Purpose
– The purpose of this paper is to promote better understanding of different women entrepreneurs and self-employed women with regard to their educational level and field of study. Foremost, the aim is providing detailed knowledge about the phenomenon of women self-employed chemists in R
&
D sectors and throwing light not only on the single women but also on the general conditions they are working in and their opportunities to get ahead.
Design/methodology/approach
– The interdisciplinary research team followed an integrated research approach and combined qualitative with quantitative methods. By focussing on motives and causes of women self-employed chemists, this paper refers to the findings of two sub-studies, an online survey on self-employed (female and male) chemists in Germany and a qualitative study on the basis of biographical interviews tracing the professional biographies of women self-employed chemists. Moreover, the findings are analysed based on other sub-studies, like the analysis of the (start-up) conditions within the chemical industry and a discourse analysis of a well-known chemical periodical.
Findings
– It was found that the differences between female and male chemists turning self-employed or starting a business are less pronounced than the differences between male and female founders, in general. Research demonstrates that women chemists do have high qualifications and if they become entrepreneurs, the main cause for that is escaping their organisational employment. Being entrepreneurially active, women chemists might work more satisfactorily, at least they are able to surround the glass ceiling.
Originality/value
– This paper seeks to fill the gap of limited in-depth information on knowledge about female entrepreneurs and self-employed women with an academic background in chemistry. Focussing on one single field of study and profession of female entrepreneurs is, in that way, unique, as the research has looked on professionals who are not predestined for entry in entrepreneurship.
Anlässlich postmoderner und poststruktureller Debatten innerhalb der Diversitätsforschung wird das disruptive Potential der organisationsbezogenen Diskursforschung im Anschluss an Michel Foucault für die Forschung zur Gründungsberatung ausgelotet. Der Beitrag beginnt mit einem Einblick in die Besonderheiten des Forschungsfeldes der Gründungsberatung, zeichnet Entwicklungslinien und Verschiebungen organisationsbezogener Diskursforschung nach und entwickelt anschließend vier disruptive Perspektiven für das junge Forschungsfeld der Gründungsberatung. Ziel ist es, das bisher weitestgehend wenig und vor allem rekonstruktiv bearbeitete Forschungsfeld der Gründungsberatung theoretisch neu zu fundieren und so bisherige reproduzierende Perspektiven auf Geschlecht kritisch zu reflektieren und gleichzeitig die Möglichkeit zu schaffen, die Gründungsberatungsforschung um die Betrachtung der Vielfalt von Geschäftsideen, Gründungen und Gründungspersonen zu bereichern.
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