The Diva storyline: an alternative social construction of female entrepreneurship

Abstract

PurposeMany “Divas” despite possessing destructive character traits ironically become successful entrepreneurs thus illustrating an alternative “storied” social construction of entrepreneurship. This influences how female entrepreneurs are perceived in the popular press and can be manipulated as an alternative entrepreneurial reality. The purpose of this paper is to build upon research into entrepreneurial identity introducing the “Diva” concept.Design/methodology/approachThe qualitative methodological approach involves an analysis of biographies of famous Diva's to identify common themes; and an internet trawl to identify supplementary micro‐biographies and newspaper articles on “Divas”. This tripartite approach allows rich data to be collected permitting a comparative analysis.FindingsThis empirical paper presents the socially constructed nature of entrepreneurial narrative and the “Diva storyline” demonstrating the influence of journalistic licence upon how successful women are portrayed. The paper adds incremental credence to power of male‐dominated journalistic practices to vilify enterprising behaviour to sell newspapers.Research limitations/implicationsAn obvious limitation to the work is that the sample of articles and biographies selected were chosen via search parameters which mention the word “Diva”. Nevertheless, there is scope for further “more detailed” research into the phenomenon to flesh out the model built in this preliminary paper.Practical implicationsAn important implication for scholars and journalists is the need to reconsider how we tell and decode entrepreneur stories. As researchers, we need to recognise that there are other avenues for women to become entrepreneurs than to become businesswomen and that it is alright for women to reject the “entrepreneur” label.Originality/valueThis paper informs our understanding of the socially constructed nature of how we tell, understand and appreciate entrepreneur stories. It thus makes a unique contribution by illustrating that the storylines which constitute the “Diva cycle” are constructed from the same storylines that we associate with entrepreneur stories but narrated in a different order. It provides another heuristic device for understanding the social construction of gendered entrepreneurial identities making it of interest to feminist scholars of entrepreneurship and to social constructionists alike.

Proactive and reactive plots: narratives in entrepreneurial identity construction

“…The interviews have been transcribed and then we performed a close reading and analysis of the texts. Smith (2009) used the Diva construct to understand female entrepreneurship and to find other avenues for women to become 7 entrepreneurs. We have continued interest for alternative ways to study women´s entrepreneurial identity, but rather than starting with a construct, we started with the stories told.…”

“…There is a growing interest for narrative approaches to entrepreneurship research. To include discursive and narrative aspects can shed light on ambiguities and alternatives in entrepreneurial identity (Smith, 2009;Watson, 2009;Jones, Latham and Betta, 2008). Narrative knowing could contribute with enhanced conceptual, epistemological and methodological reflections as well as offer multi-voiced representations and awareness of the researcher as a co-creator of reality (Johansson, 2004).…”

Beyond the dolls house?

“…A major, recurring theme in the literature is how entrepreneurs, and in particular, femaleentrepreneurs are 'silenced' and portrayed in the media (see the studies of Christensen & Askegaard, 2001;Nicholson & Anderson, 2005;Radu & Redien-Collot, 2008;Smith, 2009;Achtenhagen & Welter, 2011;Eikhoff, and Summers & Carter 2012). Christensen and Askegaard (2001) examined the masculinised discourses of corporate identity and image management.…”

Gender stereotypes in the angel investment process

“…They find support for their idea that social identity leads to enhanced entrepreneurial orientation which in turn leads to greater firm performance in firms with lone founders and in firms with CEOs who embrace the entrepreneurial identity. Smith (2009) used social identity in his exploration of "divas," finding that the entrepreneurial narrative is socially constructed. In the entrepreneurship pedagogy literature, the social identity theory has been used as one way to help students develop identities as social entrepreneurs and gain confidence in their abilities to affect positive social change (Smith and Woodworth, 2012).…”