Beyond the numbers: qualitative growth in women's businesses

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this research paper is to investigate the growth of women's businesses from a qualitative perspective. The paper identifies strategic building blocks for defining a set of different growth platforms. Moreover, the paper investigates growth ambitions for women inside each identified "type" of growth platform and identifies critical motivation variables that can influence the decision to move from growing one business platform to growing another platform. Design/methodology/approach -The results are based on 191 women entrepreneurs. Data were analyzed by coding narrative statements from the survey into overarching themes for business platforms, descriptive frequency analysis and logistic regression analysis techniques. Findings -The paper discerned five different growth platforms and noticed intrinsic or extrinsic growth ambitions for platform growth. The extrinsic platforms are the most common, but all platforms can be characterized by equally high growth aspirations. Each of the identified platforms is associated with distinct and unique blocks that the women entrepreneurs try to put together and resolve in order to grow their companies. Women entrepreneurs move between the different platforms when the building blocks of previous platforms have been established and secured. Variables such as profits and ownership may explain such transfers of growth ambitions. Research limitations/implications -While acknowledging the qualitative growth of business platforms, the paper takes an approach that goes against the traditional view of quantitative growth. Originality/value -This study is a response to the lack of research on qualitative growth and women's entrepreneurship and suggests that the manifested qualitative growth can be in order to secure blocks on different business platforms.

From feminism to FemInc.ism: On the uneasy relationship between feminism, entrepreneurship and the Nordic welfare state

“…Klyver 2011;Dalborg et al 2012;Bjursell and Melin 2011;Shane et al 1991;Kolvereid et al 1993;Ljunggren and Kolvereid 1996 …”

“…women's engagement in business followed the same gendered pattern (Klyver 2011;Dalborg et al 2012;Bjursell and Melin 2011;Holmquist and Sundin 1990;Shane et al 1991;Kolvereid et al 1993;Ljunggren and Kolvereid 1996 In the first theme, we discuss studies that address how women's entrepreneurship is positioned in various contexts, such as the contexts of family, the economy, the media, and the welfare state. The second theme addresses government support for women's entrepreneurship.…”

Does Gender Matter in Strategies Adopted to Face the Economic Crisis? A Comparison Between Men and Women Entrepreneurs

“…Moreover, they argue that women are not equipped with time, energy and resources necessary to manage a growth-oriented firm [56]. Other reasons that explain female businesses' lower propensity to growth are [57]: women's difficulties to balance work and family responsibilities; difficulties in accessing to financial resources [58,59]; women mainly owned retail and service firms, that are less oriented to growth; women entrepreneurs are less concerned with achieving high financial performance while they are more interested in personal satisfaction and selffulfillment [60]; in female firms growth should be viewed in a qualitative perspective [60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67].…”

Determinantes e dificuldades de crescimento para mulheres empreendedoras

“…Em geral, os negócios de mulheres permanecem pequenos em termos de lucros, vendas e de número de empregados (MORRIS et al, 2006). No entanto, estudos anteriores apontaram que o reduzido crescimento não se deve à falta de ambição de crescimento ou de intenção de crescimento, pois esta foi identificada entre empreendedoras, desde o momento da criação da empresa, conforme salientaram Dalborg et al (2012) e Machado et al (2016). Com isso, outros fatores restringem o crescimento dessas empresas e precisam ser investigados, na medida em que mulheres estão, cada vez mais, criando empresas (LERNER;ALMOR, 2002;ALSOS et al, 2006;BAUGHAN et al, 2006).…”