Research investigating women-owned businesses has developed considerably over the past two decades. There are, however, few British studies that have specifically focussed on growth oriented women-owned businesses. The current study aims to fill this gap. Its purpose is to explore the effect of social capital and human capital on the growth of women-owned enterprises in the UK. The research contributes to the knowledge of women's entrepreneurship as the first to study the moderating role of human capital in building and using social capital in the UK. It develops the theoretical premise that women entrepreneurs with higher human capital gain credibility and centrality in networks, accumulating social capital based on their importance for other network members and their business stakeholders. This mixed method study involves both collecting and analysing quantitative and qualitative data. Statistical analysis using SPSS was applied to analyse quantitative data collected through 517 on-line completed questionnaires from three different regions. The qualitative data collected through face to face interviews with 42 women entrepreneurs were also analysed and interpreted. The findings suggest that the social capital possessed by women entrepreneurs plays an important role in the growth of enterprises. Women entrepreneurs use different sources to build and use their social capital at different stages of growth and in different industry sectors such as manufacturing or services. Women entrepreneurs with higher human capital are more likely to identify opportunities, generate ideas and show creative thinking in introducing novel products, services, location, processes or systems, which makes their growth path exponential. There are implications of this study for women entrepreneurs to build and use their social and human capital for the growth of their enterprises. And there are also implications for politicians and business organisations, who must devise policies to develop opportunities for existing or potential women entrepreneurs for building their human based capital.

Syfte: Syftet med denna undersökning är att analysera och generera en djupare förståelse för utvecklingen av politiken som inverkar på kvinnors entreprenörskap inom branschen vård och omsorg. Metod: För att besvara undersökningens forskningsfråga samt uppfylla dess syfte har studien genomförts med en kvalitativ forskningsansats där en kvalitativ textanalys har genomförts. Detta i syfte att finna information samt analysera de lagändringar och andra incitament som införts för att främja kvinnors entreprenörskap. Empiri och analys: Det materialunderlag som grundar studien utgörs av Riksdags-/Regeringsdokument, dokument från Statens offentliga utredningar samt dokument från Tillväxtverket och andra myndigheter som alla har använts och noggrant studerats för att identifiera de mest framstående och relevanta teman utifrån studiens syfte och den tidigare presenterade teoretiska referensramen. Slutsatser: Slutsatsen som kan dras är att politiken som har haft en inverkan på kvinnors entreprenörskap har varit varierande, med incitamentsatsningar som både hämmat och motiverat kvinnors entreprenörskap inom branschen. Vi har identifierat att de politiska satsningar som genomförts haft utgångspunkter i bland annat främjandet av regelverken som styr kvinnors entreprenörskap. Historiska laghinder lever kvar än idag och förklarar de skillnader som föreligger mellan män och kvinnors entreprenörskap varför det följaktligen krävs en revidering av regelverken. Utöver revidering av regelverk krävs en förbättrad kunskap men också satsningar på att bryta de normer och stereotypa bilder som finns om kvinnors företagande genom att jämna ut segregationen mellan kvinnors och mäns entreprenörskap. För att främja kvinnors entreprenörskap behöver de få samma rätt till extern finansiell hjälp för att starta, driva och utveckla företag som det motsatta könet, det vill säga mannen. / Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze and generate a deeper understanding of the development of the policies that affect women’s entrepreneurship within the health and social care. Method: In order to answer the research question and to fulfill its purpose, the study has been conducted with a qualitative approach where a qualitative text analysis has been conducted. This in order to find information as well as analyze the legislative changes and other incentives introduced to promote women’s entrepreneurship. Empiricism andAnalysis: The material underpinning the study consists of Government documents, documents from the State Public Investigations and documents from the Swedish Agency for Growth and other Authorities, all of which have been used and carefully studied to identify the most prominent and relevant themes based on the purpose of the study and the previously presented theoretical reference framework. Conclusions: The conclusion that can be drawn is that policies that have had an impact on women’s entrepreneurship have been varied, with incentive initiatives that both inhibited and motivated women’s entrepreneurship in the industry. We have identified that the policy initiatives undertaken had starting points including the promotion of regulations that govern women’s entrepreneurship. Historic law barriers still exist today, explaining the differences between men and women’s entrepreneurship, which means that it is therefore necessary to revise the regulations. In addition to revising regulatory frameworks, improved knowledge, but also efforts to break the norms and stereotypical images about women’s entrepreneurship, are required by evening segregation between women’s and men’s entrepreneurship. In order to promote women’s entrepreneurship, they need the same right to external financial assistance to start, run and develop companies like the opposite sex, that is, the man.

