptual categories that enclose a total of 12 themes were identified. The conceptual categories are (a) gender, (b) entrepreneurial leadership, (c) market, (d) money, (e) management skills, (f) macro environment, and (g) meso environment. Findings from this study may serve as a catalyst for social change by challenging the status quo in existing formal work structures and promoting diversity in the workplace, opening new avenues for business growth and building bridges of communication between the business world and society.

Boundaries in the growth of women entrepreneurship, in general, are for example family responsibility, gender discrimination, missing networks and the lack of interaction with other successful entrepreneurs. This is especially critical in developing countries where the women have to face additionally barriers. The existence of supportive organizations is crucial in creating opportunities for female entrepreneurship. One example of a female entrepreneurial network that supports women doing business is GSWIM (Grooming a Successful Woman with an Intellectual Mind), operating in Kampala, Uganda. This thesis will study the knowledge sharing behaviour within the organization. The main data collection has been retrieved through interviews held with five business women, members of GSWIM. A developed version of the MOA framework (Motivation, Opportunity, Ability) have been used to analyse the collected data. It is shown that there are a lot of things in GSWIM that facilitate the knowledge sharing behaviour. GSWIM motivate, inspire and are proficient in communicating the value of sharing knowledge. However, there are some crucial aspects for improvements related to increased ability, belongingness of members and decentralization. The long-term orientation is along with team cohesiveness, probably two of the network’s major assets. By providing a network for women, and a platform for knowledge sharing, GSWIM has reduced some barriers to entrepreneurship in Uganda.

Submitted by Maria Patriarca (mariaclariceufg@gmail.com) on 2013-11-21T19:22:28Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - VERSÃO FINAL COM FICHA CATALOGRÁFICA 1.pdf: 3683561 bytes, checksum: e924476c0191e5849d703d02b5c0fd0b (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Suzinei Teles Garcia Garcia (suzinei.garcia@fgv.br) on 2013-11-22T11:36:22Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - VERSÃO FINAL COM FICHA CATALOGRÁFICA 1.pdf: 3683561 bytes, checksum: e924476c0191e5849d703d02b5c0fd0b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2013-11-22T15:58:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TESE - VERSÃO FINAL COM FICHA CATALOGRÁFICA 1.pdf: 3683561 bytes, checksum: e924476c0191e5849d703d02b5c0fd0b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-10-25 / This research aims to verify the role of cooperatives and associations in the development of entrepreneurial ceramists in Brazil and Nicaragua. Therefore, two associations in Brazil and two cooperatives in Nicaragua were selected. These organizations were chosen owing to the similiarities between them. The research was developed as a multiple case study, and the interviews were conducted through semi-structured questions. The interviewers were free to add any information they thought necessary. We identified eight general categories, which were reduced to three main categories. The data obtained were analyzed using content analysis, and as a result, among other things, may verify the impacts generated by the potters participation in associations and cooperatives, from personal, family and social aspects, in addition to issues involving the community in which they live. Also verified was the need for dissemination and the development of public policies with the final objective being to publicise the artisans, and the different characteristics between the focus given to participation in associations, in both Brazil, and cooperatives in Nicaragua. Talk in Brazil indicates the emphasis placed by the associated issues in relation to social life, and talk in Nicaragua, suggests a greater concern about financial issues. Perhaps these characteristics are related in the end, to the type of organization chosen to unite the groups in the two countries. The contributions of this work are generated by the amplification of the literature related to women entrepreneurship and also by launching a different look at the reality of enterprising potters, due to their involvement with cooperatives and associations, in relation to aspects of personal, family, economic and social. Finally, this work presents possible topics for future research, including those related to further studies that take into account the concept of entrepreneurship defined here-in, studies that deepen the understanding of the psychological impacts generated by the entrepreneurship of women involved with subsistence activities, and furthermore the possibilities of studying the actions of training and development of public policies aimed at this audience. / Este trabalho tem como objetivo verificar qual é o papel das cooperativas e associações no desenvolvimento das empreendedoras ceramistas no Brasil e na Nicaragua. Para tanto, foram escolhidas duas associações no Brasil e duas cooperativas na Nicaragua. A definição das organizações se deu pelas semelhanças que elas apresentam. A pesquisa se desenvolveu como um estudo de caso múltiplo, e as entrevistas foram realizadas através de questões semiestruturadas. Os sujeitos tiveram liberdade para acrescentar quaisquer informações que achassem necessárias. Foram identificadas oito categorias gerais, que foram reduzidas a três categorias principais. Os dados obtidos foram analisados através da Análise de Conteúdo e, como resultado, podem-se verificar, entre outras coisas, os impactos gerados aos ceramistas pela participação em associações e cooperativas, tanto em aspectos pessoais, familiares e sociais, além das questões que envolvem a comunidade onde estão inseridos. Verificou-se, também, a necessidade de divulgação e desenvolvimento de políticas públicas que tenham como objetivo final os artesãos, e as características diferenciadas entre o foco dado à participação nas associações, no Brasil, e nas cooperativas, na Nicaragua. No Brasil as falas indicam o destaque dado pelos associados às questões relativas ao convívio social e, na Nicaragua, as falas sugerem uma maior preocupação com as questões financeiras. Talvez essas características estejam relacionadas, ao final, com o tipo de organização escolhido para reunir os grupos nos dois países. As contribuições geradas por este trabalho passam pela ampliação da literatura relacionada ao empreendedorismo de mulheres e, também, por lançar um olhar diferenciado sobre a realidade das empreendedoras ceramistas, devido ao seu envolvimento com as cooperativas e associações, em relação aos aspectos pessoais, familiares, econômicos e sociais. Por fim, este trabalho apresenta a possibilidade de tópicos para futuras pesquisas, entre eles, os relacionados ao aprofundamento de estudos que levem em consideração o conceito de empreendedorismo aqui definido, estudos que aprofundem no entendimento dos impactos psicológicos gerados pelo empreendedorismo de mulheres envolvidas com atividades de subsistência, além das possibilidades de se estudar as ações de capacitação e de desenvolvimento de políticas públicas voltadas para esse público.