Ties That Bind or Blind? The Role of Identity and Place in Understanding Women Entrepreneurs’ Support Needs

Norin Arshed, Graeme Martin and Stephen Knox

Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 2023, vol. 47, issue 6, 2205-2232

Abstract: This article explores how women entrepreneurs enact identity work to construct their identities at the intersection of gender and entrepreneurship while facing challenges to their legitimacy as entrepreneurs. These legitimacy challenges trigger reflections into who they are as entrepreneurs, and where they belong within entrepreneurial contexts. We draw on 24 focus groups with women entrepreneurs and 30 interviews with enterprise support organizations. We present a model which advances our understanding of the complex identities of women entrepreneurs and how their use of identity work enables them (or not) to become legitimate members of an entrepreneurial community.

Keywords: women entrepreneurs; identity work; legitimacy; gendered business support; identity motives (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:entthe:v:47:y:2023:i:6:p:2205-2232

DOI: 10.1177/10422587221134786

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