Growth-Oriented Women Entrepreneurs And Their Businesses

‘The female entrepreneurship researchers’ community has to thank these women for their brilliant work in reviewing, revising and selecting the best papers from the second Diana International Conference that were finally edited for this volume. . . the book is a good compendium of female entrepreneurship circumstances in different countries that focuses specifically on the explanation as to why gender plays a role in the number of ventures started by women and why they are in general smaller and less growth-oriented.’
– Manuela Pardo-del-Val, International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal

‘. . . this edited text draws upon a range of international contributors to present a comparative overview of challenges facing female entrepreneurs seeking to grow their firms. . . this is an interesting book that makes a welcome contribution to contemporary debate.’
– Susan Marlow, International Small Business Journal

‘The data and information presented in this work will be of particular
interest to students and scholars of entrepreneurship or labor and women’s
studies. Recommended. General readers; upper-division undergraduate through professional collections.’
– E.P. Hoffman, Choice

Enterprising new firms drive economic growth, and women around the world are important contributors to that growth. As entrepreneurs, they seize opportunities, develop and deliver new goods and services and, in the process, create wealth for themselves, their families, communities, and countries. This volume explores the role women entrepreneurs play in this economic progress, highlighting the challenges they encounter in launching and growing their businesses, and providing detailed studies of how their experiences vary from country to country.

Statistics show that businesses owned by women tend to remain smaller than those owned by men, whether measured by the number of employees or by the size of revenues. Because women-led firms fail to grow as robustly, the opportunities to innovate and expand are limited, as are the rewards. Based on recent studies that examine the links between entrepreneurial supply and demand issues, this volume provides insights into how women around the world are addressing the challenges of entrepreneurial growth. The first set of chapters consists of country overviews and provides discussions of the state of women growing businesses. The second set of chapters describes research projects under way in different countries and explores more focused topics under the umbrella of women business owners and business growth. The volume concludes with an agenda and projects for future research.

Academics and policymakers will gain a greater understanding of women’s entrepreneurial behaviors and outcomes through this path-breaking volume. Those who support women through education and training, policymaking, or providing entrepreneurial resources will also find the volume of great practical interest.

Contents:

PART I: COUNTRY REPORTS ON WOMEN’S ENTREPRENEURSHIP
1. Introduction: The Diana Project International
Candida G. Brush, Nancy M. Carter, Elizabeth J. Gatewood, Patricia G. Greene and Myra M. Hart

2. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Australia: Present and Their Future
Mary Barrett

3. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada: Progress, Puzzles and Priorities
Jennifer E. Jennings and Michelle Provorny Cash

4. State of the Art of Women’s Entrepreneurship, Access to Financing and Financing Strategies in Denmark
Helle Neergaard, Kent T. Nielsen and John I. Kjeldsen

5. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Finland
Anne Kovalainen and Pia Arenius

6. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Germany: Progress in a Still Traditional Environment
Friederike Welter

7. Women’s Entrepreneurship in Norway: Recent Trends and Future Challenges
Lene Foss and Elisabet Ljunggren

8. Women’s Entrepreneurship in the United States
Candida G. Brush, Nancy M. Carter, Elizabeth J. Gatewood, Patricia G. Greene and Myra M. Hart

PART II: RESEARCH TOPICS ON THE GROWTH OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES
9. Comparing the Growth and External Funding of Male- and Female-controlled SMEs in Australia
John Watson, Rick Newby and Ann Mahuka

10. Builders and Leaders: Six Case Studies of Men and Women Small Proprietors in the Bulgarian Construction Industry
Tatiana S. Manolova

11. Access to Finance for Women Entrepreneurs in Ireland: A Supply-Side Perspective
Colette Henry, Kate Johnston and Angela Hamouda

12. Women Entrepreneurs in New Zealand: Private Capital Perspectives
Anne de Bruin and Susan Flint-Hartle

13. The Supply of Finance of Women-led Ventures: The Northern Ireland Experience
Claire M. Leitch, Frances Hill and Richard T. Harrison

14. Female Entrepreneurial Growth Aspirations in Slovenia: An Unexploited Resource
Polona Tominc and Miroslav Rebernik

15. Spain – The Gender Gap in Small Firms’ Resources and Performance: Still a Reality?
Cristina Díaz and Juan J. Jiménez

16. Gender, Entrepreneurship and Business Finance: Investigating the Relationship between Banks and Entrepreneurs in the UK
Sara Carter, Eleanor Shaw, Fiona Wilson and Wing Lam

Index

http://www.babson.edu
http://www.wfu.edu
http://www.management.bu.edu/
http://www.catalystwomen.org