The older entrepreneurial self: intersecting identities of older women entrepreneurs

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the developing literature on entrepreneurship and identity by exploring the multidimensionality of older (50+) British women entrepreneurs’ identity. By using positionality as a lens, greater insight into the complexity of the lived multiple identities of older women entrepreneurs is explored. Design/methodology/approach A total of 12 in-depth qualitative interviews took place throughout the UK seeking to capture the various experiences of how older women engage with intersecting discourses surrounding enterprise culture and ageing whilst constructing their identities. Findings Overall, findings evidence the outcomes of these intersecting dimensions are largely positive and demonstrate the life enhancing benefits of these overlaps. Whilst tension was evidenced between age and how these women entrepreneurs perceive their entrepreneurial identities, as well as some constraints between identity as “mother” and “entrepreneur”, overall synergy was found between the intersection of older women entrepreneurs’ social identities and their entrepreneurial identity. It must be noted, however, that this synergy was heavily reliant on context and stage of life for these women. Originality/value This paper challenges the traditional discourse of entrepreneurship, which produces a homogenous view of entrepreneurs and omits key historical and social variables in the process of identity formation. The current paper adds to increasing calls to develop more sophisticated ways of measuring and understanding entrepreneurship and its impacts. The authors echo calls throughout the most recent literature to move away from the agency agenda and pursue lines of enquiry that examine entrepreneurship as a process in contexts that are underpinned by both agency and external factors.

How spatial contexts, institutions and self-identity affect entrepreneurial intentions

“…One study confirmed the mediating effects of professional attitude and attraction on the relationship between social valuation and entrepreneurial intentions of young women in India (Srivastava and Misra, 2017). Cognisant of the implications of the social context on the formation of entrepreneurial self-identities (Stirzaker, 2017) and the bearing that these identities have on the future ambitions of young people Obschonka et al, 2015), the following hypothesis is proposed:…”

“…Regarding antecedents, scholars acknowledge that entrepreneurial self-identity, like other forms of identity, is constructed in one's formative years and evolves over one's life span. In that case, Stirzaker (2017) underscores the impact of social context in individuals' acquisition of entrepreneurial identity. People combine past and present experiences with the places visited and people encountered to articulate who they are (Williams and Ritter, 2010).…”

Fading and transformation: how a woman entrepreneur's multiple identities interact throughout her life

“…Some authors also observe that different interactions among women's multiple identities may arise (Chasserio et al , 2014; Swail and Marlow, 2018; Stirzaker and Sitko, 2019). Analyses have revealed that conflicting interplays often prevail and result from difficulties in managing demands and expectations associated with various identities.…”

“…Some authors have pointed out that entrepreneurial identity construction is a “dynamic process consisting of continuous and simultaneous interactions with other social identities” (Chasserio et al , 2014, p. 129). However, existing studies mainly observe women entrepreneurs in specific phases of their entrepreneurial careers: start-up (Swail and Marlow, 2018); business creation and management (Chasserio et al , 2014; Díaz García and Welter, 2013; Fernandes and Mota-Ribeiro, 2017; Stirzaker and Sitko, 2019); taking over the leadership in family firms (Bjursell and Melin, 2011; Hytti et al , 2017) and the temporal dimension of identity construction processes has been largely neglected. As a result, little is known about how interactions develop overtime, that is, how interactions among multiple identities may evolve throughout a woman entrepreneur's life.…”

“…Therefore, a dynamic perspective of analysis would be more advantageous and helpful to understand how women's identity work evolves. A dynamic perspective has been adopted by some scholars (Stirzaker and Sitko, 2019), who have investigated how women renegotiate interplays among their multiple identities to accommodate emerging social pressures, personal needs and expectations. However, how interactions among women entrepreneurs' multiple identities evolve throughout their lives, and with which consequences, has not yet been properly investigated, and it remains an overlooked topic in the literature.…”