1 online resource (viii, 155 leaves) / This study explores the ways in which female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa use their cellular phones, as well as their interests and needs in using this technology. The findings in this study are therefore crucial to the body of knowledge on programmes that seek to uplift women's lives through the deployment of ICTs, since current policies do not make full provision for the use of mobile phones in female entrepreneurship. Information on female entrepreneurs and cellular phones was collected in the literature review. The scrutiny of various literature sources and the analysis of the responses from the interviews with the female entrepreneurs were carried out to arrive at answers to the following research questions: 1. Can telecommunications (specifically, cellular phones) increase the participation of women in the economy? 2. What are the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? 3. Are the communication needs of business women in Zambia and South Africa adequately met? 4. What are the obstacles that female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa face in the use of cellular phones? 5. What are the similarities and differences in the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? In order to gather information on the consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa, a survey was conducted of 100 female entrepreneurs. The female entrepreneurs identified in this survey consist of female business owners with no more than 50 employees each, from Gauteng Province in South Africa, and Lusaka Province in Zambia. The female entrepreneurs were identified through the accidental sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. The findings of the investigation reveal that cellular phones have the potential to increase the participation of women in mainstream economic activity, since they are a useful means of communication that allow women from diverse backgrounds to communicate easily for both business and social purposes. Accordingly, national policy-makers in South Africa and Zambia need to investigate further the potential of using cellular phone or similar technology to empower small-scale businesswomen. The investigation also shows that the cellular phone consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa differ when it comes to using cellular phones for business and social communication purposes. More Zambian women indicated that they use their cellular phones in business operations, while South African women showed a tendency to use their phones more for social purposes. The results of this investigation further illustrate that despite the importance in value which the mobile phone has for women entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa, the communication needs of women's entrepreneurship are not adequately met. The main obstacles in meeting the communication needs of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa are inadequate network coverage and high prices. The study shows that a number of women (52,2%) indicated that they are inhibited from effective communication services and therefore resort to borrowing other people's mobile phones. The lack of empirical studies on the use of telecommunications by female entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa attests to the fact that women's entrepreneurship is still an area that requires in-depth investigation. If various development efforts are to meet their targets, clearly the area of women's entrepreneurship and how various ICTs such as cellular phones are used therein needs urgent investigation. / Communication Sciences / M. A. (International Communication)

1 online resource (viii, 155 leaves) / This study explores the ways in which female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa use their cellular phones, as well as their interests and needs in using this technology. The findings in this study are therefore crucial to the body of knowledge on programmes that seek to uplift women's lives through the deployment of ICTs, since current policies do not make full provision for the use of mobile phones in female entrepreneurship. Information on female entrepreneurs and cellular phones was collected in the literature review. The scrutiny of various literature sources and the analysis of the responses from the interviews with the female entrepreneurs were carried out to arrive at answers to the following research questions: 1. Can telecommunications (specifically, cellular phones) increase the participation of women in the economy? 2. What are the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? 3. Are the communication needs of business women in Zambia and South Africa adequately met? 4. What are the obstacles that female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa face in the use of cellular phones? 5. What are the similarities and differences in the consumer habits of female entrepreneur cellular phone users in Zambia and South Africa? In order to gather information on the consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa, a survey was conducted of 100 female entrepreneurs. The female entrepreneurs identified in this survey consist of female business owners with no more than 50 employees each, from Gauteng Province in South Africa, and Lusaka Province in Zambia. The female entrepreneurs were identified through the accidental sampling technique, and a structured questionnaire was used to collect information from them. The findings of the investigation reveal that cellular phones have the potential to increase the participation of women in mainstream economic activity, since they are a useful means of communication that allow women from diverse backgrounds to communicate easily for both business and social purposes. Accordingly, national policy-makers in South Africa and Zambia need to investigate further the potential of using cellular phone or similar technology to empower small-scale businesswomen. The investigation also shows that the cellular phone consumer habits of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa differ when it comes to using cellular phones for business and social communication purposes. More Zambian women indicated that they use their cellular phones in business operations, while South African women showed a tendency to use their phones more for social purposes. The results of this investigation further illustrate that despite the importance in value which the mobile phone has for women entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa, the communication needs of women's entrepreneurship are not adequately met. The main obstacles in meeting the communication needs of female entrepreneurs in Zambia and South Africa are inadequate network coverage and high prices. The study shows that a number of women (52,2%) indicated that they are inhibited from effective communication services and therefore resort to borrowing other people's mobile phones. The lack of empirical studies on the use of telecommunications by female entrepreneurs in both Zambia and South Africa attests to the fact that women's entrepreneurship is still an area that requires in-depth investigation. If various development efforts are to meet their targets, clearly the area of women's entrepreneurship and how various ICTs such as cellular phones are used therein needs urgent investigation. / Communication Sciences / M. A. (International Communication)