Contextual Embeddedness of Women’s Entrepreneurship brings together a range of research that provides powerful insights into the influences and restraints within a diverse set of gendered contexts including social, political, institutional, religious, patriarchal, cultural, family, and economic, in which female entrepreneurs around the world operate their businesses. In doing so, the contributing authors demonstrate not only the importance of studying the contexts in how they shape women’s entrepreneurial activities, but also how female entrepreneurs through their endeavours modify these contexts. Collectively, the edited collection’s studies make a substantial contribution to the contextual embeddedness of women’s entrepreneurial activity, provide numerous insights, and provoke fruitful directions for future research on the important role of the contexts in which women’s entrepreneurial activities take place. This innovative and wide-ranging research anthology seeks to reframe and redirect research on gender and entrepreneurship and will appeal to all those interested in learning more about female entrepreneurship.

The contextual turn in the field of entrepreneurship means it is crucial for scholars to integrate into their research the multifaceted contexts in which entrepreneurship is embedded. This insightful book explores the different spatial, social, digital, institutional and policy contexts for entrepreneurship and investigates their relevance for entrepreneurship theory and practice.

Women entrepreneurs are indeed a formidable force of economic growth and social change, though we still often question the "how" and "why." For the readers who seek to understand the spectrum of gender influences in the context of entrepreneurship, Understanding Women’s Entrepreneurship in a Gendered Context: Influences and Restraints widens the contextual focus of women’s entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship research by providing powerful insights into the influences and restraints within a diverse set of gendered contexts including social, political, institutional, religious, patriarchal, cultural, family and economic, in which female entrepreneurs around the world operate their businesses. From recognition of a seventh-century businesswoman in Mecca to the construction of a gendered scientific Business Model Canvas, this collection of studies will inspire readers to think differently about theory, patriarchy, trade systems, adoption or transformation and strategies to create inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystems. In doing so, the contributing authors demonstrate not only the importance of studying the contexts in which women’s entrepreneurial activities are shaped, but also how female entrepreneurs, through their endeavours, modify these contexts. This book will be of great value to scholars, students and researchers interested in women’s entrepreneurship, entrepreneurial ecosystems, gender hierarchy and the transition to gender equality. It was originally published as a special issue of Entrepreneurship & Regional Development.

Drawing on the entrepreneurial ecosystem as a frame of reference, this new edition of Female Entrepreneurship – Women’s Entrepreneurship – continues to challenge contemporary assumptions regarding who or what is an entrepreneur. It draws upon relevant literature and research to enable research-led teaching delivery and provides students with a comprehensive understanding of women’s entrepreneurship and a solid foundation from which they can pursue further studies. Informative but concise, Women’s Entrepreneurship covers key concepts, issues, themes and approaches and provides useful suggested topics for debate. Updates include a revised chapter on Emerging Technologies and Women’s Entrepreneurship, which explores digital entrepreneurship and cyberfeminism. Contextualisation of Women’s Entrepreneurship acknowledges the broader contextual influences on women’s entrepreneurship. Finally, two new chapters have been added looking at The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Women’s Entrepreneurship Policy. International case studies explore the socio-economic context for women’s entrepreneurship in regional, national and international economies. Pedagogy to aid learning is incorporated throughout, including learning outcomes, boxes to highlight key research insights and best practice as well as discussion points and activities. This book is important supplementary reading on entrepreneurship, small business management and women's and gender studies courses – it will prove particularly useful to women moving towards starting their own business as well as postgraduate students researching the topic for the first time.

Women�s Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century: An International Multi-level Research Analysis is the fourth in the series of books produced in partnership with the Diana International Research Network. The volume takes a multi-dimensional approach to th

This Research Handbook highlights the importance of women as agents of change, acknowledging women entrepreneurs’ efforts and supporting their value-creation activities. With important implications for policymaking, contributing authors direct attention to and provide evidence for the positive contribution of women entrepreneurs to the economy, regardless of their businesses’ size and formal status.

Straddling North Africa and Western Asia, the Middle East has been a cradle of civilisation and entrepreneurship — well before the arrival of Islam. In this region, gender roles were traditionally specified by culture, with women often expected to stay within the family environment, while men would trade in society at large. This book contributes to the literature on a highly neglected field of study: women entrepreneurs in the Middle East. Recognising that entrepreneurship does not take place in a vacuum, it focuses on contexts, and the ecosystems of this region with largely patriarchal societies, that are influenced by culture, religion, and colonial experience.This book provides readers with a topical analysis of women entrepreneurs in the Middle East on the context, ecosystems, and future perspectives for the region. Authors have presented the reality of 11 countries from the region based on women entrepreneurs' historical backgrounds, challenges, and achievements, as well as the contribution towards economic development in their local/immediate communities and the Middle East at large. Following the country analysis by the authors of each chapter, the editors provide a general assessment of the future of women entrepreneurs in the region by focusing on the current entrepreneurship policy and strategies of various countries in the region. This volume will be an essential reading for anyone researching or working on projects related to women's entrepreneurship and small businesses in the Middle East.

Written by leading scholars from a wide range of countries, this book advances the understanding of women's entrepreneurship by drawing attention to the contexts in which they operate. With its impact on gendered institutions and gendered social forces, it will be of interest for researchers, faculty and students as well as policy-makers and practitioners. It is the fifth in the series of books produced in partnership with the Diana International Research Network.

Whilst women-owned businesses have a significant positive impact on poverty reduction and social exclusion, we know far too little about women’s entrepreneurship in an emerging economy context. This handbook aims to fill that void by giving voice to women entrepreneurs who are far too often overlooked or even invisible. The chapters offer varied perspectives on the challenges that women entrepreneurs in emerging markets experience, foremost among these the lack of resources, education, and access to finance, as well as gender-related inequalities, and the impact of social expectations. The handbook portrays how, despite these challenges, women use creative and work-around strategies to access resources, build networks and grow their businesses. De Gruyter Handbook of Women Entrepreneurs in Emerging Economies brings together contributions from leading experts in the field and is a must-read for academic scholars and postgraduate students interested in gender and entrepreneurship diversity.

Austria’s economy is characterized through small and medium sized enterprises. Solo entrepreneurs are considered a special form within SMEs and contribute a major share to Austrian’s economy besides being Austria’s most popular legal form of organization within the micro firms. In 2020 every second of Carinthia’s start-up businesses was established by a female entrepreneur. According to an entrepreneurship study presented by Volksbank in 2019, nearly half of all female entrepreneurs lived with children and juveniles. Two-thirds of women said they were solely responsible for family, childcare, and household and 71 percent of those female entrepreneurs specified that those circumstances caused difficulties for them. This book investigated Carinthian female solo entrepreneurs and aims to find out how these hard-working women manage their business and private life while contributing to such great extent to the (federal) state’s economy. The conceptual foundations were found in embeddedness and the contextual framework which supports the importance of numerous influences on different levels placed on the entrepreneur. The empirical section represents a primary research that evaluates self-collected data sets of Carinthian solo-entrepreneurs.