Startseite Wirtschaftswissenschaften Chapter 11 Workaround practices within gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems – evidence from female entrepreneurs in the East African coffee sector
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Chapter 11 Workaround practices within gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems – evidence from female entrepreneurs in the East African coffee sector

  • Kelly Alexander , Alessia Argiolas , Carina Bohlayer , Alisa Sydow und Somayeh Taghvaee
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De Gruyter Handbook of Women Entrepreneurs in Emerging Economies
Ein Kapitel aus dem Buch De Gruyter Handbook of Women Entrepreneurs in Emerging Economies

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship is an important means to accelerate economic and social development, yet entrepreneurship is largely dominated by men. While this domination is reflected in the over-representation of male entrepreneurs compared to their female counterparts, it stems, at least in part, from gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems. These ecosystems are rooted in a masculine mentality and constitute potential barriers to establishing female-owned enterprises. In the context of emerging markets (and beyond), gender biases include societal expectations viewing men as ‘better suited’ to entrepreneurial activities, while women are assigned to household and family care, thus facing role expectations of being a mother and spouse. To shed light on how female entrepreneurs experience and manage their roles in gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems, we applied a grounded theory approach and conducted qualitative interviews with 18 female entrepreneurs who run businesses in East Africa. Our findings indicate that multi-level expectations play a role in shaping female entrepreneurs’ behaviours. The application of three different workaround practices identified in this research, i.e., ‘Reflective Participation’, ‘Acting Fast and Frugal’, and ‘Channelled Commitment’, collectively help the respondents to mitigate disadvantaged circumstances in the short-term and to work on lowering gender biases within the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the long run.

Abstract

Female entrepreneurship is an important means to accelerate economic and social development, yet entrepreneurship is largely dominated by men. While this domination is reflected in the over-representation of male entrepreneurs compared to their female counterparts, it stems, at least in part, from gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems. These ecosystems are rooted in a masculine mentality and constitute potential barriers to establishing female-owned enterprises. In the context of emerging markets (and beyond), gender biases include societal expectations viewing men as ‘better suited’ to entrepreneurial activities, while women are assigned to household and family care, thus facing role expectations of being a mother and spouse. To shed light on how female entrepreneurs experience and manage their roles in gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems, we applied a grounded theory approach and conducted qualitative interviews with 18 female entrepreneurs who run businesses in East Africa. Our findings indicate that multi-level expectations play a role in shaping female entrepreneurs’ behaviours. The application of three different workaround practices identified in this research, i.e., ‘Reflective Participation’, ‘Acting Fast and Frugal’, and ‘Channelled Commitment’, collectively help the respondents to mitigate disadvantaged circumstances in the short-term and to work on lowering gender biases within the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the long run.

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. List of contributors XI
  4. Foreword XIX
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Section 1: Central and South America
  7. Chapter 1 Financial, human, and social capital – the interplay of resources among women entrepreneurs in Costa Rica 17
  8. Chapter 2 How women entrepreneurs emerge from family firms: The case of Colombia 35
  9. Chapter 3 Inclusive internationalisation as an emerging phenomenon of female entrepreneurship in three Latin American countries 65
  10. Chapter 4 The role of junior enterprises in the promotion of women’s entrepreneurial intentions: A comparison between Brazil and Portugal 121
  11. Section 2: Middle and far east
  12. Chapter 5 Female business angels in emerging economies: Funding family-related entrepreneurs 141
  13. Chapter 6 Women entrepreneurs within family spaces: A spatial perspective from a patriarchal context 165
  14. Chapter 7 An investigation into the influence of confidence, knowledge, and perseverance in supporting female entrepreneurs across emerging markets in India 187
  15. Chapter 8 The invisibility of Vietnamese women in the aquaculture value chain 227
  16. Section 3: Africa
  17. Chapter 9 Women’s enterprising in Africa: A systematic literature review 245
  18. Chapter 10 Coopetition as a strategy for value co-creation in women-owned start-ups in South Africa 273
  19. Chapter 11 Workaround practices within gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems – evidence from female entrepreneurs in the East African coffee sector 299
  20. Chapter 12 Agri-businesswomen in Kenya: Personal networks as gendered spaces in women’s entrepreneurship 319
  21. Section 4: Eastern Europe
  22. Chapter 13 Effectual-Causal reasonings inside innovative Belarusian SMEs: A gendered view 351
  23. Chapter 14 Women entrepreneurs: From potential to intention. The role of motivations and culture in emerging economies 369
  24. Postscript: Where do we go from here? 393
  25. Index 395
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110747669-012

Kapitel in diesem Buch

  1. Frontmatter I
  2. Contents VII
  3. List of contributors XI
  4. Foreword XIX
  5. Introduction 1
  6. Section 1: Central and South America
  7. Chapter 1 Financial, human, and social capital – the interplay of resources among women entrepreneurs in Costa Rica 17
  8. Chapter 2 How women entrepreneurs emerge from family firms: The case of Colombia 35
  9. Chapter 3 Inclusive internationalisation as an emerging phenomenon of female entrepreneurship in three Latin American countries 65
  10. Chapter 4 The role of junior enterprises in the promotion of women’s entrepreneurial intentions: A comparison between Brazil and Portugal 121
  11. Section 2: Middle and far east
  12. Chapter 5 Female business angels in emerging economies: Funding family-related entrepreneurs 141
  13. Chapter 6 Women entrepreneurs within family spaces: A spatial perspective from a patriarchal context 165
  14. Chapter 7 An investigation into the influence of confidence, knowledge, and perseverance in supporting female entrepreneurs across emerging markets in India 187
  15. Chapter 8 The invisibility of Vietnamese women in the aquaculture value chain 227
  16. Section 3: Africa
  17. Chapter 9 Women’s enterprising in Africa: A systematic literature review 245
  18. Chapter 10 Coopetition as a strategy for value co-creation in women-owned start-ups in South Africa 273
  19. Chapter 11 Workaround practices within gender-biased entrepreneurship ecosystems – evidence from female entrepreneurs in the East African coffee sector 299
  20. Chapter 12 Agri-businesswomen in Kenya: Personal networks as gendered spaces in women’s entrepreneurship 319
  21. Section 4: Eastern Europe
  22. Chapter 13 Effectual-Causal reasonings inside innovative Belarusian SMEs: A gendered view 351
  23. Chapter 14 Women entrepreneurs: From potential to intention. The role of motivations and culture in emerging economies 369
  24. Postscript: Where do we go from here? 393
  25. Index 395
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Heruntergeladen am 20.9.2025 von https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.1515/9783110747669-012/html
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