Where does female entrepreneurial human capital come from? A review of the literature

The Influence of Social and Human Capital in Developing Young Women as Entrepreneurial Business Leaders

“…Theory suggests that, as a consequence of their limited experience, they may face a further "double bind" in attempting to exercise that androgynous leadership style where they draw on their natural strengths of being both communal but also agentic (Eagly and Johannesen-Schmidt 2001;Eagly and Karow 1991). We posit that the early development of appropriate social and human capital by young women is key in responding to the challenges inherent in resolving these multiple "binds" (Junquera 2011).…”

“…Human capital is vital for successful business venturing and can be divided into: general human capital-comprising socio-demographic characteristics such as age and gender, and specific human capital-comprising intellectual human capital, derived from investment in formal education and training and prior work and managerial experience (Junquera 2011;Madsen, Neergaard, and Ulhoi 2003). Education is identified as a particularly important element of human capital for aspiring young entrepreneurs, given that they may engage in business venturing straight from school, college, or university with little prior work experience (McGowan et al 2012;Madsen, Neergaard, and Ulhoi 2003).…”

“…Those individuals who establish new ventures display traits including risk taking, higher levels of personal confidence and lower fear of failure; competencies including higher levels of management know-how/know-who, vision, flexibility and innovation, and skills in communication, resource management, and team-building (Gill 2011;Leitch, McMullan, and Harrison 2013). Such skills and competencies are developed primarily through education, training, and experience (Junquera 2011;Madsen, Neergaard, and Ulhoi 2003); the broader and deeper the experience/exposure prior to start-up, the richer the resources upon which entrepreneurs may draw. When encouraging young people to embark on an entrepreneurial journey, it is important to understand whether individuals have the requisite leadership skills and abilities to establish ventures with growth potential.…”

Being taken seriously – shaping the pathways taken by Welsh female entrepreneurs

“…For women in business, motivations are complex, differing between industries (Handy, Ranade and Kassam, 2007), geographical locations and cultures (Fielden and Davidson, 2010). The gendered aspect of female entrepreneurship is also explored at different levels of society affecting the female entrepreneur's life on micro, meso and macro levels (Brush et al, 2009) and the influence of the multiplicity of life experiences comprising their total entrepreneurial capital (Junquera, 2011).…”

“…The accumulation of different types of entrepreneurial capital as a means of gaining entrepreneurial and organisational legitimacy is discussed in the literature. For example, gendered structural constraints such as disparity of income and limits on performance of women evident in employment are also evident in self-employment (Loscocco and Bird, 2012) as are the influence of the multiplicity of life experiences comprising their total entrepreneurial capital (Junquera, 2011). Loscocco and Bird (2012) also highlight that gendered structural constraints exist within the workforce and "closer to home", impacting on the decision to start a business at micro, meso and macro levels.…”