“In spite of everything?” Female entrepreneurship from a historical perspective

Abstract

Purpose This paper provides a historical case study, through the analysis of Luisa Spagnoli’s entrepreneurial life. Luisa Spagnoli was one of the most famous Italian businesswomen of the twentieth century, founder of “Perugina” chocolate factory and creator of “Luisa Spagnoli” fashion firm. The study aims particularly to examine the role of Luisa in the development of her businesses within the wider context of Italy of the 1900s, and to verify if and how gender has influenced the meaning and the shape of her entrepreneurial initiatives over time. Design/methodology/approach This study offers a historical analysis of entrepreneurial life of Luisa Spagnoli, developed through an archival study in a synchronic view. An interpretive historical method is adopted to deepen and better understand the links among personal, cultural, social and institutional domains. Findings This study contributes to the scholarship on businesswomen’s role in history and underlines the role of personal perceptions of female entrepreneurs to overcome external barriers. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this study concern the nature of the analysis itself, which is a single-case study. Originality/value This analysis highlights the centrality of personal self-perceptions to face up to the difficulties of an unfavourable context, contributing to create the pre-conditions necessary to become an entrepreneur.

Race, class, gender and social entrepreneurship: extending the positionality of icons

“…Stivers (1995, 2000) argued that settlement women such as Jane Addams and Florence Kelley played a major role in the growth of a policy-oriented approach to public administration. Other scholars documented the role of women in accounting and finance (Picciaia, 2017). At a time when the entrepreneurial field was increasing its sway in academia (Murphy et al , 2006), Prieto and Phipps (2014) analyzed the contributions of three female icons in late nineteenth/early twentieth century social entrepreneurship.…”

An Insight to the World of Female Entrepreneurship: Systematic Literature Review of the Phenomenon using the Mckinsey 7S Model

“…For example, in Germany, a gender-related difference in employees' perception of errors in male managers and female managers has been reported (Aggestam and Wigren-Kristoferson, 2017). A study from Italy (Picciaia, 2017) shows the strong influence of the manager's gender on the company's structure, where so-called "female subcultures" are emerging. These, in turn, influence the relationship between management, and employees and clients.…”

A two-decade history of women’s entrepreneurship research trajectories in developing economies context: perspectives from India

“…The combined contribution of both male and female entrepreneurs can be used to assess an economy’s growth and strength. Glass ceiling concerns in the corporate sector, the quest for job flexibility, social status, self-recognition and individuality in society, as well as demonstrating their stature in their family, society and nation, are all reasons why women are active in entrepreneurship (Chhabra et al , 2022; Picciaia, 2017; Ramadani et al , 2013). Women entrepreneurs fulfill various roles, such as leaders, inventors, creators and risk-takers, while transmitting entrepreneurial activities.…”