An unusual job for a woman? Female entrepreneurs in scientific, engineering and technology sectors

Abstract

Luís Curral, (2015),"Prototype models of opportunity recognition and the decision to launch a new venture: Identifying the basic dimensions", If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The purpose of this paper is to understand more about the conditions which foster certain women's resilience in science engineering and technology (SET) entrepreneurship. The research responds to the so-called "leaky pipeline", which sees progressively smaller numbers of women participating in SET at each developmental stage from training to employment, and asks why some women establish and grow their businesses while others are discouraged. Design/methodology/approach -In all, 15 female SET entrepreneurs, with businesses that had progressed beyond the initial start-up phase were selected from national databases. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews and documentary records over a six-month period and analysed using both manual and software-based thematic review. Responses were mapped to bring narratives to the forefront, and were compared using relevant literature on emerging gender topics. Findings -Findings suggest that female SET entrepreneurs undertake a continual process of adjustment to cope with the perceptual tendencies of visibility, contrast and assimilation (Kanter, 1993). They make frequent allowances and/or arrangements for their "unusual" status within the industry. In overcoming limited opportunities for women in traditional SET roles, participants perceived assimilation in terms of becoming an "honorary man", occasionally in attitude, but primarily via hard-earned proof of personal expertise. Originality/value -This research considers an under-researched group, dealing both with female entrepreneurship generally and women's involvement in the SET sector specifically, and demonstrates the complexity of responses to gendered business environments. Increased awareness of the issues facing women in SET is vital in beginning to address the leaky pipeline.

Career experiences of women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields: A systematic literature review

“…Further, in the 28 empirical studies, western countries were selected exclusively as the research context, with the exception of one study that focused on China (Aaltio & Huang, ). Among the western countries, the United States was the most popular venue for research (in 16 studies), followed by the United Kingdom (in five studies—Duberley & Cohen, ; Herman, ; Martin et al, ; Powell et al, ; Watts, ), and then Canada (three studies—Miller, ; Ranson, ; Orser et al, ). European countries that were studied include France, the Netherlands, Italy (Herman, Lewis, & Humbert, ), and Ireland (Herman, ).…”

“…States was the most popular venue for research (in 16 studies), followed by the United Kingdom (in five studies- Duberley & Cohen, 2010;Herman, 2015;Martin et al, 2015;Powell et al, 2009;Watts, 2009), and then Canada (three studies -Miller, 2004;Ranson, 2003;Orser et al, 2012). European countries that were studied include France, the Netherlands, Italy (Herman, Lewis, & Humbert, 2013), and Ireland (Herman, 2015).…”

“…A total of 13 theories, theoretical frameworks, or conceptual models were specified in the 28 studies. Among them, gender and feminist theories were most frequently cited in six studies (Allen, Armstrong, Riemenschneider, & Reid, ; Haas, Koeszegi, & Zedlacher, ; Miller, ; Powell, Bagilhole, & Dainty, ; Rhoton, ; Watts, ), followed by social cognitive career theory in four studies (Buse, Bilimoria, & Perelli, ; Fouad, Singh, Cappaert, Chang, & Wan, ; S. A. Nolan, Buckner, Marzabadi, & Kuck, ; Singh et al, ), and social construction theory in three studies (Adya, ; Crump, Logan, & McIlroy, ; Martin, Wright, Beaven, & Matlay, ).…”

Policy Brief on Women’s Entrepreneurship

“…women) are highlighted, women feel pressured to over-perform. They make frequent adjustments for their "unusual" status in the industry and perceived assimilation in terms of becoming an "honorary man", occasionally in attitude, but primarily by proof of expertise (Martin et al, 2015). While male business owners are accepted "on face value" as skilled entrepreneurs, women face additional challenges in gaining credibility.…”

Indian Women as Entrepreneurs

“…Feminine characteristics may disadvantage women in male-dominated environments as these may be perceived as ineff ective and not permissible in such settings (Martin, Wright, Beavan, & Matlay, 2015 ). Th erefore, in atypical environments, namely male-dominated enterprises, women entrepreneurs have to engage in identity negotiation in their gender roles as entrepreneurs, where on the one hand they have a need to maintain an authentic feminine identity and on the other they have to subscribe to the male archetype of what it means to be an entrepreneur (Winkler & Case, 2014 ).…”