Becoming an entrepreneur: opportunities and identity transitions

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to report an empirically grounded theoretical framework within which to understand the role of entrepreneurial identity development in the discovery, development and exploitation of opportunity, and to elaborate on how these identity transitions both mobilise and constrain female entrepreneurs. Design/methodology/approach -A qualitative case study-based research design was used in this study. Primary and secondary data were collected from eight female participants (all of whom can be categorised as "mumpreneurs") and analysed to inform the theoretical framework that is the foundation of the paper. Findings -The authors describe how identity conflict, role congruence and reciprocal identity creation play a critical role in venture creation as a form of entrepreneurship. Drawing on the constructs of identification, self-verification and identity enactment, the authors build a theoretical framework for understanding entrepreneurial identity transitions in relation to opportunity-seeking behaviours. Research limitations/implications -The work is theoretical in character and based on a sample that, whilst rich in the provision of theoretical insight, is small in scope. Additionally, the sample is located in one geographical context (New Zealand) which likely has implications for the way in which the key constructs are perceived and enacted. Originality/value -This paper is an attempt to integrate conceptualisations of entrepreneurial identity development with opportunity-related processes in the context of venture creation. A holistic focus on identity transitions and their relevance to perception and action in relation to opportunity (the root of entrepreneurial behaviour) is novel; at this point, it is exploratory in intention and tentative in reach.

Managing Family-Related Conflicts in Family Businesses: A Review and Research Agenda

“…Integration is frequently used to deal with work–family conflicts. For example, female entrepreneurs may integrate their business practices with their lifestyles and personal commitments and establish habitual routines to address the tension between being a mother and being a business owner (Lewis, Ho, Harris, & Morrison, 2016). Similarly, business owners may integrate themselves into the family as a way to release emotional tension, find social support, or facilitate relationships (Knapp et al, 2013).…”

“…Second, learning often requires behavior change, and change may trigger resistance and provoke new conflicts. For example, Lewis et al (2016) find that women pursue entrepreneurship as a way to deal with work–family conflict. However, these businesswomen have to deal with new conflicts that resulted from the identity transition from a mother to a “mompreneur.”…”

“…Work-family conflict-a simultaneous pressure from incompatible or hardly compatible roles that an individual has to fulfil at work and at home (Greenhaus & Beutell, 1985) Conflicts at the intrapersonal level with impacts at the individual, family, or business level Lewis, Ho, Harris, and Morrison (2016) rivalry, dispute, disagreement, tension, dissension, feud, and "family firm/business/enterprise," "family-controlled firm/business/enterprise," "family-owned firm/business/ enterprise," and "family-managed firm/business/enterprise. "…”

Factors Driving Foreign Women Entrepreneurship in China

“…The words 'family' and 'women' are very closely related to each other even when it comes to entrepreneurship. There is a strong link between female entrepreneurship and the prevailing family systems (Welsh et al, 2016) in which identity enactment is observed by embedding habitual routines into their business practices (Lewis, Ho, Harris, & Morrison, 2016). Researchers have concluded generally that women have different aspirations and non-pecuniary motives for pursuing entrepreneurship, as well as a greater need to gain flexibility for balancing work and family responsibilities (Minniti & Naudé, 2010).…”

Understanding the ""Woman Entrepreneur"" Identity Construction in Different Socio-cultural Contexts

“…However, masculine and feminine entrepreneurial identities are more complex than the universalistic explanation of patriarchy may suggest (Hamilton, 2006). Studies find that the level of conflict experienced by women in the construction of their entrepreneurial identities is not uniform, but could be influenced by their social status (Garcia & Welter, 2011), the role conflicts arising from life transitions (Lewis, Ho, Harris & Morrison, 2016), their geographical locations (Pettersson & Heidt, 2014) or socio-cultural contexts (Leung, 2011).…”